Parker, Colorado
Encyclopedia : P : PA : PAR : Parker, Colorado
Parker is a town in Douglas County, Colorado that in recent years has become a exurban part of the Denver Metropolitan Area. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 23,558. Its population as of 2005 is estimated at over 42,000, over 145 times its population of 285 when Parker incorporated in 1981[Parker History] from the town's official website.
The town's rapid growth in recent decades is often credited to Jim Nicholson, whose fourteen years spent developing the area earned him the town's first "Cornerstone Award"[The Party Line], a January 1998 column from Westword.
Geography
Parker is located at (39.519488, -104.765833)[Geographic references#1GR1].According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.8 km² (14.6 mi²). 37.8 km² (14.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi² or 0.14%) of it is water.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 23,558 people, 7,929 households, and 6,525 families residing in the town. The population density was 623.4/km² (1,615.2/mi²). There were 8,352 housing units at an average density of 221.0/km² (572.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.60% White, 1.71% Asian, 1.01% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.80% of the population.There were 7,929 households out of which 52.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.8% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town the population was spread out with 34.0% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 43.4% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 2.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $74,116, and the median income for a family was $77,384. Males had a median income of $52,070 versus $35,700 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,479. About 1.7% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.
Local Media
Parker currently has one local paper, The Parker Chronicle, and also receives The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. Parker also receives the county-wide channel, Douglas County 8, which broadcasts school sports events and assorted programs run by residents. The channel is sponsored by Comcast.Education
There are two main High Schools in the Parker area, Ponderosa and Chaparral. There are also two main Middle Schools in the area, Sagewood and Sierra. The two high schools and middle schools are on opposite ends of Parker. Sagewood and Ponderosa are more to the southern part, while Sierra and Chaparral is on the northern area.Additional resources
- A Folk History of Parker and Hilltop, by Sandy Whelchel, Parker Distributing\Paintbrush Press
- Parker, Colorado: An historical narrative, by Ruth Miller, Parker Area Historical Society
References
External links
- [Community website for Parker], an ad-supported personal website of a Parker resident
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