Davis County is a county in northern Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 362,679, making it Utah's third-most populous county. Its county seat is Farmington, and its largest city by both population and area is Layton.
Davis County is part of the Ogden-Clearfield, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, UT Combined Statistical Area.
History The legislature of the provisional State of Deseret defined the county in an October 5, 1850, act, which also designated Farmington as the seat due to its location midway between boundaries at the Weber River on the north and the Jordan River on the south. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, a captain in the Mormon Battalion. The county boundaries were altered in 1852, 1854, 1855, and 1862. In 1880, the county gained part of the islands and waters of Great Salt Lake that had previously been attached to Salt Lake County. The county boundary has remained unchanged since that time.
During its first 50 years, Davis County grew slowly. With the advent of the Utah Central Rail Road in 1870, a transition to mechanized agriculture and a surge of commerce, banking, improved roads, new water systems, and electrification of homes began. However, by 1940, the population was barely 16,000.
With the establishment of Hill Air Force Base in northern Davis County and southern Weber County,HAFB officially opened on November 7, 1940. there was a surge in civilian employment after World War II. The county doubled in population between 1940 and 1950 and doubled again between 1950 and 1960 as part of the nationwide suburb boom that was occurring at the time. By 1990, there were 188,000 residents, and in 2000, there were 239,000. As of 2020, the county population is above 360,000.
Geography Davis County has an area of , of which is land and (53%) is water. It is Utah's smallest county by land area and second smallest by total area.
The county lies generally between the Great Salt Lake on the west and the Wasatch Range on the east, which rises to a height of in the county at Thurston Peak.Thurston Peak UT Google Maps (accessed 30 March 2019)
The Great Salt Lake is surrounded by marshland and mudflats and lies at an average elevation of approximately , varying depending on the water level, which can lead to drastic changes in the lake's size due to its shallowness. Davis County includes Antelope Island, the lake's largest island. The entire island is a state park, designated to protect natural scenery and especially wildlife on the island, which includes bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and a bison herd.
The inhabited portion of Davis County between the lake and the mountain range is called the Wasatch Front, a narrow stretch of land that restricts north–south transportation in the county.
Adjacent counties
Weber County - north Morgan County - east Salt Lake County - south Tooele County - west Box Elder County - northwest
Protected areas
Antelope Island State Park Crystal West Unit Farmington Bay (part) Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area Howard Slough Waterfowl Management Area Wasatch-Cache National Forest (part)
Davis County UT Google Maps (accessed March 30, 2019)
Lakes
Adams Reservoir Farmington Bay Hobbs Reservoir Holmes Reservoir
Climate Eastern parts of Davis County experience a humid continental climate (Dsa), while western parts may experience a mediterranean climate (Csa). Summers are dry and hot, and winters are cold and wet, but rarely frigid. Snow is frequent during winter, with up to annually on high bench areas in the east and at least on the valley floor. Annual precipitation averages between in the county, with spring being the wettest season and summer the driest. Summers are hot, with several days each year averaging above . However, the humidity is low, making for comparatively comfortable temperatures. In winter, temperatures sometimes drop below , but rarely for extended periods of time. Compared to Salt Lake County to the south, the weather in Davis County is extreme. Lake-effect snows hit the southern portion of the county harder, and even in non-lake-effect storms, the lack of a rain shadow in Davis County (much of Salt Lake County lies in the rain shadow of the Oquirrh Mountains) means that storms often hit Davis County harder. In addition, canyon winds from the east can sometimes cause devastating wind damage, and wind gusts above have been reported. This frequently occurrence happens when a powerful high-pressure system is over Wyoming. Extreme wind events, however, seem to have declined in frequency in recent years.Deseret News - 'Active' weather — Neighboring counties Davis and S.L. differ widely in weather . February 9, 2006.
Demographics
2020 census According to the 2020 United States census and 2020 American Community Survey, there were 362,679 people in Davis County with a population density of 1,116.9 people per square mile (431.2/km2). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 292,458 (80.6%) White, 4,008 (1.1%) African American, 1,464 (0.4%) Native American, 6,907 (1.9%) Asian, 3,204 (0.9%) Pacific Islander, 1,244 (0.3%) from other races, and 14,099 (3.9%) from two or more races. 39,295 (10.8%) people were Hispanic or Latino.
