Our Community
Yavapai County, Arizona is a rural community of about 220,000 people spread across 8,000 square miles. Although our community members are spread out physically, we still maintain that “everyone knows your name” mentality. The county is comprised of 44 communities with only 9 being incorporated.
Our People:
Our community is 88% White, 11% Latino/Hispanic and 1% African American and Native American. We have large populations of youth and older adults: 45% of the population is either under the ages of 19 or over the age of 65. The majority of the people of our community are at an average working age and 12% of our population lives below the poverty line.
Our Strengths:
Our community members know and trust each other. We are very willing to work together and to share our resources.
Our Challenges:
Many of our challenges are due to the vast size of our county. Our geography contributes to the following challenges:
- Lack of easy access to transportation
- Resources scattered throughout the county
- Difficult to physically reach members of the community
- Sparsely populated areas receive fewer funding opportunities
Our Communities for All Ages:
Our Communities for All Ages initiative is somewhat unique in that it encompasses an entire county, instead of just one community. As a county-wide initiative, we work to bring all ages to the table to address issues through capacity building efforts in different communities. Our goal is to infuse an intergenerational lens into services and support systems across the county in order to create solutions that work for all residents in the county rather than just one category or sector.
