Prescott

Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. In 1864, Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory, replacing the temporary capital of Fort Whipple. It was a stereotypical "wild west" town during the latter half of the 19th century; famous residents included Doc Holliday and Virgil Earp of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The modern city subsists off of tourism, especially around its storied past. It is host to the self-proclaimed "World's Oldest Rodeo", running continuously since 1888. The rodeo, one of the most famous in the United States, draws some 35,000 tourists a year. Prescott is the center of the Prescott Metropolitan Area, defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as all of YavAPai County. The area had a population of 103,260 as of 2007, and includes the towns of Mayer, Paulden, Wilhoit, and Williamson Valley. Prescott was incorporated in 1881, and became the most important city in northern Arizona in the late 1800s. It also escalated the American Indian Wars, as pioneers and natives increasingly attacked each other, in ever bloodier reprisals. The city was named in honor of historian William H. Prescott during a public meeting on May 30, 1864. The town is in the Granite Creek watershed and contains the convergence of Miller Creek and Granite creek on its north side. The towns of Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Dewey-Humboldt, and Prescott comprise what is locally known as the "Quad-City" area.

History

Prescott is the primary city name, but also Groom Creek are acceptable city names or spellings. Prescott was named in honor of historian William H. Prescott during a public meeting on May 30, 1864. Fort Whipple was established the same year near present day Chino Valley. The mineral wealth of Prescott included a good quantity of both gold and silver, and made the hamlet the most important city in northern Arizona. It also escalated the American Indian Wars, as pioneers and natives increasingly attacked the other, in ever bloodier reprisals. Prescott served as capital of Arizona Territory until November 1, 1867, when the capital was moved to Tucson by act of the 4th Arizona Territorial Legislature. The capital was returned to Prescott in 1877 by the 9th Arizona territorial Legislature, and finally moved to Phoenix on February 4, 1889. Both Virgil Earp and Doc Wyatt Earp lived in Prescott before their infamous gunfight at the OK Corral in Corral, Arizona in 1878. Doc Holliday was a constable in Prescott for a while in the summer of 1880 and even appears in the 1880 census records. Prescott is home to the Museum of Indigenous People and the Smoki and Phippen Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, as well as the Sharlot Hall, a museum of historic buildings in downtown Prescott. The town was incorporated in 1881 and has a population of around 4,000. It is located on the banks of the Yavapai River, near the junction of the Arizona and Arizona Turnpike. It was the site of the first recorded European contact with the Yvapai in 1583.

Geography

Prescott is in the Bradshaw Mountains of central Arizona, at an elevation of 5,400 feet (1,600 m) The city has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) bordering on a Humid subtropical climate. Average annual precipitation for 1991-2020 was 16.46 inches (418 mm), with spring and early summer the driest times of the year. The warmest measured temperature in Prescott is 105 °F (41 °C) on two separate occasions (1925 and 2021). The coldest low was measured in 1937 and stood at 21 °F (29 °C). The average season for freezing temperatures is October 21 through May 1. Snowfall is typically light and snow cover usually melts away quickly; the average seasonal total was 10.2 inches (26 cm) in a normal year. Warm summer nights are rare on an elevated plain, but happen on occasion. Local creeks do not contain water except immediately after the start of the 2007 winter. The full winter of 2007 was reported as less than 200 F (506.506 C) for the full winter. There was a severe drought from 1999 to 2009, seen from the lack of snowpack in theBradshaw Mountains to the Little Chino Valley to the Verde River. There has been a drought since 2009, with severe drought conditions seen from 2011 to 2013. The average annual rainfall in Prescott has been 16.4 inches (396 mm) in the summer, with the largest amount in the JulySeptember monsoon season.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 33,938 people, 15,098 households, and 8,968 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 92.9% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American,0.8% Asian, 2.1% Pacific Islander, and 1.6% from two or more races. 8.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was2.62. The median income for a household in theCity was $35,446, and the median incomes for a family was $46,481. About 7.4% of families and 13.1%. of the residents were below the poverty line, including 14.4%. of those under age 18 and 6.4. of those age 65 or over. The city is located on the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.N. has a consulate there. It is located near the border with Mexico, and is a member of the United States-Mexico Border Patrol. It has a population of 33,838, with 17,144 housing units, and a population density of 915.6/sq mi (353.5/km²). The city's population was spread out, with 15.9%. under the age of 18, 11.2%. from 18 to 24, 18.9. from 25 to 44, 27.3%. from 45 to 64, and 26.8%. who were 65 years of age or older.

Economy

The Prescott Gateway Mall is an enclosed shopping mall that opened in 2002. Downtown Prescott has dozens of independently owned and operated shops. The Yavapai-Prescott Tribe, the James Family Prescott YMCA, and Fann Contracting are among the city's major employers. According to the 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in Prescott are: Fanncontracting and the YavAPai-prescott Tribe. The city's unemployment rate is 3.7 percent. The unemployment rate in Prescott is 2.9 percent. In Prescott, the average household income is less than $30,000. The average income in Prescott, Arizona, is $25,000, and the average wage is $28,000 in Prescott. The town's population is 2,816. It has an unemployment rate of 2.7 per cent, and a population growth rate of 1.8 per cent. The economy is estimated to be 2.1 per cent in Prescott's 2021 Comprehensive annual financial report. The top employers are Fann contracting and The James family Prescott YmCA. It is estimated that the city has a population of 2,716. The population growth is 1.9 per cent over the next five years, and it is expected to be 1.6 per cent by the end of the decade. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Prescott will have more than 1,200,000 residents by the year's end. Prescott's population will grow to 2,100,000 by 2023.

Places of interest and culture

Prescott has 809 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The tallest house in North America, Falcon Nest, is in Prescott, on the slope of Thumb Butte. Prescott hosts annual events such as Frontier Days, Easter Egg-Stravaganza, the Bluegrass Festival, Earth Day, July 4 Celebration, Tsunami on the Square and Pumpkin Patch Carnival. The city is home to The Arizona Pioneers' Home, a continuing care retirement home, operated and funded by the State of Arizona. In the 2010s, it drew over 35,000 tourists a year, nearly doubling Prescott's population for the rodeo week. There are four golf courses within the city limits: Antelope Hills Golf Course and the City of Prescott North Course, Capital Canyon Golf Club (formerly the Hassayampa Golf Club) (private), Talking Rock Golf club (private). More public courses are located nearby in surrounding towns. It is a small liberal arts college just west of the downtown area that emphasizes environmental and social justice and emphasizes a non-profit organization. It has an undergraduate body of roughly 800 students and an average faculty ratio of 7.1 to 7.5. Prescott is the home to the "World's Oldest Rodeo", which has been running continuously since 1888. The rodeo was featured in the 1972 film Junior Bonner and was the inspiration for the movie Jolene, which was based on the book by the same name. It runs in the days leading up to Fourth of July, also known as "Frontier Days".

Government

The City of Prescott operates under a council-manager form of government. The council has six council members and a mayor, all elected at-large by the people of Prescott. Council members are elected to staggered four-year terms, and the mayor to a two-year term. Elections for mayor and council members are held in the first year after the national presidential and mid-term elections to keep national issues from overshadowing local concerns. Mayoral and council elections are non-partisan. There are no term limits for council members or the mayor. TheCouncil appoints a professional city manager to oversee the daily administrative operations of city services and their respective departments, including the Prescott Fire Department. The current city manager is Michael Lamar; the current mayor is Phil Goode; and the council members as of June 2022 are Cathy Rusing (Mayor Pro-Tem), Jessica Hall, Brandon Montoya, Eric Moore, Steve Sischka, and Clark Tenney. They will be in office until the end of the current council term in June 2022, when they will be replaced by a new council member, who will be elected in June 2021. The Council will then appoint a new city manager for the next council term, which runs through June 2023. The next city manager will be Michael Lamar, who is currently in charge of the Prescott Police and Fire Departments. He was appointed by the City Council in June 2013. He is currently the city manager of the city of Prescott; he is currently serving a three-year contract.

Education

Prescott Unified School District operates public schools. There are 18 public schools, including five charter schools, in grades K-12. In 2015, due to budget cuts, the district closed Washington Elementary and Miller Valley Elementary schools. To make up for the change all elementary schools only went up to fourth grade. Mile High Middle School serves seventh and eighth grades and Prescott High School remains unchanged. A district preschool has been operating in the Washington Elementary since the latter's closure. A recent renovation of the building will be completed in 2018 and will also be the home of the Prescott United School District Offices. The district also operates four private schools in Prescott, including Prescott College and EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University. The school district also has a charter school, Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy, and a prep high school, Tri-City College Prep High School. It also operates a private school, Prescott Preparatory School, in the town of Prescott, Arizona. It is the only school district in the state to offer a college preparatory program for students in grades 7-12, as well as a private high school for those in the seventh through 12th grade. The public school district operates four charter schools and one private school in the city of Prescott. It has a private college, Prescott College, which offers classes in the ninth and 12th grades. The town also has two private schools, Yavapai College and Prescott Aeronautics University, which offer classes in grades 9-12 and 13-14.

Transportation

Prescott Regional Airport, Ernest A. Love Field (PRC) is located seven miles (11 km) north of the downtown courthouse. As of 2021, United Airlines operates commercial flights from Prescott to Denver and Los Angeles. Ground shuttle services are also available from the Prescott area to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The three main thoroughfares in and around Prescott are Arizona State Route 89A, Arizona state Route 69 and Arizona State route 89. Yavapai Regional Transit provides local bus service connecting Prescott and Chino Valley. Groome Transportation provides shuttle service between Prescott and Phoenix. State Route 69 connects Prescott with Prescott Valley to the east, eventually curving southeast before reaching Interstate 17 at mile marker 262, about 65 miles (105 km) from downtown Phoenix. In 2016, ADOT realigned Willow Creek Road between State Route 90 and Pioneer Parkway adding a roundabout on State Route89 with new access to the Airport. A future Great western Corridor is planned to go on the east side of the Ernest A Love Field Airport and provide an alternative route to the airport. The city of Prescott is located in the central part of the state and is located on the Arizona Turnpike. The turnpike connects Prescott to the north and the south. It also connects the city to the south and the east. The town has a population of about 3,000. The Prescott area is home to the U.S. Air Force Base, which is located just south of the city. The airport is one of the largest military bases in the United States.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona = 86. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 61. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 90. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Prescott = 6.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 45,827 individuals with a median age of 48.7 age the population grows by 27.87% in Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,019.08 residents per square mile of area (393.47/km²). There are average 2.12 people per household in the 19,471 households with an average household income of $44,985 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.50% of the available work force and has dropped -2.31% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.88%. The number of physicians in Prescott per 100,000 population = 191.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Prescott = 19.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 24.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 63. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 277. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 21.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 49, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona which are owned by the occupant = 58.78%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 21 years with median home cost = $256,110 and home appreciation of -13.95%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $6.70 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $3,338 per student. There are 19.6 students for each teacher in the school, 221 students for each Librarian and 758 students for each Counselor. 7.25% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 18.18% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 12.28% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).