Moab is a city located in Grand County, Utah. As of the 2000 census, the
city had a total population of 4,779. It is the county seat of Grand
County6. Moab hosts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors
of the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, which are located closeby. The
town is also a popular base for mountain bikers who come to ride the nearby
Slickrock trail.
Moab is an acronym for Mormons, Ores, Artists and Bicycles, as these were
the happenings in Moab from past to present. City officials asked the United
States Government to change the acronym of the Massive Ordnance Air Blast
bomb (MOAB) because of the similarity of the acronym to the city's name.
In the 1950s Moab became the Uranium Capital of the world after the
Geologist Charles Steen found an Uranium-ore.
Geography
Moab is located just south of the Colorado River, at 38°34'21" North,
109°32'59" West (38.572545, -109.549776).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
9.4 km˛ (3.6 mi˛). 9.4 km˛ (3.6 mi˛) of it is land and none of the area is
covered with water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 4,779 people, 1,936 households, and
1,169 families residing in the city. The population density is 506.9/km˛
(1,313.1/mi˛). There are 2,148 housing units at an average density of 227.8/km˛
(590.2/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 90.35% White, 0.36% African
American, 5.46% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.88%
from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 6.44% of the population
are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,936 households out of which 30.5% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 44.4% are married couples living together, 12.3% have a
female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% are non-families.
31.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.4% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.43 and the average family size is 3.10.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18,
8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100
females there are 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,620, and the median
income for a family is $38,214. Males have a median income of $35,291 versus
$21,339 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,228. 15.7% of
the population and 12.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 19.1% are under the age of 18 and 10.5% are
65 or older.
Moab is also the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan.
