Cottonwood is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cottonwood had a population of 12,029. It is located on the Verde River.

History

As settlers arrived in the area, an abundance of cottonwood trees near the Verde River served as a meeting place for travelers. Horses rested there before their journey up the mountains, and travellers would camp here. In 1917, Clemenceau, a mining town that is now part of Cottonwood, was established nearby.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Cottonwood has a semi-arid climate (Köppen Classification BSk). In January the average high temperature is with a low of . In July the average high temperature is with a low of . Annual precipitation is approximately .

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Cottonwood had a population of 12,029. The median age was 52.4 years. 17.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 32.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.7 males age 18 and over.

There were 5,696 households in Cottonwood, of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.6% were married-couple households, 20.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 9,313 || 77.4%

|-

| Black or African American || 85 || 0.7%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 162 || 1.3%

|-

| Asian || 110 || 0.9%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 20 || 0.2%

|-

| Some other race || 965 || 8.0%

|-

| Two or more races || 1,374 || 11.4%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 2,717 || 22.6%

|}

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 9,179 people, 3,983 households and 2,369 families in the city. The population density was . There were 4,427 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.2% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 1.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.7% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 20.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 3,983 households 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female as Head of Household with no Husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 34.4% of households were one person and 19.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90.

The age distribution was 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The median household income was $27,444 and the median family income was $37,794. Males had a median income of $24,308 versus $19,977 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,518. About 8.9% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Civil unions

The city became one of the Arizona municipalities to approve of civil unions for same-sex partners.

Arts and culture

The Cottonwood Public Library is part of the Yavapai County Library Network and serves the city of Cottonwood along with surrounding cities including Clarkdale, Camp Verde, Jerome, Rimrock and unincorporated areas of the Verde Valley in Yavapai County.

The Verde Valley Fairgrounds host the annual Verde Valley Fair in Cottonwood.

Education

Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District operates public schools.

Infrastructure

The city is served by Cottonwood Airport, a general aviation facility. It also has a public transit system, Cottonwood Area Transit (CAT), which operates in Cottonwood, Clarkdale and Verde Village. CAT also operates the Vedre Shuttle, which connects Cottonwood with Sedona. The Town of Jerome runs a shuttle between the towns on Wednesdays.

Notable people

  • Frederick Henry Ball – American movie studio executive and younger brother of Lucille Ball.
  • Junior Brown – country singer and guitarist
  • Ambyr Childers – actress
  • Fred P. Lewis – U.S. Air Force; born in Cottonwood
  • Ray Manley – photographer
  • June Miller – Second wife of writer Henry Miller
  • John Pedersen – arms designer, known for the Pedersen device
  • Alvie Self – singer, member of Rockabilly Hall of Fame
  • Max Terhune – actor (1891–1973)<!-- Killed in a Cottonwood traffic accident -->

See also

  • List of historic properties in Cottonwood, Arizona

References

  • City of Cottonwood
  • Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce