Tooele County, Utah

2020 census

According to the 2020 United States census and 2020 American Community Survey, there were 72,698 people in Tooele County with a population density of 10.3 people per square mile (4.0/km2). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 58,199 (80.1%) White, 436 (0.6%) African American, 445 (0.6%) Native American, 511 (0.7%) Asian, 637 (0.9%) Pacific Islander, 282 (0.4%) from other races, and 2,666 (3.7%) from two or more races. 9,522 (13.1%) people were Hispanic or Latino.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Tooele County, Utah – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!% 2000

!% 2010

|White alone (NH)

|34,497

|49,174

|style='background: #ffffe6; |58,199

|84.69%

|84.47%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |80.06%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|480

|372

|style='background: #ffffe6; |436

|1.18%

|0.64%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.60%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|600

|464

|style='background: #ffffe6; |445

|1.47%

|0.80%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.61%

|Asian alone (NH)

|234

|357

|style='background: #ffffe6; |511

|0.57%

|0.61%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.70%

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|64

|212

|style='background: #ffffe6; |637

|0.16%

|0.36%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.88%

|Other race alone (NH)

|21

|39

|style='background: #ffffe6; |282

|0.05%

|0.07%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.39%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|625

|939

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,666

|1.53%

|1.61%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.67%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|4,214

|6,661

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,522

|10.34%

|11.44%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.10%

|Total

|40,735

|58,218

|style='background: #ffffe6; |72,698

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

There were 36,687 (50.46%) males and 36,011 (49.54%) females, and the population distribution by age was 23,959 (33.0%) under the age of 18, 41,869 (57.6%) from 18 to 64, and 6,870 (9.5%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 31.4 years.

There were 22,087 households in Tooele County with an average size of 3.29 of which 17,531 (79.4%) were families and 4,556 (20.6%) were non-families. Among all families, 13,990 (63.3%) were married couples, 1,398 (6.3%) were male householders with no spouse, and 2,143 (9.7%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 3,572 (16.2%) were a single person living alone and 984 (4.5%) were two or more people living together. 10,566 (47.8%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 17,970 (81.4%) of households were owner-occupied while 4,117 (18.6%) were renter-occupied.

The median income for a Tooele County household was $76,737 and the median family income was $83,730, with a per-capita income of $27,702. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $57,579 and for females $40,845. 5.9% of the population and 4.7% of families were below the poverty line.

In terms of education attainment, out of the 40,623 people in Tooele County 25 years or older, 3,224 (7.9%) had not completed high school, 12,971 (31.9%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 15,055 (37.1%) had some college or associate degree, 6,091 (15.0%) had a bachelor's degree, and 3,282 (8.1%) had a graduate or professional degree.

Environmental concerns

Heavy industry and the resulting pollution of the air, soil, and groundwater has affected the region in several ways. The US Environmental Protection Agency has reported that Tooele-based US Magnesium discharges dangerous toxins and cancerous byproducts. In 2008, the federal government considered listing the area as a Superfund site. Tooele County was listed in 1989 as having the worst air in Utah, according to federal agencies and environmental groups. The Tooele County Health Department notes that the chemical output of the heavy industry can be particularly dangerous in the winter, because the region's climate and setting create winter inversions, suspending the toxins in the air, and posing "serious health concerns".

Due to the history of toxic waste disposal in the area, Tooele County and Utah residents have opposed plans to dispose of nuclear waste in the county boundaries. A high level nuclear waste site proposed to be built at the Goshute Tribe Reservation in Skull Valley faced opposition until the plan slowly fizzled out. Projects to dispose of depleted uranium at Energy Solution's Clive facility continue to cause controversy.

Politics and government

From 1932 through 1968, Tooele County tended Democratic, selecting the Democratic nominee in every election save 1956 (but being blue enough to vote for Stevenson in 1952). From 1972 on, however, it has become powerfully Republican, voting Democratic only once in this period thus far, for Bill Clinton in 1996 (with a low plurality and by a narrow margin).

{| class="wikitable"

|+State elected offices

! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" |Position

!District

! style="text-align:center;" |Name

! valign="bottom" |Affiliation

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center;" |First elected