Wheat Ridge

Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city had a population of 30,166 as of the 2010 Census. Wheat Ridge is located immediately west of Denver and is a part of the DenverAuroraLakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately 5 miles (8 km) west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. It grew from a popular rest stop for travelers during the Gold Rush of the late 1850s to an agricultural and suburban community known as the Carnation City in the mid 1900s. As the residential areas of unincorporated Jefferson County grew to provide housing to the Denver workforce during the 1950s, the major transportation corridors extending from Denver developed with commercial services. Eventually, due to the increasing annexation pressure from nearby municipalities, Wheat Ridge incorporated in 1969. It is located at 39°4558N 105°0438W (39.7660980, -105.0772063) at an elevation of 5,459 feet (1,664 m) The city is located in the Colorado Piedmont on the western edge of the Great Plains just east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Clear Creek, a tributary of the South Platte River, flows east then northeast through the city. There are several small lakes and reservoirs in Wheat Ridge, including Crown Hill Lake, Kestrel Pond, and North Henry Lee Reservoir. The climate is described as Humid Continental by the Köppen Climate System.

History

Wheat Ridge is the primary city name, but also Denver are acceptable city names or spellings. Wheat Ridge was a popular rest stop for travelers during the Gold Rush of the late 1850s. It grew from an agricultural and suburban community known as the Carnation City in the mid 1900s. Wheat Ridge incorporated in 1969 due to the increasing annexation pressure from nearby municipalities. It is located along the major transportation corridors extending from Denver. It has a history based on agriculture and the community's location along regional travel routes. The city is located on the Colorado Turnpike, which runs between Denver and Colorado Springs. The town of Wheat Ridge has a population of about 2,000. It was founded in 1849. It became an incorporated city in 1969. It lies on the Denver Turnpikes, which run from Denver to the Colorado Springs area. It also has a number of unincorporated areas, which were annexed by Jefferson County in the 1950s and 1960s to provide housing for the Denver workforce. The community has a long history of agriculture and was once known as "Carnation City" The town is home to the Wheat Ridge High School, which was established in 1852. The school was the first in Jefferson County to offer a high school diploma in the late 1800s. The high school has a football field and a track and field field, which has been used for track and football since the early 1900s, as well as other sports. The Wheat Ridge Community Center was built in the early 1950s, when the community began to develop. It opened in the 1960s.

Geography

Wheat Ridge is located at 39°4558N 105°0438W (39.7660980, -105.0772063) at an elevation of 5,459 feet (1,664 m) The city is immediately west of Denver and 66 miles (106 km) north-northwest of Colorado Springs. Clear Creek, a tributary of the South Platte River, flows east then northeast through the city. There are several small lakes and reservoirs in Wheat Ridge. The climate is described as Humid Continental by the Köppen Climate System, abbreviated as Dfb. It is located in the Colorado Piedmont on the western edge of the Great Plains just east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.55 square miles (24.7 km²) of which 9.30 square miles [24.1 km²] is land and 0.25 sq miles (0.65 km²), or 2.6% of it is water. It borders other communities on all sides including: Arvada to the north; Lakeside, Mountain View, and Denver to the east; Edgewater to the southeast; Lakewood to the south; Applewood to southwest; and Fairmount to the northwest. It has a population of 2,816. The city has an average daily rainfall of 2.1 inches (6.4 mm).

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 30,166 people, 13,976 households, and 7,489 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 85.6% White, 1.6%. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 20.9% of the population. The city's median income was $47,014, and the median income for a family was $59,275. About 16.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of people age 65 or over were living below the poverty line. The median age was 43.7 years. The gender makeup ofThe city was 48.6 percent male and 51.4 percent female. The population density was 3,243.7 people per square mile (1,251.7/km²). There were 14,868 housing units at an average density of 1,598.7 per squaremile (616.9/ km²). The city is located on the Mississippi River, which runs through the center of the town. It is the only city in the state with a population of more than 30,000, and it is the largest city in South Dakota. The average household size is 2.12 and the average family size was 2.81. The percentage of people living in poverty is 10.9%. The city has a median income of $47.014. The per capita income for the city is $28,372. About 8.7 percent of the residents were living under the age of 18, and about 6.9 percent of those were 65 or older.

Economy

As of 2013, 65.2% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance. City Council adopted Ordinance 1491 in May 2011 which supports urban agriculture in Wheat Ridge. This ordinance updated the city's regulations so that community gardens (under the category of urban gardens), farmers markets, and produce stands are now allowed in any zone district. City regulations allow homeowners to engage in a range of urban agricultural activities, including growing and selling produce and keeping animals such as bees and chickens. Urban gardens are allowed in all zone districts, including residential. Produce stands on residential properties must also follow the rules for home occupations. The city's identity was primarily defined by mid to large-scale agricultural production until the 1960s. Wheat Ridge has experienced substantial population growth and development over the last 40 years and is largely built out with a combination of residential, commercial, and office uses. The median home value in the city was $237,500, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,556 for housing units with a mortgage and $406 for those without, and the median gross rent was $820. The cost of living index for the community is 108.5, which is above average compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost ofLiving index for Wheat Ridge is 108, the average for all of the United States.

Community Development

Wheat Ridge has seen a resurgence in community development efforts focused on improving the social connections between community members. The City embarked on a Comprehensive Plan Update that began in the fall of 2008. On October 12, 2009, City Council approved a resolution, Resolution 522009, adopting the Envision Wheat Ridge Comprehensive Plan. In addition, the City formed a Citizens Advisory Committee to provide advice and feedback to the Planning Commission and City Council on the development of the Plan. The City hired a consultant, Clarion Associates, with the expertise in comprehensive plan development to assist the City in updating the plan. In addition to the City's Comprehensive Plan, Wheat Ridge has a Community Development Plan, which is intended to improve the built environment in the city to better facilitate these connections. The Plan is available for download on the City of Wheat Ridge's website at: http://www.wheat Ridge.org/community-development-plans/Wheat-Ridge-Community-Development-Plans-and-Programs/Envision-Wheat Ridge.html. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. For information on suicide prevention in the UK, contact the National suicide Prevention Line on 0800 273-TALK (8255).

Culture

The Baugh House is an 1860 hand-hewn log cabin encased in a circa 1904 frame farmhouse. The Wheat Ridge Historical Society, in cooperation with the Colorado Historical Society and the City of Wheat Ridge, restored the house, which was designated on August 14, 2012. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of historic Properties. It is one of several historic structures in the Wheat Ridge Historic Park. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in August 2012 and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Sites. It has been restored by the Wheat ridge Historical Society. The Baugh house was designated as a National Historical Landmark on August 13, 2012, and a Colorado State Historic landmark on August 15, 2012; it is on the Colorado Register ofHistoric Landmarks.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Wheat Ridge, Denver County, Colorado = 26.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 90. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 30. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Wheat Ridge = 5.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 59,776 individuals with a median age of 43.7 age the population dropped by -5.58% in Wheat Ridge, Denver County, Colorado population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,400 residents per square mile of area (1,300/km²). There are average 2.16 people per household in the 13,959 households with an average household income of $44,727 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -4.90% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.60%. The number of physicians in Wheat Ridge per 100,000 population = 192.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Wheat Ridge = 18.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 83.6 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 91. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 247. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 17.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 59, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Wheat Ridge, Denver County, Colorado which are owned by the occupant = 51.93%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 45 years with median home cost = $185,130 and home appreciation of -6.27%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.40 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,080 per student. There are 16 students for each teacher in the school, 548 students for each Librarian and 440 students for each Counselor. 4.92% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 16.92% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 7.93% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).