Davis County also contains the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, the main amusement park serving the Wasatch Front.
As of the census of 2000, there were 238,994 people, 71,201 households, and 59,239 families residing in the county. The population density was 785 people per square mile (303/km²). There were 74,114 housing units at an average density of 243 per square mile (94/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.26% White, 1.09% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. 5.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2005 88.6% of Davis County's population was non-Hispanic whites. 1.2% of the population was African-American. 1.8% of the population was Asian. 6.6% of the population was Latino.
There were 71,201 households out of which 49.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.80% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.80% were non-families. There are 1,636 unmarried partner households in Davis County: 13.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.67.
In the county, the population was spread out with 35.10% under the age of 18, 12.20% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 17.10% from 45 to 64, and 7.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 100.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,726, and the median income for a family was $58,329. Males had a median income of $40,913 versus $25,904 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,506. 5.10% of the population and 4.00% of families were below the US Federal poverty line. 5.90% of those under the age of 18 and 4.10% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
By 2006 276,259 people lived in Davis County, representing a growth of 15.6% since the last census, slightly more than the growth rate for Utah overall.
The most important road in the county is Interstate 15, which runs north-south through the center of the county. US-89 enters parallel to I-15 from Salt Lake County to the south and runs north through North Salt Lake and Bountiful as a city road before merging with I-15. It re-emerges again in Farmington near the Lagoon Amusement Park, heading along the eastern benches on the slopes of the Wasatch Range, entering Weber County near South Weber. US-89 is planned to eventually be upgraded to a freeway through eastern Layton north to its interchange with I-84 near the Weber County border. Congestion is a significant problem in the county, as east-west transportation is restricted by the narrow urban corridor and many of its citizens commute south to Salt Lake County.
To relieve congestion in the county, the Legacy Parkway began construction in March 2006. Construction began near the US-89/I-15 interchange in Farmington in 2004, but was soon halted due to a lawsuit filed by environmentalists, who were concerned that the road would harm marshlands along the eastern edge of the Great Salt Lake and asked for a review of the completeness of the environmental impact statement. A settlement was reached in November 2005 and the final injunction was lifted in February 2006. The Legacy Parkway will open on September 13, 2008, running from the US-89/I-15 interchange in Farmington southward to connect with I-215 near the border with Salt Lake County. An extensive trail system, wetland protection measures, and landscaping were implemented along the highway in response to the environmentalist's concerns, in addition to a lower speed limit and a ban of semi-trailer trucks on the highway.
On April 28, 2008, the Utah Transit Authority opened the FrontRunner commuter rail line from Salt Lake City north to Ogden, serving the length of Davis County with stations in Woods Cross, Farmington, Layton, and Clearfield.
Davis County is often characterized as a bedroom community. According to the US Census Bureau's 2004 American Community Survey, 42.3% of the population work in another county.[1] South Davis County commuters who work in Salt Lake County frequently encounter commuting time traffic bottlenecks between Davis and Salt Lake Counties. The Legacy Highway and FrontRunner commuter rail projects recently finished construction to combat this problem.
The commuter rail stations in the county have spurred plans for extensive transit-oriented development (TOD), including the Station Park development in Farmington, which, when completed, is expected to be the largest shopping center in Utah. Farmington is also the home of the Lagoon Amusement Park, the primary amusement park located along the Wasatch Front.
Davis County's largest employer is Hill Air Force Base. Hill AFB is a dominant feature of the economy of Davis County. Earnings of civilians at Hill AFB are almost double the state average. Hill AFB accounts for about 12% of the economy of Davis County and about 2.6% of the economy of Utah.[2] Hill AFB provides employment for nearly 23,000 military and civilian personnel (approximately 4,500 active duty, 1,200 reservists, 13,000 federal civil servants, and 4,000 civilian contractors).[3] Other large employers include Davis School District, Lagoon Amusement Park, and Lifetime Products.[4]