Alamosa is a city located in Alamosa County, Colorado. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,960. The city is the commercial center of the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado. It is on the Rio Grande river and is served by U.S. Highway 160 running east and west and U.S. Highway 285 and State Highway 17 running north and south. It is served by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. It is the county seat of Alamosa County.

Adams State College is located in Alamosa. There is a Sunshine Festival which occurs the first weekend in June. Alamosa was established relatively late in the history of the Valley and is in a low-lying agricultural district. Elevation is about 7500 feet.

Facilities

Alamosa is the shopping center for the San Luis Valley and boast a WalMart and two supermarkets, Safeway and City Market, a subsidiary of Kroger. There are a number of fast food restaurants, two medical clinics and a regional hospital, San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center .

Geography

Alamosa is located at 37°28'8" North, 105°52'25" West (37.468835, -105.873686)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.3 km² (4.0 mi²). 10.3 km² (4.0 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 7,960 people, 2,974 households, and 1,769 families residing in the city. The population density is 770.3/km² (1,995.0/mi²). There are 3,215 housing units at an average density of 311.1/km² (805.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 68.53% White, 1.41% Black or African American, 2.20% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 22.36% from other races, and 4.28% from two or more races. 46.80% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 2,974 households out of which 32.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% are married couples living together, 14.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% are non-families. 33.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.36 and the average family size is 3.04.

In the city the population is spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $25,453, and the median income for a family is $33,017. Males have a median income of $27,100 versus $22,671 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,405. 25.0% of the population and 18.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.4% of those under the age of 18 and 17.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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