Colchester

Colchester, Vermont

Colchester is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 16,986 at the 2000 census

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 58.6 square miles (151.9 km²), of which, 36.9 square miles (95.5 km²) of it is land and 21.8 square miles (56.3 km²) of it (37.10%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 16,986 people, 6,144 households, and 4,184 families residing in the town. The population density was 460.5 people per square mile (177.8/km²). There were 6,727 housing units at an average density of 182.4/sq mi (70.4/km²). 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 races, 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 couples 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.

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 income 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.

Saint Michael's College is located here.

Saint Michael's College is a private, residential, liberal arts Catholic college. The 440-acre (1.8 km²) campus is located in Colchester, Vermont. The college is adjacent to Burlington, a popular college town and cultural center in Vermont. Saint Michael's College was founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund, a French order of Catholic priests. The main campus is on a hill that provides views of the Green Mountains to the east and the Adirondack Mountains of New York to the west. The mission of the college is "to contribute through higher education to the enhancement of the human person and to the advancement of human culture in the light of the Catholic faith."

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 Company.