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48 I I ~. -I 1 .. .. J I I I I I I I I I I I As illustrated in the table, the population in the planning area and on a County-wide basis grew at a rather modest rate throughout the 1960 decade with substantial population increases occurring after 1970. It is estimated that Fremont County's population has grown by 6,058 persons over the last eight and one-half years with over three-fourths of this growth occurring within the Canon City planning area. Between 1970 and 1978, the population in the planning area increased by 4,639 persons which represents a 3.4 percent average annual increase. The population residing within the corporate limits increased by 4,664 persons since 1970, although approximately 54 percent (2,514 persons) of this. growth can be attributed to the annexation of several planning districts (East Canon, Skyline, Orchard Park and Industrial Park) and other small parcels of land. In fact, the geographic coverage of the City has increased by approximately 2,417 acres since 1970 and the annexed additions are illustrated on Map C. Therefore, after calculating the population increases due to annexation proceedings,it is estimated that natural increases and in-migration have accounted for 2,150 new residents. This trend essentially means that Canon City has grown by nearly 23.3 percent over the past eight and one-half years, excluding the population increases attributed to annexation. Also,when taking the affects of annexation into account, it is estimated that the population in the unincarporated portions of the planning area increased by 2,399 in- dividuals since 1970. Therefore, with regard to the recent distribution patterns of growth, it is believed that the incorporated and unincorporated portions of the planning area are growing nearly at identical rates. It is also important to note that nearly two-thirds of the population in the plan- ning area resides within the corporate limits while the remaining one-third lives in the unincorporated planning districts. It should also be pointed out that the population in the planning area dramatically increases.in the summer months because of tourism activity. According to the Chamber of Commerce's estimates, approximately 6,000 visitors either pass through or temporarily stay in the planning area on a typical summer day. Because of increased leisure time and the location of many recreational and scenic areas near Canon City, the number of tourists passing through the area will undoubtedly increase in the future. Table 6 on the following page further substantiates the rapid rate of growth that the Canon City area has experienced in recent years through an examination of trends in utility hookups. As shown in the table, between 1970 and 1977 there were 1,479 additional water taps, 1,594 additional electrical meters, 1,832 additional gas meters and 2,908 additional telephones. Population Characteristics Age and Sex Composition Table 7 illustrates the age and sex composition of Canon City and East Canon residents according to 1970 census statistics. 1 ~