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Blaine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 18,991 (2007 estimate: 21,560).[1] The county seat and largest city is Hailey.[2] The county is home to the Sun Valley ski resort. Blaine County was created by the Idaho Legislature on March 5, 1895, by combining Alturas and Logan Counties.[3] Its present boundaries were set on February 8, 1919, when a western portion became Camas County.[4] The county is named after former congressman and 1884 Republican presidential nominee James G. Blaine.[3]
[edit] HistoryThe Wood River Valley in present-day Blaine County was organized as part of Alturas County by the Idaho Territorial Legislature in 1864.[5] By the 1880s the area became noted for its mining ecnonomy. In 1882 the county seat of Alturas County was moved from Rocky Bar in present-day Elmore County to Hailey, in response to a population shift from Rocky Bar - which would eventually become a ghost town - to the Wood River Valley.[6] After Idaho statehood in 1890, as in the rest of the state, mining gradually decreased in significance in Blaine County. In 1936 Blaine County began to recast itself as a tourism destination with the opening of the Sun Valley resort. The area soon attracted celebrity visitors, and later residents, most notably Ernest Hemingway, who is buried in the Ketchum Cemetery.[7] Celebrities who currently live either full-time or part-time in Blaine County include Adam West[8], Demi Moore[9], John Kerry[10], Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Clint Eastwood.[11] [edit] County profileMost Blaine County residents live in the Wood River Valley along State Highway 75 in the western half of the county. This area includes all of the county's incorporated cities and towns except Carey, which is located in the south-central part of the county at the junction of US 20 with US 26/93. The county's gerrymandered southeastern panhandle, known locally as the Yale area, is very sparsely populated.[12] As the home of a major ski resort, Blaine County expectedly has a much higher cost of living than surrounding areas; the median value of its owner-occupied housing units is more than double the state average.[13] As a result, some people who work in Blaine County live in outlying areas, particularly Shoshone in neighboring Lincoln County. It is estimated that 2,540 people from outside the county commute to work in Blaine County.[14] [edit] EducationPublic schools in Blaine County are administered by the Blaine County School District.[15]. There are two public high schools in the county, Wood River High School in Hailey and Carey High School in Carey. The rural Yale area in the county's southeastern panhandle is served by schools in neighboring Minidoka County.[16] Private schools include The Community School in Sun Valley. The College of Southern Idaho, a community college based in Twin Falls, operates an off-campus outreach center in Hailey.[17] [edit] Government and politicsSimilar to other Idaho counties, an elected three-member county commission heads the county government. Other elected officials include clerk, treasurer, sheriff, assessor and prosecutor.[18] Blaine County has a reputation as a Democratic Party enclave in strongly Republican Idaho.[19] The Democratic candidate for President of the United States has won in the county in every election since 1992, when George H. W. Bush finished third behind Bill Clinton and Ross Perot.[20] Blaine was the only Idaho county carried by Al Gore and John Kerry in 2000 and 2004 respectively.[21][22][23][24] In the 2008 election, Barack Obama carried the county by a 33.2% margin over John McCain, while McCain won statewide by a 25.3% margin over Obama.[25] It was by far the Democrat's best showing in Idaho.[26] In 2006, Blaine County voted 66.3% against HJR 2, which amended the Idaho Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage; the measure passed with 63.4% of the statewide vote. Latah County, which contains Moscow, home of the University of Idaho, was the only other county where the measure failed.[27] At the state level Blaine County is located in Legislative District 25[28], which currently has an all-Democratic delegation in the Idaho Legislature.[29] Clint Stennett, the current Democratic leader in the Idaho Senate, resides in Ketchum. Wendy Jaquet, a member of the Idaho House and a former minority leader in that body, also resides in Ketchum. [edit] GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,661 square miles (6,892 km²), of which, 2,645 square miles (6,850 km²) of it is land and 16 square miles (42 km²) of it (0.61%) is water. [edit] Adjacent counties
[edit] National protected areas
[edit] Major Highways[edit] Demographics
As of the census[32] of 2000, there were 18,991 people, 7,780 households, and 4,839 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 12,186 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.73% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.43% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 10.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.0% were of English, 14.6% German, 10.8% Irish and 6.2% American ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 7,780 households out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.20% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.80% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 27.90% from 45 to 64, and 7.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 107.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $50,496, and the median income for a family was $60,037. Males had a median income of $35,949 versus $27,487 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,346. About 4.90% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.80% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over. [edit] Communities [edit] Cities[edit] Unincorporated communities
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