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Garfield County, Washington facts for kids

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Garfield County
Garfield County Courthouse in Pomeroy
Garfield County Courthouse in Pomeroy
Map of Washington highlighting Garfield County
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Map of the United States highlighting Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Washington
Founded November 29, 1881
Named for James A. Garfield
Seat Pomeroy
Largest city Pomeroy
Area
 • Total 718 sq mi (1,860 km2)
 • Land 711 sq mi (1,840 km2)
 • Water 7.5 sq mi (19 km2)  1.0%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,286
 • Estimate 
(2021)
2,346 Increase
 • Density 3.1/sq mi (1.2/km2)
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district 5th

Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,286, making it the least populous county in Washington; with about 3.2 inhabitants per square mile (1.2/km2), it is also the least densely populated county in Washington. The county seat and only city is Pomeroy.

History

Garfield County was created out of a large piece of Columbia County on November 29, 1881 Roughly half of the county was split off to form Asotin County in 1883. and was named for the late U.S. President James A. Garfield, who had been assassinated in September, 1881.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 718 square miles (1,860 km2), of which 711 square miles (1,840 km2) is land and 7.5 square miles (19 km2) (1.0%) is water. It is part of the Palouse, a wide and rolling prairie-like region of the middle Columbia basin.

Geographic features

Major highway

  • US 12.svg U.S. Route 12
  • WA-127.svg State Route 127

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Umatilla National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 3,897
1900 3,918 0.5%
1910 4,199 7.2%
1920 3,875 −7.7%
1930 3,662 −5.5%
1940 3,383 −7.6%
1950 3,204 −5.3%
1960 2,976 −7.1%
1970 2,911 −2.2%
1980 2,468 −15.2%
1990 2,248 −8.9%
2000 2,397 6.6%
2010 2,266 −5.5%
2020 2,286 0.9%
2021 (est.) 2,346 3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 2,266 people, 989 households, and 650 families living in the county. The population density was 3.2 inhabitants per square mile (1.2/km2). There were 1,233 housing units at an average density of 1.7 per square mile (0.66/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.8% white, 1.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.2% were German, 22.4% were English, 19.9% were Irish, 7.9% were Dutch, 5.5% were Swedish, and 3.4% were American.

Of the 989 households, 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.3% were non-families, and 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age was 49.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,469 and the median income for a family was $55,769. Males had a median income of $38,897 versus $30,650 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,825. About 14.1% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

Unincorporated communities

In popular culture

Part of the 1996 film Black Sheep takes place (but not filmed) in Garfield County.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Garfield (Washington) para niños

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