Prescott Chamber of Commerce
Community Profile

Location

Prescott is located in central Arizona amid the largest stand of Ponderosa Pine in the world. The community is 96 miles northwest of Phoenix and 90 miles southwest of Flagstaff. Prescott was established in 1864, incorporated in 1881, and is the Yavapai County seat. The city is named in honor of William Hickling Prescott, a noted historian.

Distance to Major Cities (in miles)
Denver	780
Salt Lake City	610	Elevation 5,347 ft.
Las Vegas	268
Los Angeles	347	Latitude 34º N32
San Diego	410
Tucson	212	Longitude 112º W28
Albuquerque	400

Population

	Prescott	Yavapai County
1950	6,764	24,991
1960	12,861	28,912
1970	13,030	37,005
1980	20,005	68,145
1990	26,592	107,714
1995	30,606	123,500
1996	31,275	134,600
1997	32,037	139,480
1998	34,610	148,500

Climate

Prescott is Arizona’s mile-high city, and its high elevation and mountain breezes keep temperatures from reaching the grueling levels of low-lying Phoenix. In summer, the daytime temperature rarely exceeds 85 degrees, and in winter’s sun-filled days it averages about 50 degrees. Humidity stays a moderate 45% year-round. Average snowfall is 21 inches per year and usually melts after a few hours of sunshine; rainfall averages 19 inches per year.

Climatic Data

Month     High   Low      Rain    Snow

JAN        50    22       1.72"    4.50"

FEB        54    24       1.51"    3.50"

MAR        58    27       1.53"    3.90"

APR        66    33       0.72"    1.10"

MAY        77    40       0.50"    

JUNE       85    48       0.38"    

JULY       89    57       3.15"

AUG        86    55       3.45"

SEPT       82    48       1.49"

OCT        72    37       1.22"    0.20"

NOV        60    28       1.33"    1.90"

DEC        52    22       1.80"    5.60"
__________________________________________
YEAR       69.1  36.8	 18.80"   20.60"

Based on a 49-year average (1950-1999)

Transportation

Interstate Highway 17 is located 36 miles southeast of Prescott via Arizona Highway 69 or 169.

Prescott is also located 52 miles South of Interstate 40 via U.S. Highway 89.

Local Bus/Shuttle lines to Sky Harbor International Airport. (Phoenix: 102 miles)

Air Service

Prescott Municipal Airport
(Ernest A. Love Field)
Elevation: 5,042'
Ownership: Public
Use: Public
Runway/Length/Surface: 3R-21L/7,600'
3L-21R/4,842' and 11-29/4,400' asphalt
Lights: Yes
Location: 7 miles north of Prescott
Frequencies: UNICOM 122.95, TOWER 125.3, ILS 108.5
Navigational Aids: VOR 114.1
Airport Manger: (928) 445-7860
Control Tower Hours: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Daily service to Phoenix

Services
•Rental cars on site
•Passenger Service to Phoenix
on America West Express

Communication

Newspapers : (3)
(Sun-Fri) - The Daily Courier (928) 445-3333
(Daily) - Arizona Republic (928) 445-4181
(Monthly) - Yavapai Free Press (928) 778-7353
(Weekly, Shopper) - Sun Shopper (928) 778-2619

Radio: (11) KAHM, KPPV, KGCB, KOLT, KZGL, KNOT, KQNA, KYCA, KKLD, KVRD, KNAZ

Television: Prescott - Ch 7 (KUSK)

Cable: Cable One, major networks, and
subscriber services; public access Channel 13.

Education

Call for current information
Prescott Unified School District No. 1
146 S. Granite St. • Prescott • AZ • 86303 • (928) 445-5400

               Number Faculty Enrollment

Elementary            5    124  2,123

Middle School         2    78   1,226

High School           1    82   1,628

Private Elementary    6    75     900

Yavapai College       4    440 10,000

Prescott College      1    55   1,000

Embry-Riddle          1    94   1,592

Yavapai College (928) 445-7300 is a public two-year institution offering both university transfer education and occupation education. Prescott College (928) 778-2090 is a four-year liberal arts college. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (928) 708-3728 is a four-year University offering bachelor degrees in the field of aviation and engineering.

Medical Facilities

Yavapai Regional Medical Center
1003 Willow Creek Rd.
(928) 445-2700

Yavapai Regional Medical Center (928) 445-2700, 127 beds, fully accredited; Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (928) 445-4860 150 beds, 208-bed domiciliary, 60-bed VA Nursing Home Care Unit; Las Fuentes Care Center; Peppertree Square of Prescott; Prescott Samarian Village; Meadowpark Care Center; Mountain View Manor; The Center for Adult Day Care; Mi Casa Care Home Group Margaret Morris Center(Alzheimers) Willow Wind Residence.

