Most residents live in Goldfield or in the town ofDyer inFish Lake Valley, near the California border. Esmeralda is the only Nevada county in the Los Angeles TV market (or any California market) as defined byThe Nielsen Corporation.[3]
Esmeralda County is one of the original counties in Nevada, established on November 25, 1861.[4] When it was organized, it comprised the part of theNevada Territory south of the39th parallel and east ofMason Valley.[5]Esmeralda is the Spanish and Portuguese word for "emerald". An early California miner from San Jose, James Manning Cory, named the Esmeralda Mining District afterEsmeralda theRomani dancer fromThe Hunchback of Notre-Dame.[6]
Just after the organization of Esmeralda County, the vast majority of the land area had yet to be explored.John C. Frémont was one of the few people who had explored parts of the county. He had crossedBig Smoky Valley in 1845. Also,Aurora and its northern corridor had been encountered. In 1862 and 1863, the area along theReese River was explored during theReese River excitement. The event resulted in the establishment of three mining districts in theToiyabe Range, namely Marysville, Twin River, and Washington, and the establishment of a number of settlements and ranches in Esmeralda County. Explorers pursued south and explored theShoshone Mountains. The mining districtUnion was organized after silver was found in 1863 and the settlement ofIone was founded there.[5]
The total area of Esmeralda County more than halved asNye County was organized on February 16, 1864, entirely out of land that used to be part of Esmeralda County.[5] Esmeralda has had three county seats:Aurora until 1883,Hawthorne from 1883 to 1907 and finally Goldfield. At one point, due to the disputed border with California, Aurora was simultaneously thecounty seat of bothMono County, California and Esmeralda County.Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) wrote about his time as a miner in the Esmeralda District in his bookRoughing It.[7]
Esmeralda grew from agold mining boom in the first years of the 20th century.Goldfield, a town founded in 1902, increased rapidly, and it soon became the largest town in Nevada, with about 20,000 people in 1906,[8] but its population rapidly decreased after theGoldfield, Nevada, labor troubles of 1906–1907. The mines were largely tapped out by the end of the 1910s and the economy and population declined afterwards.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,589 square miles (9,300 km2), of which 3,582 square miles (9,280 km2) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km2) (0.2%) is water.[9] It is the fourth-smallest county in Nevada by area. A very small part ofDeath Valley National Park lies in its southeast corner.
The county is dominated by theSilver Peak andMonte Cristo mountain ranges. Mountains in the county include:
Boundary Peak, 13,147 feet (4,007 m), the highest natural point in Nevada
Piper Peak, 9,450 feet (2,880 m), the most prominent peak in Esmeralda County
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 729. The median age was 53.6 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 28.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older.[15]
For every 100 females there were 113.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 118.3 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[15]
Esmeralda County, Nevada – 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 365 households in the county, of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 21.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 537 housing units, of which 32.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.2% were owner-occupied and 28.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.[20]
At the2010 census, there were 783 people, 389 households, and 213 families living in the county.[21] The population density was 0.2 inhabitants per square mile (0.077/km2). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 0.2 per square mile (0.077/km2).[22] Theracial makeup of the county was 84.4% white, 4.2% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 6.6% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 15.3% of the population.[21] In terms of ancestry, 26.7% wereGerman, 18.6% wereEnglish, 14.0% wereAmerican, 13.8% wereIrish, and 8.7% wereSwedish.[23]
Of the 389 households, 18.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 45.2% were non-families, and 40.6% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age was 52.9 years.[21]
The median household income was $39,712 and the median family income was $57,292. Males had a median income of $41,023 versus $27,019 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,571. About 6.7% of families and 11.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.[24]
At the2000 census there were 971 people, 455 households, and 259 families living in the county. The population density was 0 people per square mile (0 people/km2). There were 833 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 81.98% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 5.15% Native American, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 7.62% from other races, and 4.94% from two or more races. 10.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[25]Of the 455 households 21.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.40% were married couples living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.90% were non-families. 36.00% of households were one person and 13.20% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.79.
The age distribution was 20.50% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 33.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.20% 65 or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.70 males.
The median household income was $33,203 and the median family income was $40,917. Males had a median income of $39,327 versus $25,469 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,971. 15.30% of the population and 7.50% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.70% are under the age of 18 and 11.40% are 65 or older.
The county seat of Esmeralda County is Goldfield since May 1, 1907. The courthouse was opened on May 1, 1908, and has been in continuous use since then. Currently, the Offices of theAssessor,Auditor/Recorder,District Attorney,Sheriff/Jail,Justice of the Peace,Treasurer,District Court, and Commissioner are located in the building.
Esmeralda County is mentioned in the song "The Way It Was" by Las Vegas rock bandthe Killers, off their fourth studio albumBattle Born (2012). At the start of the song, the lyric "somewhere outside the lonely Esmeralda County line" can be heard. The lyric is a reference to the fact that Esmeralda County is the least populated county in Nevada, with a population of 783 in the2010 census.[21]
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