About Cedar Park, TX – Economy and Safety
The City of Cedar Park, Texas has been one of the fastest growing communities in the state over the past decade. In fact, it is home to almost 70,000 people today and its residents keep adding to this number every day. This growth rate would have been impossible without a strong strategy from city's leaders who were able to see how their vision could change the face of the community for years ahead.
One such example was a development plan called "Vision 2020" that started way back in 2000. The idea was simple enough but profound at the same time: attract technology companies and other innovators by helping them create a tightly knit community where everyone would work together towards achieving common goals around research and business development. And while Vision 2020 carried no guarantees, it was clear that the city would have to work hard to attract companies and their employees.
The key part of the plan was to build a brand new state-of-the-art university under the same name as Cedar Park. It would be an institution where students could actually learn about innovation before entering the workforce instead of pretending they knew something at their first jobs. The best professors from local universities were recruited for this task which ensured that Cedar Park University had quality education on the level with Ivy League institutions back east.
The idea behind Vision 2020 was very simple: if many smart people are living in close proximity, ideas will come naturally. And while such "unplanned" developments may always produce tangible results time and again, the city decided not to rely on pure chance. Instead, Cedar Park hired companies that specialized in research and development to locate their offices there. The plan worked out brilliantly as the university became a beacon for innovators all over Texas. Soon enough it grew into one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the state with students that could compete against those from Berkeley, MIT or Stanford University because they graduated with practically identical degrees even though CP was much smaller than its competitors.
This led to increased business activity which transformed Cedar Park into one of the leading technology hubs in Texas (and other states) very quickly. By 2020, there were thousands of people working for top firms like Microsoft, Google and Dell while new companies chose this location due to high quality of life and close proximity to the office.
Today, Cedar Park is home to more than 100,000 people and it has become a self-sufficient economic unit that doesn't need Austin's "assistance" any longer. In fact, city leaders approached its neighbor recently with an offer: help us improve our infrastructure if you want to lease some of our land for your headquarters because we're not going anywhere afterwards. The answer was unsurprisingly positive as both cities became one big community, each retaining their unique qualities while sharing resources and ideas on how to make everyone's life better in the region.
Other facts about the city:
The number of government workers in Cedar Park is much lower than the national average. There are 6,830 residents that work for local, state or federal governments in Cedar Park compared to the national average of 14.22% of workers.
It should be no surprise that Cedar Park has a higher concentration of sales and office jobs when compared to the nation as well. Approximately 39.40% of people who live in Cedar Park work in sales or office jobs. Only 29.23% do nationwide which may contribute to why locals love shopping here so much!
The income per capita in Cedar Park is $36,520 which is significantly greater than both the state average of $28,940 and the national average at $23,046.
Cedar Park, TX Population Data:
As of 2010, there were 37,640 people and 13,637 households in the city. The population density was 1,939.4 people per square mile (749/km²). There were 14,603 housing units at an average density of 778.8/sq mi (300.0/km²). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Cedar Park has a 2011 median household income of $77,056 compared to a statewide average of $53,136 and a national average of $44,364. In comparison to similarly sized cities throughout the country Cedar Park is higher than most at $77,056/year.
Cedar Park is right next door to Austin and just a little smaller than the northern suburbs of Houston. Fayetteville, AR is smaller than Cedar Park by 5%. We know that income per capita in Fayetteville is $26,949 which puts it below the national average of $23,046 so I think you can see where this is going.
Places For Recreation
The city has numerous parks and trails to walk with the family. One of the parks we recommend to visit is Milburn Park located at 1901 Sun Chase Blvd, Cedar Park, TX 78613. You can bring you own bike or your own basketball to play with your friends and kids.
The Austin area is growing at an unprecedented rate. In 2013, there were 260 people moving into the city of Austin every day. The growth of this community comes from a variety of places with the largest being new job opportunities and a high quality of life. The school age population in TEXAS has increased by 350% since 1970 and is projected to keep on going up.
This growth has been mirrored in Cedar Park ISD where we have had over 10 years of steady increases in enrollment each year. According to district projections, our district will need over 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 2 high schools by 2021 for us to continue serving our students at current levels. It's no secret that it takes time to plan for new campuses and build them, so we must work now to ensure that our children can continue to attend a high quality school and receive the education that they deserve.
In addition to having sufficient classroom space for students, it is also of vital importance that facilities are modernized and updated to accommodate programs such as career and technology courses, fine arts opportunities, science labs, agricultural facilities and athletic fields. In order to do this efficiently and effectively schools will need adequate square footage for all of these elements mentioned above.
Many new schools have been built over the past years including Hudson Bend Elementary School in 2009, 3 elementary schools in 2013 (Creekside Park Elementary – 2711 Creekside Park Dr., Plateau – 2512en Rd., Vista Ridge High School located at 200 S Vista Ridge Blvd, Cedar Park, TX 78613 and Cedar Park Middle School in 2014. These schools have helped to alleviate overcrowding at other campuses but will soon fill up with students as well if new school construction does not continue to take place.
Cedar Park is a thriving community that has grown into an economic powerhouse due to its high quality of life, excellent schools, low crime rates, abundant shopping centers, active religious institutions and increasing job opportunities within the city limits. Even with all of this growth projected for the area it still remains one of the safest cities in Texas. We are proud of our heritage here in Cedar Park and will do everything we can to make sure that tradition lives on well into the future.
