Greenlee County, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Greenlee County
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Benjamin F. Billingsley House in Duncan, Arizona
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Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
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 Arizona's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Arizona |
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| Founded | March 10, 1909 | |
| Named for | Mason Greenlee | |
| Seat | Clifton | |
| Largest town | Clifton | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,848 sq mi (4,790 km2) | |
| • Land | 1,843 sq mi (4,770 km2) | |
| • Water | 5.3 sq mi (14 km2) 0.3% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,563 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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9,369  |
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| • Density | 5.1748/sq mi (1.9980/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) | |
| Congressional district | 6th | |
Greenlee County is a county in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,563, making it Arizona's least populous county. The county seat is Clifton.
The economy of Greenlee County is dominated by the Morenci Mine, the largest copper mining operation in North America, and one of the largest copper mines in the world. As of 2017[update], the mine complex, owned by Freeport-McMoRan, had about 3,300 employees.
Contents
History
Greenlee County was created in 1909 and named for Mason Greenlee, who was an early settler in the Clifton area. It was Arizona's 14th county and formed from part of Graham County, which opposed the formation because Graham County would lose considerable revenue. Clifton has always been the county seat.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,848 square miles (4,790 km2), of which 1,843 square miles (4,770 km2) is land and 5.3 square miles (14 km2) (0.3%) is water. It is the second-smallest county by area in Arizona.
Adjacent counties
- Cochise County – south
- Graham County – west
- Apache County – north
- Catron County, New Mexico – east
- Grant County, New Mexico – east
- Hidalgo County, New Mexico – southeast
National protected areas
- Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (part)
- Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area (part)
Major highways
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 191
State Route 75
State Route 78
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 15,362 | — | |
| 1930 | 9,886 | −35.6% | |
| 1940 | 8,698 | −12.0% | |
| 1950 | 12,805 | 47.2% | |
| 1960 | 11,509 | −10.1% | |
| 1970 | 10,330 | −10.2% | |
| 1980 | 11,406 | 10.4% | |
| 1990 | 8,008 | −29.8% | |
| 2000 | 8,547 | 6.7% | |
| 2010 | 8,437 | −1.3% | |
| 2020 | 9,563 | 13.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,369 | 11.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,437 people, 3,188 households, and 2,152 families living in the county. The population density was 4.6 inhabitants per square mile (1.8 inhabitants/km2). There were 4,372 housing units at an average density of 2.4 units per square mile (0.93 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.2% white, 2.3% American Indian, 1.1% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 15.0% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 47.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 12.9% were English, 12.1% were German, 10.6% were Irish, and 1.6% were American.
Of the 3,188 households, 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.21. The median age was 34.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,696 and the median income for a family was $51,729. Males had a median income of $50,446 versus $34,171 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,281. About 9.4% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Blue
- Apache Grove
- Hannagan Meadows
- Three Way
- Sheldon
- Verde Lee-Loma Linda
Other locations
- Strayhorse, a location along Route 191 in the vicinity of Strayhorse creek/canyon/campground
Ghost towns
County population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Greenlee County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Population (2010 Census) | Municipal type | Incorporated |
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| 1 | † Clifton | 3,311 | Town | |
| 2 | Morenci | 1,489 | CDP | |
| 3 | Duncan | 696 | Town | 1938 |
| 4 | York | 557 | CDP | |
| 5 | Franklin | 92 | CDP |
Education
School districts include:
- Blue Elementary School District
- Duncan Unified School District
- Eagle Elementary District
- Morenci Unified School District
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Greenlee para niños
