In 45 of the 50 states of the United States , the county is used for the level of local government immediately below the state itself. Louisiana uses parishes , and Alaska uses boroughs . In Connecticut , Massachusetts , and Rhode Island , some or all counties within states have no governments of their own; the counties continue to exist as legal entities, however, and are used by states for some administrative functions and by the United States Census bureau for statistical analysis. There are 3,242 counties and county equivalent administrative units in total, including the District of Columbia and 100 county-equivalents in the U.S. territories .
50-510: The Vulture Mine was a gold mine and settlement in Maricopa County, Arizona , United States. The mine began in 1863 and became the most productive gold mine in Arizona history. From 1863 to 1942 A.D. , the mine produced 340,000 ounces (9,638.8 kgs) of gold and 260,000 ounces (7,370.9 kgs) of silver. Historically, the mine attracted more than 5,000 people to the area, and is credited with founding
100-601: A capital city. Maricopa County has 14 regional parks: It also has at least 21 protected areas: From 2009 to 2011, an inventory of all vascular plants growing along the Salt River (Arizona) , Gila River , New River and Agua Fria River and their tributaries in the Phoenix metropolitan area was done. In October 2022, Maricopa County Environmental Services Department detected Dengue virus in mosquitoes they had trapped; in November
150-434: A female householder with no husband present, 33.9% were not families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.25. The median age was 34.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 55,054 and the median income for a family was $ 65,438. Males had a median income of $ 45,799 versus $ 37,601 for females. The per capita income for
200-506: A household in the county was $ 45,358, and for a family was $ 51,827. Males had a median income of $ 36,858 versus $ 28,703 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 22,251. About 8.0% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over. In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Maricopa County were Catholics, who are organized under
250-582: A more limited constitutional amendment Proposition 102 to ban same-sex marriage but not state-recognized civil unions or domestic partnerships. The amendment was later invalidated by the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges , which declared that same-sex marriage is a fundamental right in the United States. Unlike cities and towns in Arizona, counties are politically and legally subordinate to
300-516: A population of 5,000 citizens. After the mine closed, the city was abandoned and became a " ghost town ". The deposit was later sold to Benjamin Phelps, who represented a group of investors that eventually organized under the name of Vulture Mining Company. The desert surrounding the Vulture Mine did not give much in the way of produce, so an enterprising individual by the name of Jack Swilling went into
350-516: A week. However, it does not stop in Phoenix itself. The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Maricopa County. † county seat In 2019, the largest employers in Maricopa County were: According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis , in 2019 the employment of Maricopa County in the following sectors was: Maricopa produces far more Brassica than anywhere else in
400-513: Is a list of counties and county-equivalents showing the average size of each state/territory's counties, the smallest county (or equivalent) in each state/territory, and the largest county (or equivalent) in each state/territory. States/territories on the list are arranged by the average land area of their counties. Though not on the list, the North Slope Borough is the largest independently incorporated county equivalent. The Unorganized Borough
450-409: Is also produced here. All of the boysenberry , half of the elderberry (along with Yavapai ), and a small amount of the state's blackberry and strawberry are harvested here. A large part of the vegetable seed in Arizona is grown here. 33°30′50″N 112°28′33″W / 33.51389°N 112.47583°W / 33.51389; -112.47583 County statistics of
500-422: Is covered by water. Maricopa County is one of the largest counties in the United States by area , with a land area greater than that of four other US states . From west to east, it stretches 132 miles (212 km), and 103 miles (166 km) from north to south. It is by far Arizona's most populous county, encompassing well over half of the state's residents. It is the largest county in the United States to have
550-450: Is home to 62 percent of the state's population and therefore dominates Arizona's politics. For example, in the 2018 Senate election , Democrat Kyrsten Sinema carried the county en route to becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Arizona since 1988 . She won the county by over 60,000 votes, more than enough for the victory; she won statewide by 55,900 votes. All but one of the state's nine congressional districts include part of
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#1732852514229600-464: Is substantially larger, but is an extension of the State of Alaska government and not independently incorporated. Also note that the smallest land area with county-level governance in the U.S. is Falls Church, Virginia , but it is an independent city and not a county or part of one. Kingman Reef is the smallest county-equivalent in all U.S. territory (though it has no government). Kalawao County, Hawaii
