This week, a group of about 30 Christian pastors from all over Boulder County visited The Community Foundation for a TRENDS presentation. A discussion about growing inequality and growing diversity in the county followed. Presentations like this flow both ways: The foundation shares research with diverse groups, and those groups in turn enlighten us with knowledge about their communities.
No matter who the constituents are — from parishioners to shareholders — businesses, churches, nonprofits and institutions have so much we can learn from each other.
This year will be the 20th year for Boulder County TRENDS: The Community Foundation’s Report on on Key Indicators. The biennial publication measures more than 100 indicators about local schools, health and human services, the economy and housing, the arts and more. It provides an overview on the quality of life here in Boulder County, and illuminates where opportunities for improvement exist. That’s why TRENDS presentations are valuable. We were able to share a lot of data with with the pastors, and they were able to educate us about what they see within their own congregations. In recent weeks, we’ve had similar presentations and very engaged discussions with employees of the University of Colorado, the City of Boulder, civic groups and several of our nonprofit partners. Nonprofits, in particular, look to updated data from the TRENDS report for their own fundraising and outreach.
That’s because the data is changing all the time. Take a look at housing: In 2008, there were 1,022 housing units authorized by Boulder County, according to the U.S. Census report. That plummeted to 345 in 2009 with the housing crash. It incrementally rose to 750 by 2012. But in 2013: It soared to 1,391. The outer edges of the county, particularly Longmont and Erie, are rapidly growing.
This has impact far beyond individual suburban developments. One example: With this year’s enrollment, the St. Vrain Valley School District has replaced the Boulder Valley School District as the seventh largest district in the state of Colorado.
Median single-family home prices are rising as well. According to the Boulder Area Realtor Association, the City of Boulder had the highest median sales price for single-family homes a decade ago with $467,000. Median sales prices have increased across the county, especially in Boulder, where it is now $685,000. Louisville’s median price went from $297,000 in 2004 to $511,000 in 2014. Superior is not far behind; Its median sales price rose from $339,900 in 2004 to $470,500 in 2014.
We are driven to share this data with our community, and TRENDS presentations are ongoing. We share data from the publication, but also all of the new things we’re learning year-round. Since the last publication of TRENDS, the median family income has gone from $90,197 to $92,667 in Boulder County. But poverty remains pervasive. The poverty rate in 2013 in Boulder County was 13.9 percent, higher than the state’s rate. The rate for families was 7 percent. But for female-headed households with children, the rate was 28 percent. There’s also an enormous disparity in earnings between those who attend college and those who don’t: But in Boulder County in 2011, while 71 percent of Anglo high school grads pursued college, only 42 percent of Latino graduates pursued college.
If data and trends like this are of interest to you, your boards or your organizations, we’d be delighted to schedule a presentation with you. To view the most recent TRENDS report, go to: https://www.commfound.org/trendsmagazine
If your organization would be interested in a TRENDS presentation, call: 303-442-0436 or email erika@commfound.org.
