| Table of contents |
|
2 Law and government 3 Geography 4 Demographics 5 Cities and towns 6 External link |
History
Trading posts were established in the area starting in the 1850s. Named for
Stephen Douglas, famous for his 1860 Presidential campaign debates with Abraham Lincoln, Douglas County was one of the first nine counties formed in 1861 by the Nevada territorial legislature.
Law and government
The county seat is Minden.
Various services run by the county include parks, firefighting, and Minden-Tahoe Airport.
Geography
Douglas County is in northwestern Nevada in the southwestern United States. Stretching from Carson Valley and running up into the Sierra Nevada, the county is bordered on the west by California, and contains half of Lake Tahoe, which is split across the two states. Carson City, the state capital, lies to the north, and Lyon County to the east.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,910 km² (738 mi²). 1,838 km² (710 mi²) of it is land and 72 km² (28 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.77% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 41,259 people, 16,401 households, and 11,890 families residing in the county. The population density is 22/km² (58/mi²). There are 19,006 housing units at an average density of 10/km² (27/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 91.88% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 1.68% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. 7.41% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 16,401 households out of which 30.70% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% are married couples living together, 8.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% are non-families. 20.70% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.60% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 2.88.
In the county the population is spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 28.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 102.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $51,849, and the median income for a family is $57,092. Males have a median income of $40,436 versus $28,762 for females. The per capita income for the county is $27,288. 7.30% of the population and 5.80% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.70% are under the age of 18 and 5.30% are 65 or older.