Center, Colorado
Center, Colorado | |
|---|---|
| Town of Center[1] | |
 Center in winter, December 2012 | |
 | |
  Center Location of the Town of Center, Colorado.  Center Center (Colorado) | |
| Coordinates: 37°45′13″N 106°06′30″W / 37.753556°N 106.108258°W[2] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| Counties[3] | Saguache Rio Grande |
| Incorporated | January 18, 1907[4] |
| Government | |
| • Type | statutory town[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.864 sq mi (2.238 km2) |
| • Land | 0.864 sq mi (2.238 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.000 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,645 ft (2,330 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,929 |
| • Density | 2,232/sq mi (862/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP code[6] | 81125 |
| Area code | 719 |
| GNIS pop ID | 203419 |
| GNIS town ID | 2413186 |
| FIPS code | 08-12855 |
| Website | www |
Center is a statutory town located in Saguache and Rio Grande counties, Colorado, United States.[1] The town's population was 1,929 at the 2020 United States census with 1,885 residing in Saguache County and 44 residing in Rio Grande County.[5]
History
[edit]The Centerview, Colorado, post office opened on April 22, 1898, but the name of the post office was changed to Center, Colorado, on July 1, 1899.[7] The Town of Center was incorporated on January 18, 1907.[1] The town lies near the center of the San Luis Valley, hence the name.[8]
Facilities
[edit]
Leach Airport is located 4 miles east and 3 miles north of town, at County Road 53 and County Road C.[9] The nearest college is Adams State College; 23 miles to Alamosa, Colorado.
Geography
[edit]At the 2020 United States census, the town had a total area of 553 acres (2.238 km2), all of it land.[5]
Climate
[edit]Center has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk), bordering on a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk).
| Climate data for Center 4 SSW, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1941-2020 records: 7,673 ft (2,339 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
65 (18) |
74 (23) |
83 (28) |
88 (31) |
95 (35) |
94 (34) |
90 (32) |
89 (32) |
81 (27) |
68 (20) |
61 (16) |
95 (35) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 46.6 (8.1) |
52.2 (11.2) |
65.4 (18.6) |
72.5 (22.5) |
79.7 (26.5) |
87.3 (30.7) |
88.4 (31.3) |
86.2 (30.1) |
81.9 (27.7) |
74.6 (23.7) |
61.3 (16.3) |
50.0 (10.0) |
89.6 (32.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.6 (−0.2) |
38.0 (3.3) |
49.4 (9.7) |
58.1 (14.5) |
66.8 (19.3) |
76.3 (24.6) |
79.8 (26.6) |
78.5 (25.8) |
72.9 (22.7) |
60.8 (16.0) |
46.1 (7.8) |
33.4 (0.8) |
57.6 (14.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 17.9 (−7.8) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
34.8 (1.6) |
42.7 (5.9) |
51.5 (10.8) |
59.3 (15.2) |
63.8 (17.7) |
62.4 (16.9) |
56.2 (13.4) |
44.7 (7.1) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
42.3 (5.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 4.2 (−15.4) |
10.0 (−12.2) |
20.2 (−6.6) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
36.2 (2.3) |
42.3 (5.7) |
47.7 (8.7) |
46.3 (7.9) |
39.5 (4.2) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
16.5 (−8.6) |
5.0 (−15.0) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −12.7 (−24.8) |
−9.3 (−22.9) |
3.6 (−15.8) |
13.7 (−10.2) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
33.1 (0.6) |
40.5 (4.7) |
39.0 (3.9) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
14.3 (−9.8) |
−1.6 (−18.7) |
−12.8 (−24.9) |
−17.5 (−27.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −40 (−40) |
−32 (−36) |
−16 (−27) |
−4 (−20) |
12 (−11) |
23 (−5) |
31 (−1) |
28 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
−4 (−20) |
−25 (−32) |
−41 (−41) |
−41 (−41) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.13 (3.3) |
0.27 (6.9) |
0.33 (8.4) |
0.53 (13) |
0.58 (15) |
0.63 (16) |
1.32 (34) |
1.19 (30) |
0.70 (18) |
0.61 (15) |
0.46 (12) |
0.46 (12) |
7.21 (183.6) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.50 (8.9) |
2.90 (7.4) |
5.50 (14.0) |
1.80 (4.6) |
0.60 (1.5) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.00 (0.00) |
1.60 (4.1) |
3.10 (7.9) |
6.10 (15.5) |
25.1 (63.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 9.3 | 6.4 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 53.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 10 |
| Source 1: NOAA[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins)[11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 385 | — | |
| 1920 | 547 | 42.1% | |
| 1930 | 1,011 | 84.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,515 | 49.9% | |
| 1950 | 2,024 | 33.6% | |
| 1960 | 1,600 | −20.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,470 | −8.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,630 | 10.9% | |
| 1990 | 1,963 | 20.4% | |
| 2000 | 2,392 | 21.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,230 | −6.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,929 | −13.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, Center had a population of 1,929. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.7 males age 18 and over.[12][13]
28.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older.[12]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 737 households in Center, of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.3% were married-couple households, 20.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 860 housing units, of which 14.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.[12]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 584 | 30.3% |
| Black or African American | 3 | 0.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 89 | 4.6% |
| Asian | 1 | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 436 | 22.6% |
| Two or more races | 816 | 42.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 1,733 | 89.8% |
Income and poverty
[edit]The median income for a household in the town was $23,780, and the median income for a family was $26,143. Males had a median income of $20,844 versus $18,036 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,289. About 27.1% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.6% of those under age 18 and 22.8% of those age 65 or over.[15]
Education
[edit]- Public high schools:
- Center High School - grades 9 - 12
- The Academic Recovery Center of San Luis Valley - grades 9 - 12
- Public elementary/middle schools:
- Haskin Elementary School
- Skoglund Middle School - grades 6 - 8
- Private elementary/middle school in Center:
- High Valley Christian School
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- 1 2 "Center, Colorado". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Colorado Counties". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Archived from the original on August 23, 2003. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- 1 2 3 4 "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data". United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ↑ "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ↑ Bauer, William H.; Ozment, James L.; Willard, John H. (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. ISBN 0-918654-42-4.
- ↑ Dawson, John Frank (1954). Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 13.
- ↑ Google.com: Leach Airport Map and Data
- ↑ "Center 4 SSW, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ↑ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
External links
[edit]
Municipalities and communities of Saguache County, Colorado, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities of Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated community | ||
| ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
