Nez Perce County, Idaho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nez Perce County
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Nez Perce County Courthouse in Lewiston, Idaho
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Location within the U.S. state of Idaho
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 Idaho's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Idaho |
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| Founded | February 4, 1864 | |
| Named for | Nez Percé tribe | |
| Seat | Lewiston | |
| Largest city | Lewiston | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 856 sq mi (2,220 km2) | |
| • Land | 848 sq mi (2,200 km2) | |
| • Water | 8.2 sq mi (21 km2) 0.85% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 42,090 | |
| • Density | 49.17/sq mi (18.985/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) | |
| Congressional district | 1st | |
Nez Perce County (pron. Nezz Purse) is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,090. The county seat is Lewiston. The county is named after the Native American Nez Perce tribe. Nez Perce County is part of the Lewiston, Idaho–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Nez Perce County was originally organized in 1861, when the area was part of Washington Territory. It was reorganized in 1864 by the Idaho Territorial Legislature and was later subdivided into new counties. Rapid migration to the Palouse in the 1880s led to the formation of Latah County in 1888. Isolated from its county seat of Wallace in the Silver Valley, the southern portion of Shoshone County was annexed by Nez Perce County in 1904, then became Clearwater County in 1911. Lewis County was also formed from Nez Perce County in 1911.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 856 square miles (2,220 km2), of which 848 square miles (2,200 km2) is land and 8.2 square miles (21 km2) (1.0%) is water.
Nez Perce County has two rivers, the Clearwater and the Snake, which meet in Lewiston and then flow west. The Clearwater flows from the east and the Snake from the south, creating the state border with Washington (and further upstream, Oregon). The lowest point in the state of Idaho is located on the Snake River in Lewiston in Nez Perce County, where it flows out of Idaho and into Washington.
The northern portion of the county is part of the Palouse, a wide and rolling agricultural region of the middle Columbia basin.
Adjacent counties
- Latah County – north
- Clearwater County – northeast
- Lewis County – east
- Idaho County – southeast/Mountain Time Border
- Wallowa County, Oregon – southwest
- Asotin County, Washington – west
- Whitman County, Washington – northwest
Major highways
US-12
US-95
US-195
SH-3
National protected areas
- Clearwater National Forest (part)
- Nez Perce National Historical Park (part)
- Wallowa–Whitman National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,607 | — | |
| 1880 | 3,965 | 146.7% | |
| 1890 | 2,847 | −28.2% | |
| 1900 | 13,748 | 382.9% | |
| 1910 | 24,860 | 80.8% | |
| 1920 | 15,253 | −38.6% | |
| 1930 | 17,591 | 15.3% | |
| 1940 | 18,873 | 7.3% | |
| 1950 | 22,568 | 19.6% | |
| 1960 | 27,066 | 19.9% | |
| 1970 | 30,276 | 11.9% | |
| 1980 | 33,220 | 9.7% | |
| 1990 | 33,754 | 1.6% | |
| 2000 | 37,410 | 10.8% | |
| 2010 | 39,265 | 5.0% | |
| 2020 | 42,090 | 7.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 42,987 | 9.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960, 1900–1990, 1990–2000, 2010–2020 2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 39,265 people, 16,241 households, and 10,331 families living in the county. The population density was 46.3 inhabitants per square mile (17.9/km2). There were 17,438 housing units at an average density of 20.6 per square mile (8.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.1% white, 5.6% American Indian, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.7% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.6% were German, 14.5% were Irish, 13.5% were English, and 7.7% were American.
Of the 16,241 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.4% were non-families, and 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 40.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,395 and the median income for a family was $55,180. Males had a median income of $42,451 versus $31,920 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,899. About 8.5% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Nez Perce para niños