650-465: Is the only U.S. territory with population densities (of county-equivalents) high enough to be on this list. Note that many of these high-density counties are coterminous with large cities (for example San Francisco and Philadelphia) or are independent cities in Virginia (as well as Baltimore and St. Louis ) which are considered county-equivalents. This list was generated by dividing the population by
700-440: Is the smallest true county by land area. Data presented below is based on U.S. Census department data from 2010. Calculations are made by dividing the population by the land area. All county equivalents are included. This list includes the 50 most densely-populated counties and county-equivalents in the 50 states and District of Columbia, plus the 9 highest-density municipalities (county-equivalents) of Puerto Rico . Puerto Rico
750-748: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix with 519,950 Catholics and 99 parishes, and 9 additional eastern rite Catholic parishes. This is followed by 242,732 LDS Mormons with 503 congregations, 213,640 non-denominational adherents with 309 congregations, 93,252 Assembly of God Pentecostals with 120 congregations, 73,207 Southern Baptists with 149 congregations, 35,804 Christian churches and churches of Christ Christians with 29 congregations, 30,014 Evangelical Lutherans with 47 congregations, 28,634 UMC Methodists with 55 congregations, 18,408 Missouri Synod Lutherans with 34 congregations, and 15,001 Presbyterians with 42 congregations. Altogether, 39.1% of
800-501: The U.S. Census Bureau . This is the number of counties and county-equivalents for each state, the District of Columbia , the 5 inhabited territories of the United States , and the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands . Lists of counties and county equivalents by number per political division: These rankings include county equivalents. The following is a list of the least populous counties and county-equivalents in all U.S. territory. Note that
850-428: The census of 2000, 3,072,149 people, 1,132,886 households, and 763,565 families were living in the county. The population density was 334 people/sq mi (129 people/km ). The 1,250,231 housing units averaged of 136 per square mile (53/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 77.4% White, 3.7% African American, 1.9% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 12.0% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. About 29.5% of
900-438: The 50 states) are the independent cities of Virginia with the extreme being Falls Church at 2.05 sq mi (5.3 km ; 1,310 acres). If the U.S. territories are included, the smallest county-equivalent is Kingman Reef , with a land area of 0.012 square miles (3.1 ha; 7.7 acres). The following two tables exclude county-equivalents: The following two tables include county-equivalents: The following
950-490: The 7th is primarily Tucson -based. †Member was originally appointed to the office. School districts with territory in the county (no matter how slight, even if the administration and schools are in other counties) include: Unified: Secondary: Elementary: There is also a state-operated school, Phoenix Day School for the Deaf . The Phoenix Indian School was formerly in the county. The major primary commercial airport of
1000-477: The Phoenix Valley and reopened the irrigation canals left by the native peoples. Agriculture was brought back to the valley, and a grain route was established. This grain route still exists today under the name of Grand Avenue. Phoenix, Arizona , grew up around the agricultural center spawned by the needs of the Vulture Mine. In 1942, the Vulture Mine was shut down by a regulatory agency for processing gold. This
1050-401: The U.S. territories are listed at the top of the table — these are technically the least-densely populated counties/county-equivalents in the United States, but since they have no people, they are listed unranked. Data presented below is based on U.S. Census Bureau data from 2010. Calculations are made by dividing the population by the land area. All county equivalents are included. Excluding
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#17328525142291100-515: The United States : they are the 3 districts and 2 atolls of American Samoa , all of Guam (Guam as one single county-equivalent), the 4 municipalities in the Northern Mariana Islands , the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico , the 3 main islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands , and the 9 islands in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands . All of these territorial county-equivalents are defined by
1150-499: The United States#Twenty-five largest counties (or county equivalents) by land area There are 41 independent cities in the United States. In Virginia , any municipality that is incorporated as a city legally becomes independent of any county. Where indicated, the statistics below do not include Virginia's 38 independent cities. In Alaska , most of the land area of the state has no county-level government. Those parts of
1200-445: The United States. While the city of Phoenix has been evenly split between the two major parties, most of the rest of the county was strongly Republican . Until 2020 , every Republican presidential candidate since 1952 had carried Maricopa County. This includes the 1964 presidential run of native son Barry Goldwater , who would not have carried his own state had it not been for a 21,000-vote margin in Maricopa County. Until 2020, it
1250-411: The board consists of four Republicans and one Democrat. Each member serves a four-year term, with no term limits. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office provides court protection, administers the county jail, and patrols the unincorporated areas of the county plus incorporated towns by contract. For much of the time after World War II , Maricopa County was one of the more conservative urban counties in
