Superior CO is an apropos name for this little town at the base of Eastern Colorado's foothills. Located between Broomfield and Boulder on the Denver Boulder Turnpike (Highway 36), Superior CO is in the foothills west of Eldorado Springs. For the outdoors enthusiast, there is no municipality in the greater Denver Metro Area with more to offer than Superior, not Boulder, not Golden, not even Centennial. Though small in area, only four square miles, Superior is surrounded by six large public land areas including a state park, three designated open spaces, a wildlife refuge, and three municipal parks of 20-acres or more. Superior is less than fifteen minutes from four large bodies of water, all of which are open to the public.
In addition to being an outdoor paradise, Superior has one of the highest standards of living in Colorado. The residents earn more than most people in Colorado, considerably more than most people in the U.S., and the cost of living is relatively low with the exception of home prices.
Superior CO has a population of roughly 12,000 people, only 400 more than populated the town in 2010. More than 99% of the population of Centennial graduated high school and almost 77% have a bachelor's degree or higher. Of the permanent residents, 37% are minors or over the age of 65. The Caucasian population constitutes 80% of the population, Asians comprise 13%, the Hispanic population accounts for 3% and the black population in Superior is less than 1%.
The house ownership rate in Superior is 69% and the median value of own-occupied housing units is $404,000.
The culture in Superior is based on the outdoor opportunities surrounding the town. Many of the most successful businesses in Superior are directly linked to mountain and road biking, hiking, mountaineering and camping as-well-as fishing and hunting. There are a variety of nice restaurants, pubs and saloons, but there are an equal number of churches and church affiliated facilities in Superior.
The municipality has zoned the city in a manner that encourages motorless transportation and has developed walking and biking trails in addition to wide-width sidewalks in downtown and many of the surrounding neighborhoods. The police are part of the motorless culture, a respectable portion of the force riding mountain bikes more than seven months out of the year.
Superior has a median household income that $50,000 is greater than rest of Colorado. Male residents of Superior earn $30,000, on average, more than males in the rest of the United States. Superior women bring home $13,000 more annually than the national average. Renters living in Superior earn have an annual take home of more than $30,000 above the average U.S. renter.
The percentage of people living under the poverty line in Colorado is less than 15%. In Superior, only 4.2% of the population lives under the poverty line which makes the standard of living in Superior one of the best in the entire state and in the 90th percentile in the United States. The unemployment rate in Superior is 2% lower than that in the rest of Colorado and 2.5% lower than the national average.
There are more than 1,191 businesses operating in Superior, 38% of which are owned by women. The education system in the small Colorado town is superior as well. The two public schools in Superior both scored 10 out of a possible 10 according to Greatschools.org.
With respect to quality of life, few municipalities have more to offer than that of Superior.
There are so many popular outdoor destinations within a few minutes drive of Superior that the names are known by residence throughout Colorado, not just on the Eastern Slope. Superior is directly east of the Eldorado Ski Area -- though the road to the popular resort from Superior must circumvent Eldorado Mountain -- and the drive time is less than 45 minutes. Between the ski area and Superior is Eldorado Canyon State Park which includes the Flatirons Vista Trail, the Greenbelt Plateau, the Coal Creek Trail and Marshall Lake.
Southwest of Superior is the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, a 5,000 acre space that is home to, "239 migratory and resident wildlife species, including prairie falcons, deer, elk, coyotes, songbirds, and the federally threatened Preble's meadow jumping mouse." Directly south of Superior is the Colorado Hills Open Space. To the northeast, between Superior and the Louisville, is Dutch Creek Park which has a 6.5 mile east-to-west trail. To the east of Superior, hardly outside the city limits, is the Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farm. The preserve has three hiking/biking/horse riding trails, picnic areas with shelter and amenities, fishing and is dog-friendly.
Glacier Park, Ruth Roberts Park and Heritage Park are all smaller parks, with 100 or less acres, but none of them have less than 20 acres of area. In addition to the green open space, Superior is within five minutes of some of the greater Denver Metro Area's largest and most popular lakes and reservoirs including: Standley Lake, Marshall Lake, Great Western Reservoir, Welton Reservoir, and Stearns Lake.