+Davis County, Utah – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)214,636263,049292,45889.81%85.83%80.64%Black or African American alone (NH)2,5213,4354,0081.05%1.12%1.11%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1,1741,0901,4640.49%0.36%0.40%Asian alone (NH)3,5685,2456,9071.49%1.71%1.90%Pacific Islander alone (NH)6091,7533,2040.25%0.57%0.88%Other race alone (NH)2043401,2440.09%0.11%0.34%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3,3275,81414,0991.39%1.90%3.89%Hispanic or Latino (any race)12,95525,75339,2955.42%8.40%10.83%Total238,994306,479362,679100.00%100.00%100.00%
There were 182,251 (50.25%) males and 180,428 (49.75%) females, and the population distribution by age was 116,295 (32.1%) under the age of 18, 207,510 (57.2%) from 18 to 64, and 38,874 (10.7%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 31.4 years.
There were 111,552 households in Davis County with an average size of 3.25, of which 88,909 (79.7%) were families and 22,643 (20.3%) were non-families. Among all families, 72,995 (65.4%) were married couples, 5,369 (4.8%) were male householders with no spouse, and 10,545 (9.5%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 18,004 (16.1%) were a single person living alone, and 4,639 (4.2%) were two or more people living together. 50,193 (45.0%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 84,985 (76.2%) of households were owner-occupied while 26,567 (23.8%) were renter-occupied.
The median income for a Davis County household was $87,570, and the median family income was $96,482, with a per-capita income of $32,819. The median income for males who were full-time employees was $63,558 and for females $42,136. 5.3% of the population and 4.2% of families were below the poverty line.
In terms of education attainment, out of the 205,899 people in Davis County 25 years or older, 8,458 (4.1%) had not completed high school, 43,575 (21.2%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 75,283 (36.6%) had some college or associate degree, 53,067 (25.8%) had a bachelor's degree, and 25,516 (12.4%) had a graduate or professional degree.
2010 census As of the 2010 United States census, there were 306,479 people, 93,545 households, and 76,205 families in the county. The population density was . There were 97,570 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.04% White, 1.21% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.59% Pacific Islander, 3.24% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 8.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 93,545 households, out of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.99% were married couples living together, 9.59% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.54% were non-families. 15.23% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.27% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24, and the average family size was 3.63.
The county population contained 37.23% under the age of 20, 6.56% from 20 to 24, 28.13% from 25 to 44, 19.92% from 45 to 64, and 8.15% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.85 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.09 males.
Law and government
A three-member board of commissioners is the county's governing body. The commissioners are elected to staggered four-year terms. They are responsible for all county services and operations. They approve, adopt, and amend the budget; they also serve as the legislative body and regulate business licensing in the county's unincorporated areas. The county commissioners (as of 2021) are:
Bob J. Stevenson, chair (term ends January 5, 2027) Randy B. Elliott, vice chair (term ends January 6, 2025) Lorene Miner Kamalu (term ends January 5, 2027)Portfolio, Davis County Commission (Davis County website, accessed 29 March 2019)
Other elected offices include the County Attorney, Assessor, Clerk/Auditor, Sheriff, Recorder, Surveyor, and Treasurer.
The assessor is responsible for the valuation of all real property in the county. The current assessor is Dale Peterson (as of March 2018). The clerk/auditor serves as the county's chief financial and budget officer. The current Clerk/Auditor is Curtis Koch (as of March 2018). The treasurer is responsible for the collection and investment of county funds. The current Treasurer is Mark Altom (as of March 2019).
Davis County voters are traditionally Republican. In no national election since 1948 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).
+State Elected OfficesPositionDistrictNameAffiliationFirst Elected Senate18F. Ann MillnerRepublican2014 Senate20D. Gregg BuxtonRepublican2016 Senate21Jerry StevensonRepublican2010 Senate22J. Stuart AdamsRepublican2009 Senate23Todd WeilerRepublican2012 House of Representatives11Kelly MilesRepublican2016 House of Representatives12Mike SchultzRepublican2014 House of Representatives13Karen PetersonRepublican2022 House of Representatives14Karianne LisonbeeRepublican2016 House of Representatives15Brad WilsonRepublican2010 House of Representatives16Stephen HandyRepublican2010 House of Representatives17Stewart BarlowRepublican2011 House of Representatives18Timothy HawkesRepublican2014 House of Representatives19Raymond WardRepublican2014 House of Representatives20Melissa Garff BallardRepublican2018 Board of Education4Brent StrateRepublican2020 Board of Education5Laura BelnapNonpartisan2014
Economy Davis County is often characterized as a bedroom community. According to the Census Bureau's 2004 American Community Survey, 42.3% of the population works in another county. South Davis County commuters who work in Salt Lake County frequently encounter commuting time traffic bottlenecks between Davis and Salt Lake Counties. The Legacy Parkway and the FrontRunner commuter rail project were built to alleviate this problem.
The commuter rail stations in the county have spurred plans for extensive transit-oriented development (TOD), including the Station Park development in Farmington. Farmington is also the home of the Lagoon Amusement Park, the primary amusement park on the Wasatch Front.