1300-452: The census areas of Alaska, Lake and Peninsula Borough is the least densely populated county equivalent with 0.069/sq mi (0.027/km ). The District of Columbia and Guam each only have one county-equivalent, so their most/least densely-populated county is the same. ^ A: The Unorganized Borough, Alaska , formed by the Borough Act of 1961 , is a legal entity, run by
1350-785: The county is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ( PHX ). Other airports located in the county include: In terms of freight rail, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad serve the county. In terms of passenger rail, greater Phoenix is served by a light rail system . The county has no other passenger rail transport as Amtrak 's Sunset Limited , which served Phoenix until June 2, 1996, has its closest stop in Maricopa in neighboring Pinal County . The train connects Maricopa to Tucson , Los Angeles , and New Orleans three times
1400-867: The county was $ 27,816. About 10.0% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. According to data provided by the United States Census Bureau in October 2015 and collected from 2009 to 2013, 73.7% of the population aged five years and over spoke only English at home, while 20.3% spoke Spanish, 0.6% spoke Chinese, 0.5% Vietnamese, 0.4% Tagalog , 0.4% Arabic, 0.4% German, 0.3% French, 0.3% Navajo , 0.2% Korean, 0.2% Hindi , 0.2% Italian, 0.1% Persian , 0.1% Russian, 0.1% Serbo-Croatian , 0.1% Telugu , 0.1% Polish, 0.1% Syriac , 0.1% Japanese, 0.1% spoke Romanian, and 0.1% spoke other Native North American languages at home. As of
1450-426: The county was 73.0% white (58.7% non-Hispanic white), 5.0% African American, 3.5% Asian, 2.1% American Indian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 12.8% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 29.6% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: Of the 1,411,583 households, 35.1% had children under 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 12.4% had
1500-450: The county, and five of the districts have their population center located there. Most of the state's prominent elected officials live in the county. Further underlining Maricopa County's political dominance, Biden's margin of 45,109 votes was more than enough to carry the state; he only won Arizona by 10,457 votes. The 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th districts are all centered in Maricopa County. The 2nd and 9th are centered in rural Arizona, while
1550-584: The county. This makes Maricopa County the third county in American history to cast more than one million votes for a presidential candidate. The county is also a statewide bellwether, voting for the statewide winning candidate in all elections except 1996. Despite its consistent Republican allegiance since 1952, its fast-growing Hispanic population and influx of conservative retirees and Mormons , which were traditionally conservative voting blocs but were increasingly skeptical of President Donald Trump , signaled that it
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1600-490: The first locally transmitted case of dengue fever was reported in the County and Arizona state as a whole - previous dengue cases in Maricopa County had been related to travel. As of the 2010 census , 3,817,117 people, 1,411,583 households, and 932,814 families were living in the county. The population density was 414.9/sq mi (160.2/km ). The 1,639,279 housing units averaged 178.2/sq mi (68.8/km ). The racial makeup of
1650-536: The land area. All county equivalents are included. The list is dominated by just a few states: Alaska, Montana, and Texas together comprise about two-thirds of the entries. The Unorganized Borough is not included here as a unit, but its census areas (non-governmental entities) are. If the census areas were removed from the list, the Unorganized Borough would rank fourteenth with a density of 0.38 per square mile (0.15/km ). The 8 uninhabited county-equivalents in
1700-619: The nation's most centralized states. The county seat is Phoenix , the state capital and fifth-most populous city in the United States. Maricopa County is the central county of the Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area . The Office of Management and Budget renamed the metropolitan area in September 2018. Previously, it was the Phoenix–Mesa–Glendale metropolitan area, and in 2000, that
1750-616: The only entity on this list with a permanent human population is Swains Island, American Samoa . The first 8 counties (county-equivalents) are uninhabited, while the 10th on the list ( Palmyra Atoll ) has a small non-permanent human population whose maximum capacity is 20 people. The largest counties and county-equivalents are organized boroughs and the census areas of Alaska with the top two being Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area (145,504.79 sq mi or 376,855.7 km ) and North Slope Borough (88,695.41 sq mi or 229,720.1 km ). The smallest counties and county equivalents (in
1800-469: The peace, and clerk of the Superior Court are elected by the people. Retention of Superior Court judges is also determined by popular vote. The county's dominant political figure for over two decades (from 1993 to 2017) was Sheriff Joe Arpaio , who called himself "America's Toughest Sheriff" and gained national notoriety for his flamboyant and often controversial practices and policies. Maricopa County