The cedar Park school board convened on January 30, 2012 to discuss the future of Cedar Park schools through a comprehensive facilities assessment and planning study.
These studies will define the existing conditions and analysis of the district's educational program and facility needs. The design plan will establish guidelines for new construction, renovation and development for building renovations that remain within budget limitations and ensure long-term value for taxpayers.
Based on enrollment projections, it is expected that by 2021 there will be significant overcrowding at all four campuses in the district, specifically Lakeline Middle School, Cedar Ridge High School , Brushy Creek Elementary, and Meadow Creek Elementary . Easton Park is growing rapidly as well but was not included in these projections because it is anticipated that they will return to the Austin ISD at the conclusion of their current lease.
The district is currently looking at multiple options for relieving this unsustainable growth, including renovations and/or expansions at Meadow Creek Elementary, Cedar Ridge High School, Lakeline Middle School , and potentially a new elementary school in an undetermined location.
Cedar Park Police Department
I was recently at a conference in Cedar Park, TX and as I was driving north on 183A Tollway from Parmer Lane to my hotel near Anderson Mill Road, I came across a patrol vehicle parked under an overpass that was marked as being operated by the police department of the City of Cedar Park.
It wasn't until later that evening after attending several conferences during the day that I remembered about the strange encounter with one of their vehicles below. After packing up for my return home, I decided to take a few minutes and research what kind of police force would be operating in this small city just northwest of Austin not too far from where I live. What the hell is going on here in Cedar Park, and why in the world would they need to employ their own police force?
Not much is actually known about their department which consists of only 28 officers assigned to patrol duties. Their website isn't very informative either, but it does list across the bottom that this particular police agency "promotes a partnership with the community to prevent crime and enhance quality of life". It was hard enough for me to find out what kind of equipment they were using since I didn't even know if city employees had access or not. What I did find was quite interesting though and to be honest, kind of scary.
1) They have a SWAT team consisting of six members: Four Officers and Two Detectives.
2) They have a Dive Team, also consisting of six members: Two Officers and Four Detectives.
3) The department has access to the following types of patrol vehicles: Trucks, SUVs, Sedans, 4x4s and even UTVs for off road use. It was unclear if the officers were also assigned one of these for everyday patrol duties or not.
4) Every police officer is required to maintain their primary weapon which must meet certain criteria: Glock Model 22 .40 Caliber Handgun or GLOCK 21 SF in .45 caliber handgun. I guess they feel good about arming each officer with one of the most powerful handguns in the world today instead of the 9mm like most other agencies. It was also unclear if they provided the officers with body armor or not.
5) Tasers are issued to all police officers along with Pepper Spray, expandable steel baton and handcuffs.
6) The department has access to four marked patrol vehicles equipped with video cameras that record events for future use in court hearings etc., as well as taking crime scene photos. They also have two unmarked units which are used for special investigations only.
7) Each officer is required to maintain a notebook online account where they must document each event within 24 hours of its occurrence. This includes traffic stops which usually consist of up to 4 separate reports with each one documenting an event at a different location. They are also required to maintain their notebook on paper as well which they are to use for all crimes or incidents requiring more than two reports.
8) Each officer is armed with a mobile data computer complete with printer, scanner, digital camera and wireless internet access. This allows them to run vehicle registration checks, warrants etc., without having to radio in dispatch for assistance.
9) Officers are provided with portable hand-held scanners that allow them to communicate directly with hospitals, jails, other police agencies etc., over the airwaves instead of using the radio system inside their patrol vehicles.
10) The department is divided into two divisions: Patrol and Criminal Investigations. The patrol division consists of one Captain, two Lieutenants and 12 Sergeants while the criminal investigations division has five detectives.
11) Officers on patrol duty drive around in their cars without having to radio dispatch for permission or clearance to stop a vehicle or take any enforcement action they see fit even if it's just a misdemeanor offense by itself. This allows them to act much more independently than police officers at other agencies I have worked with over the years. They are also provided with portable radios which must be carried around at all times so they can communicate with dispatchers or other officers via voice communication only.
12) All traffic stops are required to begin with the officer activating their emergency lights while waiting for the violator to pull over. However, it does not appear that they activate their siren or loudspeaker system during normal traffic enforcement stops.
13) All traffic citations must be issued within ten minutes of the time of violation in order to avoid any possible court challenges by defense attorneys.
14) Officers are required to maintain a written record of all events each day which include traffic stops, arrests, warrants served etc., along with anything significant that occurred that affected how they performed their jobs, including citizen complaints filed against them. This is also referred to as an "activity log" and can be reviewed by supervisor's at any time without notice in order to promote more effective policing and prevent corruption. They are also required to maintain a "Citizen Contact" form which must be filled out for every citizen they communicate with in any capacity.
15) Officers can issue traffic citations electronically via their mobile data computers as well as accept payment by credit card if the violator has one or cash. There is also no requirement that the officer actually sees the person use their automobile to commit a moving violation, only that the computer confirms it via remote satellite using license plate reader technology.
16) All officers are issued portable fingerprint scanners when dealing with suspects believed to have made false claims of being arrested previously when in fact, they had not been arrested at all.
Home Services Contractors
Cedar Park Plumbers
11300 W Parmer Ln #1021, Cedar Park, TX 78613
(512) 894-6477
Read this article about their plumbing services in Cedar Park, TX.
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