Colchester is a
townThe New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. An institution that does not have a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in that they were originally set up so that all...
in
Chittenden CountyChittenden County (ˈtʃɪʔənˌdən/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2000, the population was 146,571, making it the most populous county in the state. Its shire town is Burlington....
,
VermontThe State of Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, , and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 16,986 at the 2000 census. It is the fourth-largest municipality and second-largest town in Vermont by population.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the town has a total area of 58.6
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (151.9 km
2), of which, 36.9 square miles (95.5 km
2) of it is land and 21.8 square miles (56.3 km
2) of it (37.10%) is water.
About 2000 years ago, during the Early Woodland period, pre-Columbians natives lived in the area.
In 1922, the city of
WinooskiWinooski is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, in the United States. Located at the mouth of the Winooski River, as of the 2000 census the city population was 6,561...
broke away from the town and formed its own city.
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 16,986 people, 6,144 households, and 4,184 families residing in the town.
Colchester is a
townThe New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. An institution that does not have a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in that they were originally set up so that all...
in
Chittenden CountyChittenden County (ˈtʃɪʔənˌdən/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2000, the population was 146,571, making it the most populous county in the state. Its shire town is Burlington....
,
VermontThe State of Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, , and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 16,986 at the 2000 census. It is the fourth-largest municipality and second-largest town in Vermont by population.
Geography
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the town has a total area of 58.6
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (151.9 km
2), of which, 36.9 square miles (95.5 km
2) of it is land and 21.8 square miles (56.3 km
2) of it (37.10%) is water.
History
About 2000 years ago, during the Early Woodland period, pre-Columbians natives lived in the area.
In 1922, the city of
WinooskiWinooski is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, in the United States. Located at the mouth of the Winooski River, as of the 2000 census the city population was 6,561...
broke away from the town and formed its own city.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 16,986 people, 6,144 households, and 4,184 families residing in the town. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 460.5 people per square mile (177.8/km
2). There were 6,727 housing units at an average density of 182.4/sq mi (70.4/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.53% White, 0.63% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.80% from two or more races. 1.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,144 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 16.2% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
Economy
One measure of economic activity is retail sales. Colchester was fourth in the state in 2007 with $245.8 million.
Personal income
The median income for a household in the town was $51,429, and the median income for a family was $58,358. Males had a median income of $38,268 versus $30,880 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the town was $22,472. About 5.4% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Tourism
There has been an annual "Lake Champlain International Father's Day Fishing Derby" (LCI) since 1981. In 2009, 6,000 fishermen entered.
Public safety
In 2008, property crimes increased by 36.9%. Overall, the number of crimes rose 28.9% to 1,486 incidents.
Transportation
In the southeastern part of Colchester, bus service is provided by Chittenden County Transportation Authority.
Notable residents
- Tom Brennan
Tom Brennan is a radio and television sportscaster and former men's basketball head coach, most notably at the University of Vermont from 1986 to 2005.- Coaching career :...
, former coach of the University of VermontThe University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, more commonly known as the University of Vermont, is a national public research university and the state of Vermont's land-grant university. Known to many as "UVM," the university has also been named a Public Ivy...
Catamounts men's basketball team
- Ray Collins
Ray Williston Collins was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox. A native of Colchester, Vermont, Collins batted and threw left-handed...
, left-handed pitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is...
for the Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
, 1909-1915
- Donato Giancola
Donato Giancola is an American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration.-Biography:Donato Giancola was born in 1967 and raised in Colchester, Vermont, near Burlington, Vermont...
, artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration
Education
Saint Michael's CollegeSaint Michael's College is a private, residential liberal arts Catholic college. The campus is located in Colchester, Vermont. It was founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund, a French order of Catholic priests...
is located here.
Albany College of Pharmacy Vermont Campus is located here on Water Tower Hill.
Public school system
Around 2,200 children attend the five schools in Colchester's school district. The district consists of one high school, Colchester High School, one middle school, Colchester Middle School, an elementary school Malletts Bay School, and two young schools Porters Point School and Union Memorial School.
Colchester High School is home to the award-winning
Colchester Theatre CompanyThe Colchester Theatre Company is a high school Theatre troupe in Colchester, Vermont, founded in 1977 by John Coon. It has been nominated for and presented with various awards for talent, effort, and commitment....
.
The Colchester School District underwent a teacher strike during October, 2005. The strike began over pay increases but quickly escalated to include many other aspects of the system. The strike ended on October 23, 2005, with an agreement on pay between teachers and board, and school re-opened on Monday the 24th. Negotiations took place for around five hours on October 18, 2005, but resulted in no settlement, and again on the 23rd, resulting in the conclusion to the strike.
External links