Prior to the 1880s there was little activity in the county, other than along the Cutoff Branch of the Santa Fe Trail that crosses its extreme southeastern corner. The 1910s saw wet years and expansion due to the increase in acreage that could be homesteaded. World War I also brought increased demand for agricultural products. The arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1926 created new towns and a population increase.
TheDust Bowl arrived in the 1930s, with Baca County being one of the hardest hit areas.[3] This prompted soil conservation efforts by the federal government. Part of this effort was the purchase of cultivated land by the government in order to return it to grassland. Today the U.S. Forest Service supervises 220,000 acres ofComanche National Grassland which was purchased in the 1930s. These areas includeEast andWest Carrizo Creeks andPicture Canyon.Colorado Parks and Wildlife maintains the recreational areas at Two Buttes Lake and Turk's Pond.
On May 18, 1977, anF4 tornado struck the southeastern portion of Baca County, causing an estimated $2.5 million in damage. It tracked fromKeyes, Oklahoma, where damage was estimated at $25,000.[4] As of 2020, this is the onlyF4/EF4tornado ever recorded inColorado since 1950.[5][6]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,557 square miles (6,620 km2), of which 2,555 square miles (6,620 km2) is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) (0.09%) is water.[7]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 3,506. Of the residents, 21.5% were under the age of 18 and 25.4% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.3 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[13][14][15]
Baca County, Colorado – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
There were 1,575 households in the county, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
There were 1,972 housing units, of which 20.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.5% were owner-occupied and 29.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.6%.[14]
As of the2000 census,[19] there were 4,517 people, 1,905 households, and 1,268 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km2). There were 2,364 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0.39/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.73%White, 0.04%Black orAfrican American, 1.20%Native American, 0.15%Asian, 0.09%Pacific Islander, 2.99% fromother races, and 1.79% from two or more races. 7.02% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 1,905 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% weremarried couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 30.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 22.70% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 22.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,099, and the median income for a family was $34,018. Males had a median income of $23,169 versus $18,292 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,068. About 12.90% of families and 16.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.
Like all of the High Plains, Baca County has long been overwhelmingly Republican. The last Democrat to carry the county wasLyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide – when he carried all but three Colorado counties. The Republican tilt has been increasing in recent elections; in 2016, 2020, and 2024, Donald Trump's performance was each time the best by any Republican in county history.
United States presidential election results for Baca County, Colorado[21]
^"All Colorado F4 tornadoes".Tornado History Project. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. RetrievedSeptember 10, 2020.
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