Understanding Moffat County's demographics

Moffat County, Colorado's second largest county, spans 4,742 square miles bordering Utah and Wyoming in the northwest corner of the state.

The county had 13,417 residents in 2005, according to Census estimates. A total of 9,143 of those residents live in Craig, the county's only incorporated city, located on the east end of the county.

With such a large area and so few people in the county, Moffat County has become known for its endless fields of sagebrush and prime big game hunting.

Moffat County is 93 miles long and 52 miles wide, and has just 2.8 people per square mile.

The county has slightly more men than woman, with a total population that is about 52 percent male and 48 percent female. The county's median age is 34 years, and the average family size is 3.05 people.

Moffat County is predominantly white. According to 2005 Census estimates, 85 percent of the county's residents are white persons who are not Hispanic, while 12.7 percent of residents are of Hispanic or Latino origin.

American Indians comprise 0.9 percent of the population, and Asians comprise 0.4 percent. Blacks make up 0.4 percent of the population. Persons reporting two or more races comprise 1 percent of Moffat County's population.

The county's population is projected to increase to more than 18,000 over the next 25 years, according to the Yampa Valley Partners Community Indicators Project.

Other communities in Moffat County include Maybell and Dinosaur, both west of Craig. Maybell's population was 370 and Dinosaur's 319 in 2000 Census.

In Moffat County, 9.8 percent of the population was at or below poverty level in 2000, compared to 8.9 percent of the population in the state of Colorado.

The average median household income in 2003 was $44,946.

The median value of owner-occupied housing units in 2000 was $104,600.

In Moffat County, 12.5 percent of people 25 and older have bachelor's degrees or higher, and 80 percent of people 25 or older are high school graduates.

The mean travel time to work for those age 16 and older is 23.4 minutes. Many residents choose to live in Craig and commute to nearby Steamboat Springs, about a 45-minute drive or bus ride away.