Costilla County is the ninth-least populous of the 64 counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 3,524. The county seat is San Luis, the oldest continuously occupied town in Colorado.
History
Costilla County was the first area of Colorado to be settled by European-Americans. Hispanic settlers from Taos, New Mexico, officially established San Luis on April 9, 1851. Costilla County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Territory of Colorado on November 1, 1861. The county was named for the Costilla River. Although San Miguel was originally designated the county seat, the county government was moved to San Luis in 1863. The county's original boundaries extended over much of south-central Colorado. Much of the northern portion became part of Saguache County in 1866, and the western portions were folded into Hinsdale and Rio Grande counties in 1874. Costilla County arrived at its modern boundaries in 1913 when Alamosa County was created from its northwest portions.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,663 people, 1,503 households, and 1,029 families living in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile. There were 2,202 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 60.91% White, 0.79% Black or African American, 2.48% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 29.46% from other races, and 5.21% from two or more races. 67.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 1,503 households out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% were married couplesliving together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 23.30% from 25 to 44, 28.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $19,531, and the median income for a family was $25,509, the lowest for Colorado. Males had a median income of $22,390 versus $16,121 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,748. About 21.30% of families and 26.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.40% of those under age 18 and 23.30% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Costilla County tends to favor the Democratic candidate in Presidential elections. The last Republican to carry the county was Calvin Coolidge in 1924, and the last to gain an absolute majority William Howard Taft in 1912 – an era when most votes in these high valley counties were done for the voters by political machines. In the last eleven Presidential elections the Democratic candidate has consistently received over sixty percent of the county's vote and four times won over seventy percent.
Year
Republican
Democratic
Others
2016
31.8% 588
60.9%1,125
7.3% 135
2012
24.3% 446
73.0%1,340
2.8% 51
2008
24.5% 415
73.4%1,245
2.2% 37
2004
32.2% 566
66.5%1,170
1.4% 24
2000
30.6% 504
64.0%1,054
5.5% 90
1996
20.3% 333
71.2%1,168
8.5% 140
1992
20.9% 366
67.3%1,180
11.8% 207
1988
28.7% 454
70.8%1,120
0.4% 7
1984
38.1% 621
61.1%997
0.8% 13
1980
30.9% 489
65.5%1,036
3.7% 58
1976
27.0% 392
71.1%1,033
2.0% 29
1972
42.2% 602
52.1%744
5.7% 82
1968
32.2% 477
63.0%933
4.9% 72
1964
18.8% 299
80.8%1,284
0.4% 6
1960
31.8% 637
67.5%1,351
0.7% 13
1956
42.5% 958
55.7%1,256
1.8% 40
1952
43.7% 1,070
56.0%1,369
0.3% 8
1948
36.4% 921
61.7%1,563
1.9% 48
1944
37.1% 896
62.7%1,515
0.2% 5
1940
39.4% 1,121
59.7%1,698
0.9% 26
1936
37.1% 930
60.6%1,518
2.2% 56
1932
31.9% 707
66.6%1,475
1.5% 33
1928
37.3% 657
60.8%1,070
1.9% 33
1924
48.4%755
42.6% 665
9.0% 141
1920
49.5%778
47.7% 750
2.7% 43
1916
34.7% 579
61.5%1,028
3.8% 64
1912
55.1%1,072
29.1% 567
15.8% 308
In Colorado's first elections as a state in 1876, Auguste Lacome ran against William H. Meyer for State Senate in Costilla County, then Colorado's 18th District. Meyer would later become the Lt. Governor of Colorado. Votes cast for “Locome” and “Lacompte” were included in the count for Lacome. Meyer carried the election 349–204. It is part of Colorado's 3rd congressional district, which has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+5 and is represented by Republican Scott Tipton. In the Colorado Senate it is in District 35 and is represented by Larry Crowder. In the Colorado House of Representatives it is in District 62 and is represented by Democrat Donald Valdez.