1850-477: The population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, the county had 1,177 religious organizations, the fifth most out of all US counties. The governing body of Maricopa County is its board of supervisors. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors consists of five members chosen by popular vote within their own districts. As of 2023
1900-406: The population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. About 19.1% reported speaking Spanish at home. Of the 1,132,886 households, 33.0% had children under 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were not families. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who
1950-473: The remaining buildings of Vulture City, a booming mining town. The mine was a Lock-down site on Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel on October 29, 2010. The Vulture Mine is located in Maricopa County at 36610 N. 355th Avenue, Wickenburg, Arizona, United States, Zip code: 85390. The following are images with a brief description of the Vulture Mine and some of the structures still present in what once
2000-495: The state and do not have charters of their own. The county Board of Supervisors acts under powers delegated by state law, mainly related to minor ordinances and revenue collection. With few exceptions, these powers are narrowly construed. The chairperson of the board presides for a one-year term, selected by the board members during a public hearing. The county sheriff, county attorney, county assessor, county treasurer, superintendent of schools, county recorder, constables, justices of
2050-541: The state are divided by the United States Census Bureau into census areas , which are not the same as boroughs. The state's largest statistical division by area is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area , which is larger than any of the state's boroughs. Although Anchorage is called a municipality, it is considered a consolidated city and borough. There are 100 county-equivalents in the territories of
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2100-534: The state's melon , okra , and bell pepper are also grown here. Almost all the apricot , freestone peach , persimmon , and nectarine in the state are grown here. The county also ties for the highest amount of cling peach with Cochise , along with Pima produces almost all the pomegranate , and grows most of the kumquat . Maricopa's farms grow a middling amount of fig , grape ( Vitis spp. including V. vinifera ), and pear ( Pyrus spp.) other than Bartlett . A small amount of plum
2150-411: The state, including far more cabbage , collards , and mustard greens , and far more eggplant and greenhouse production of tomato . Slightly more kale is grown here than Yavapai , and a close second to Yuma for broccoli , cauliflower , and spinach , and to Yavapai for field tomato . The county is top for parsley and is tied with Pima for other fresh herbs . Some of
2200-460: The town of Wickenburg, Arizona . The town that served the mine was known as Vulture City . The Vulture mine began when a prospector from California's gold rush, Henry Wickenburg , discovered a quartz deposit containing gold and began mining the outcrop himself. In 1863, after Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture mine, Vulture City, a small mining town, was established in the area. The town once had
2250-407: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.67, and the average family size was 3.21. The age distribution in the county was 27.0% under 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.10 males. The median income for
2300-412: Was a crucial bellwether in the 2020 election. Despite its political leanings at the time, Maricopa County voted against Proposition 107 in the 2006 election. This referendum, designed to ban gay marriage and restrict domestic partner benefits, was rejected by a 51.6–48.4% margin within the county, and statewide by a similar margin. Two years later, however, a majority of county residents voted to pass
2350-415: Was a violation at the time because all resources were to be focused on the war effort. The mine appealed the shut-down order and reopened, but with less vigor. A few years later, the mine closed permanently. Today the mine and ghost town are privately owned, but tours are offered. Two-hour, dirt path guided walking tours at the historic Vulture mine offers a glimpse of the olden days through a tour of some of
2400-619: Was changed to Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale. Maricopa County was named after the Maricopa people . Five Indian reservations are located in the county. The largest are the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community (east of Scottsdale) and the Gila River Indian Community (south of Chandler). According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 9,224 sq mi (23,890 km ), of which 24 sq mi (62 km ) (0.3%)
2450-418: Was known as Vulture City. Maricopa County, Arizona Maricopa County ( / ˌ m ær ɪ ˈ k oʊ p ə / ) is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona . As of the 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the fourth-most populous county in the United States and the most populous county in Arizona, and making Arizona one of
2500-518: Was the largest county in the country to vote Republican. From 1968 to 2016 , Democrats held the margin within single digits only three times–in 1992 , 1996 , and 2016. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat in 72 years to win the county, which flipped Arizona to the Democratic column for the first time since 1996 and only the second time since 1948 . Furthermore, Biden became the first presidential candidate to win more than one million votes in
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