Teller County
Located in almost the center of Colorado at elevations ranging from 8,000 to 14,000 feet on Pikes Peak, Teller County encompasses 559 square miles, making it the ninth smallest county by area in the state. It is 20 miles west of Colorado Springs, and is accessed by two major thoroughfares: east-west by US Highway 24, north-south by Colorado State Highway 67.
Like its fellow Heart of Colorado counties, Teller County is mountainous and rural with a widely dispersed population.
According to the 2000 census, Teller County was the tenth fastest growing county in Colorado, and is one of the state’s most densely settled rural counties. It is home to nearly 22,000 people in its three incorporated cities: Cripple Creek, Woodland Park and Victor, its unincorporated towns of Divide and Florissant, and in isolated “off the grid” areas.
The county faces the challenges brought about by rapid growth and the demand to preserve the natural habitat that continues to draw settlers and visitors to the area as it has done for over 100 years. The 1992 introduction of gaming in Cripple Creek added to the stresses by bringing more demands for social services, a low paid, transient population, heightened crime rate, and a doubling of school enrollment in Cripple Creek & Victor School District RE-1.
The county per capita income of $23,412 compares favorably with the nation’s $21,587 but is lower than the Colorado’s income per person of $24,049. In Teller County, 5.40% of the population and 3.40% of families are below the poverty line. Per capita income varies widely between the more populated north Teller County and more rural south Teller County. The per capita income for the Woodland Park is $22,780, with 3.7% of the population and 1.8% of families below the poverty line. In Victor the per capita income is $17,242, with 18.4% of the population and 14.0% of families below the poverty line.
Household income for cities diverges widely: the Woodland Park area median was $52,279, but the lower figures of Victor at $31,250 and Cripple Creek at $39,261 reflect their reliance on the tourism economy.
Challenges facing Teller County mirror those in many Heart of Colorado communities:
- Social isolation; long distances to acquire every day necessities
- Offenses against families and domestic violence
- Alcohol and substance abuse, including youth and teens
- Child care, particularly in the southern Teller County communities
- Affordable housing
- Access to health care
- Transportation
- Mentoring and other youth programs; lack of opportunities for youth
- Continued population growth, particularly among retirees
- Ecological issues and historic preservation
In recent years, area nonprofit organizations, public agencies and local businesses have adopted programs and services that directly confront these issues:
- In-town free shuttle for Cripple Creek residents
- Opening of the Aspen Mine Center in Cripple Creek, a one stop resource shop
- Programs for children and youth
- Free or low cost parent education classes
- Construction of low cost housing in Divide by a private developer
- Cripple Creek Housing Project, a cooperative effort between the City of Cripple Creek and Habitat for Humanity to renovate six Victorian Houses
- Improved and expanded access to health care
- GED preparation / adult basic education centrally located in Divide
- Preservation in perpetuity of the 5,000 acre Pikes Peak Conservation Corridor along US Highway 24 between Woodland Park and Divide
The natural beauty, abundant recreational opportunities, and aesthetic benefits of rural mountain life will continue to attract migration from other states and cities, and particularly from neighboring El Paso County. Teller County nonprofit organizations, working hand-in-hand with the public and private sectors, will continue to actively respond to existing challenges and proactively plan for future demands on human and environmental resources.
Click here
to learn more about Teller County.
|
