Castle Rock among '10 best' for families in U.S.
Town of Castle Rock residents can stand up and take a collective bow on Tuesday, July 10, the day that Family Circle magazine unveils its "10 Best Towns for Families."
That’s because the Town of Castle Rock made Family Circle’s list – the first of its kind for the national magazine celebrating women and families.
The magazine’s 10 Best Towns for Families article appears in the August edition, which hits newsstands nationwide on July 10. The article shares the results of the magazine’s quest to identify "the best communities across the country that combine big-city opportunities with suburban charm" and "an ideal blend of affordable houses, good jobs, top-rated schools, wide-open spaces and a lot less stress."
"That describes Castle Rock perfectly," Castle Rock Mayor Randy Reed said of the results of Family Circle’s investigation. "If you asked 100 people why they moved to Caste Rock, 95 percent of them would probably cite the community’s small-town charm and family friendliness."
Reed said while it’s great to be recognized nationally as a great place for families, it’s reward enough to experience family life in Castle Rock. "Every time I walk out my front door I think about how fortunate I am to have landed here 20 years ago with my wife and two daughters."
To come up with its 10 Best Towns for Families, Family Circle partnered with On Board, a New York City research firm providing real estate and demographic data to assemble a list of 1,850 places with populations between 15,000 and 150,000 and a high concentration of households with an average income of $65,000. That list was pared to 800 based on criteria such as cost of living, jobs, schools, health care, air quality, green space and crime rate. Family Circle assessed which towns best met those standards and ranked them according to state. The winners were selected from the highest-rated towns in the top 10 states nationwide.
Family Circle Magazine’s "10 best Towns for Families" honor is the latest in a string of national rankings awarded Castle Rock in recent years. In 2006, BusinessWeek magazine named Castle Rock No. 9 of the top 25 "best and most affordable suburbs in the United States." In a 2005 CNN Money Magazine report on the best places to live, Castle Rock ranked No. 1 in job growth.
Population in July 2007: 42,447. Population change since 2000: +93.3%
| Males: 21,324 |  (50.2%) | | Females: 21,123 |  (49.8%) | | Median resident age: |  31.9 years | | Colorado median age: |  34.3 years | Zip codes: 80104.
Estimated median household income in 2007: $71,800 (it was $64,138 in 2000)
| Castle Rock | $71,800 | | Colorado: | $55,212 |
Estimated median house/condo value in 2007: $265,700 (it was $185,700 in 2000)
| Castle Rock | $265,700 | | Colorado: | $233,900 |
Castle Rock Real Estate
Now in 2008, home to slightly more than 44,000 people, Castle Rock, Colorado residents love our small-town atmosphere, low crime rate, abundant parks and open space, clean air and convenient location.
Located midway between Denver and Colorado Springs, Castle Rock encompasses 33 square miles and sits in the East Plum Creek Valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 6,202 feet. The Town is traversed by Interstate 25, is home to the Outlets at Castle Rock and is the seat of Douglas County. Our climate is known as among the nation's best, with more than 300 days of sunshine per year.
Every one is invited to attend Town Council meetings every Tuesday at Town Hall.
Town Vision
Following are elements taken from the Town Cornerstones of the Vision 2000 that summarizes
what citizens would like Castle Rock to become in the future:
- A town that stands apart from surrounding communities.
- Preservation of Castle Rock’s character as a distinct and physically separate
- community that is the center of Douglas County.
- Carefully planned to accommodate the needs of existing and future residents,
- yet preserve and protect the Town’s identity and quality of life.
- Necessary community services be provided to support public interest and the
well being of its citizens.
- Castle Rock 2020 Comprehensive Master Plan Page iv
- Promote economic self-sufficiency and long-term stability of the local economy
in order to provide residents with a broad range of employment opportunities
and a healthy tax base.
HEALTH! LIVING! FUN!
The Parks and Recreation Department offers a multitude of facilities and amenities, including a 84,000-square-foot recreation center, more than 2,400 acres of open space, 251 acres of park land with 18 community and neighborhood parks and 34 miles of trails (concrete and native surface), plus a national award-winning municipal golf course.
Annually, over 400,000 people of all ages and abilities work out in our fitness and weight rooms; take wellness or special needs classes; swim in one of our pools; enroll in preschool; participate in a multitude of team sports; attend the Daddy-Daughter Ball; participate in the youth triathalon Tri the Rock; or discover one of hundreds of programs that enrich and promote healthy lifestyles. We even specially design programs for local elementary school youth during their off-track school breaks. Results from a recent survey indicated that over 80 percent of the participants in recreational programs over the past year rated them as "excellent." To discover why, just join in!
Incorporated in 1881, Castle Rock, Colorado is proud of a history going back to the time in 1874 when Jeremiah Gould donated 120 acres of land to be designated as “Castle Rock”, named after the rock formation of similar appearance high atop a butte near the town. Earlier, the land had been occupied primarily by the Arapahoe and Cheyenne Indians who found it to be a safe and comfortable home with its proximity to pine forests for lodge poles, abundance of deer, antelope and elk and its relative shelter from the sweltering heat of the plains in the summer and the winter storms of the mountains.
Lying just before the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, modern day Castle Rock covers nearly 33 square miles of land, just minutes to the south of Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Castle Pines on Interstate 25 and is home to some 65,000 residents both in the city and outlying areas.
You can find single family homes for sale in Castle Rock ranging in the low 200s to millions of dollars, both in planned developments and in very private secluded settings. Real estate choices in Castle Rock are not limited to single family homes. Many townhome and condominium complexes are present as well and offer very affordable living.
Castle Rock offers all the amenities of any modern city. There are over 1200 acres of parks and open space to explore. The Castle Rock Recreation Center and Senior Center offer a variety of activities for all ages. There are 2 outdoor public pools and 1 indoor pool as well as numerous ball fields and a large organized sports program. Rhyolite Park just opened in the spring of 2008 features sporting fields, an amazing playground and miles of hiking/biking trails. Castle Rock hosts the Douglas County Fair and Parade, The Colorado Renaissance Festival and numerous other holiday celebrations. The town is also home to over 100 outlet stores at the Factory Outlet mall, specialty boutique shops in historic downtown, and all the convenience of larger groceries and national retailers such as Target and The Home Depot. “Shop the Rock” has become a slogan and special program for the local Chamber of Commerce. Many say Castle Rock has everything. It is easy to see why so many call this great town “home.” If you're interested in instantly searching for homes for sale in Castle Rock, Colorado be sure to check out our free Dream Home Finder. You'll have access to all the Castle Rock, Colorado homes for sale, hundreds pictures & virtual tours, school information, & more. It’s a free service that puts the power of our 40,000 home database at your disposal, with data management authority that comes from your own specifications, to find the home they you want.
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