Summit County, Colorado

Summit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,994.[1] The county seat and largest town is Breckenridge.[2]

Summit County
U.S. county
Summit County court house in Breckenridge
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°38′08″N 106°06′08″W
Country United States
State Colorado
FoundedNovember 1, 1861
Named forContinental Divide
SeatBreckenridge
Largest townBreckenridge
Area
 • Total619 sq mi (1,600 km2)
 • Land608 sq mi (1,570 km2)
 • Water11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.8%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
31,011
 • Density46/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitewww.co.summit.co.us

Summit County comprises the Breckenridge, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.[3][4]

History

Summit County was organized as one of the seventeen original Colorado counties by the First Territorial Legislature on November 1, 1861. It was named for the many mountain summits in the county. Until February 2, 1874, its boundaries included the area now comprising Summit County, Grand County, Routt County, Moffat County, Garfield County, Eagle County, and Rio Blanco County.

In 1874, the northern half of the original Summit County was split off to form Grand County; with the creation of Garfield and Eagle counties in 1883, Summit County arrived at its present boundaries. In addition, Summit County has seen two major boom eras.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 619 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 608 square miles (1,570 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.8%) is water.[5]

The terrain of the county is mountainous with elevations ranging from 7,957 feet (2,425 m) at Green Mountain Reservoir to 14,270 feet (4,350 m) at Grays Peak. The elevation of the county seat of Breckenridge is 9,602 feet (2,927 m), making it one the highest cities in the state of Colorado and the United States.[6] Much of the county has an Alpine (ET in the Köppen Classification) characterized by tundra vegetation. Breckenridge and other similar elevations in the county have a Subarctic climate (Dfc) characterized by cool summers and abundant snowfall in winter.

Adjacent counties

Major Highways

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1870258—
18805,4592,015.9%
18901,906−65.1%
19002,74444.0%
19102,003−27.0%
19201,724−13.9%
1930987−42.7%
19401,75477.7%
19501,135−35.3%
19602,07382.6%
19702,66528.6%
19808,848232.0%
199012,28138.8%
200023,54891.7%
201027,99418.9%
2019 (est.)31,011[7]10.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2015[1]

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 23,548 people, 9,120 households, and 4,769 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile (15/km2). There were 24,201 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile (15/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.84% White, 0.68% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 3.96% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. 9.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,120 households, out of which 24.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.00% were married couples living together, 4.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.70% were non-families. 21.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 17.40% under the age of 18, 15.70% from 18 to 24, 44.30% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 3.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. As of 2014, the life expectancy in Summit County was 86.83 years, the longest average life expectancy of any county in the United States.[13] For every 100 females there were 139.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 144.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $56,587, and the median income for a family was $66,914 (these figures had risen to $65,281 and $80,441 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $33,741 versus $27,017 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,676. About 3.10% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.30% of those under age 18 and 3.40% of those age 65 or over.

The 2019 average real estate prices in Summit County were $1,262,929 for a single family home, $559,776 for a condo, townhome or duplex and $344,945 for a vacant piece of land (YTD through December 2019).[14]

Snowmelt runoff fills Lake Dillon in Summit County

Life expectancy

According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, residents of Summit County had a 2014 life expectancy from birth of 86.83 years in 2014, the longest in the United States.[15] Both men and women live longer in Summit County than in any other county in the United States: 85.5 years for men and 88.0 years for women is the life expectancy at birth.[16] Two contiguous counties, Pitkin and Eagle counties, rank numbers two and three in the nation in life expectancy. Factors contributing to the high life expectancy in Summit County are "high education, high income, high access to medical care, the people are physically active, obesity is lower than anywhere else — so you’re doing it right.” said Dr. Ali Mokdad, one of the study's co-authors.[17]

Politics

Summit County is liberal in most elections.

Summit County vote
by party in presidential elections[18]
Year Republican Democratic Others
2020 28.8% 5,322 68.4% 12,631 2.8% 526
2016 31.5% 5,100 59.1% 9,557 9.4% 1,517
2012 36.4% 5,571 61.0% 9,347 2.6% 394
2008 32.8% 4,883 65.8% 9,802 1.4% 214
2004 39.1% 5,370 59.3% 8,144 1.6% 221
2000 40.6% 4,497 47.9% 5,304 11.5% 1,267
1996 38.7% 3,261 47.2% 3,970 14.1% 1,188
1992 27.0% 2,256 40.0% 3,344 33.1% 2,770
1988 51.4% 2,893 46.1% 2,595 2.4% 136
1984 66.1% 3,253 32.3% 1,588 1.6% 77
1980 46.5% 2,027 29.5% 1,285 23.9% 1,043
1976 58.2% 1,826 34.6% 1,087 7.2% 227
1972 59.0% 1,082 38.6% 707 2.4% 44
1968 57.4% 536 32.2% 301 10.4% 97
1964 41.6% 344 58.3% 483 0.1% 1
1960 51.3% 424 48.4% 400 0.4% 3
1956 64.6% 429 35.4% 235 0.0% 0
1952 61.9% 442 38.0% 271 0.1% 1
1948 43.3% 292 56.0% 378 0.7% 5
1944 57.6% 326 41.9% 237 0.5% 3
1940 46.8% 479 52.7% 540 0.5% 5
1936 34.9% 268 64.5% 496 0.7% 5
1932 34.8% 224 61.7% 397 3.6% 23
1928 53.2% 362 44.9% 306 1.9% 13
1924 47.5% 354 32.4% 241 20.1% 150
1920 50.4% 418 46.8% 388 2.9% 24
1916 26.3% 268 70.3% 717 3.4% 35
1912 18.6% 179 62.2% 600 19.3% 186

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Ghost town

Recreation

National protected areas

Ski areas

Trails and byways

Lakes

The county has two reservoirs, Lake Dillon and Green Mountain Reservoir, that are also popular recreation sites.

Islands

See also

References
Gold specimen from the Breckenridge Mining District
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. "OMB Bulletin No. 10-02: Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. December 1, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 16, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  4. See the Colorado census statistical areas.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. "Elevation distribution for all U.S. cities," http://www.city-data.com/top13.html, accessed 2 Aug 2017
  7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  13. University of Washington. "US Health Map". Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  14. Brewer, Brewer; Ben Brewer (2020-03-06). "Summit County Real Estate". Breckenridge Real Estate Experts Blog. Ben Brewer. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  15. Dwyer-Lindgren, Laura (8 May 2017). "Inequalities in Life Expectancy Among US Counties, 1980 to 2014". JAMA Internal Medicine. 177: 1003–1011. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0918. PMC 5543324. PMID 28492829. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  16. "County Profile: Summit County Colorado," http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/county_profiles/US/2015/County_Report_Summit_County_Colorado.pdf, accessed 2 Aug 2017
  17. Achenbach, Joel, "U.S. life expectancy varies more than 20 years from county to county," Washington Post, May 8, 2017
  18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 26, 2017.

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