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Bear Lake County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the state of Idaho. It is named after Bear Lake, a 20-mile-long lake half in Idaho, and half in Utah. As of 2000, the population is 6,411. The county seat is at Paris.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,718 km2 (1,049 mi2). 2,516 km2 (971 mi2) of it is land and 202 km2 (78 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 7.44% water. The county is centered around Bear Lake Valley and includes the surrounding mountain ranges. The valley is high in the mountains, with its lowest elevation at about 5900 feet above sea level. The highest point in the county is Meade Peak at 9,957 feet above sea level.
Adjacent Counties
History
The first settlement in the county, and in Bear Lake Valley was Paris, which was settled by Mormon pioneers on September 26, 1863. 30 families comprised the original settlement. In the spring of 1864, Montpelier was settled on the other side of the valley on the Oregon Trail. The railroad was extended through Montpelier in 1892.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 6,411 people, 2,259 households, and 1,710 families residing in the county. The population density is 3/km2 (7/mi2). There are 3,268 housing units at an average density of 1/km2 (3/mi2). The racial makeup of the county is 97.66% White, 0.09% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.08% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 2.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,259 households out of which 38.80% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.90% are married couples living together, 6.40% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.30% are non-families. 22.20% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.10% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.81 and the average family size is 3.33.
In the county the population is spread out with 33.00% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 22.40% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $32,162, and the median income for a family is $38,351. Males have a median income of $33,958 versus $17,829 for females. The per capita income for the county is $13,592. 9.60% of the population and 7.10% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.30% of those under the age of 18 and 9.20% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and towns
External link
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