Home Health Services: The Caring Presence; Yavapai County Home Health Agency; YRMC Home Health Services; Granite Mountain Home Care; Optioncare of Yavapai

149 physicans on staff includes, 6 Orthopedits, 3 Opthalmolmologists doctors, 39 dentists, 27 chiropractors, 10 optometrists, 3 opthamologists, 5 opticians, 3 podiatrists, 6 naturopathic, 2 osteopathic

Employment

Prescott (AZ State Report March 2001)
Total Labor Force                              18,246
Total Employed                                  17,684
Total Unemployed                                 562
Unemployment Rate                           3.1%

MAJOR EMPLOYERS

Yavapai County			1.213 
Sturm Ruger & Co.               1,176
Yavapai Regional Medical Center   730
Caradon Better Bilt               275
Prescott Unified School District  573
Veterans Admin. Medical Center    550
Cyprus Bagdad Copper              535
City of Prescott                  385
State of Arizona                  330
Wal-Mart                          300
Yavapai College                   282
Ace Hardware                      260
Embry-Riddle University           300
Prescott Resort                   185
Yavapai Gaming Agency             284
West Yavapai Guidance Clinic      182
U.S. Forest Service               197
Price Costco                      110
Target                            120
Sears                              80
Exsil                              80

Employment Agencies

Arizona Department Economic Security
Job Service
234 Grove Avenue
Prescott, AZ 86301
(928) 445-5100

Utilities

Electricity
Arizona Public Service Company
120 N. Marina St. • Prescott • AZ • 86301
(928) 776-3636

Natural Gas
Citizens Utilities
201 Grove St. • Prescott • AZ • 86301
(928) 445-2211

Propane
Flame Inc.
475 N. 6th St. • Prescott • AZ • 86301
(928) 445-3191

Telephone
U.S. West
P.O. Box 29013 • Phoenix • AZ • 85038
1-800-244-1111

Television
Cable One
3201 Tower Rd. • Prescott • AZ • 86301
(928) 445-4511

Water
City of Prescott
201 S. Cortez • Prescott • AZ • 86303
(928) 445-3500

Minimum Fixed Charge - Residential: $5.98
    First 3,000 gal        $1.60/1,000 gal
    Next 3,000 gal        $1.82/1,000 gal
    Next 4,000 gal        $2.03/1,000 gal
    Next 15,000 gal        $2.14/1,000 gal
    Next 25,000 gal        $2.24/1,000 gal

NOTE: Water rates are higher outside city limits

Other charges within the city limits are:

Sewer Rates - $7.00 fixed charge in addition to average residential charge of $1.73 per 1,000 gallons.

Sanitation Rates - $12.50 service fee (this entitles you to one 68-gallon container per residence)

New Businesses: There are not new business license fees for new businesses in the service of manufacturing sectors in the City of Prescott. Any business that has a transaction privilege tax responsibility requires a privilege tax license. For more information, contact the City of Prescott at 928-776-6231.

Income

Per Capita Personal Income

Yavapai County - $21,138
Arizona - $24,427

Cost of Living

Composite Cost of Living Index for the 1st Quarter of 1999, Prescott is 8.1% above the national average.

Housing

The average cost of a home is $183,225*
(*These figures include Prescott Valley)

Taxes

State Income Tax
Tax rate can range from 10% to 32% of Federal Tax rate.

Corporate Income Tax
Flat tax of 9%. The minimum amount collected by Arizona. Corporate Income Tax is $50.00.

Lodging Tax

A 2% tax is collected by the city for all Lodging properties

Bed Tax
A 2% tax is collected by the city at all lodging properties.

Sales Tax
Arizona has a general sales tax of 5%. Yavapai County has a .5% sales tax. The city of Prescott has a 2% sales tax, for a total sales tax of 7.5%

Property Tax
Residential property is assessed at 10% of market value. Property taxes vary by tax authority.

Vehicle License Tax
In addition to title and registration fees, Arizona assesses a vehicle license tax in lieu of a personal property tax on all vehicles registered in the State. This is based on the manufacturer’s base retail price for the vehicle, when new, less depreciation. The value of the vehicle is decreased 40% the first year and 15% each year thereafter. You will be charged a rate of $4.00 per $100.00 of the vehicle’s taxable value in any year. This will decrease to a minimum annual charge of $10.00. Required to have an Arizona Standardized Insurance Card.

Motor Vehicle Registration
Registration: $8.00
Air Quality: $1.50
Title Fee: $4.00
Total Registration: $13.50

Local Government

Mayor, Six Council Members, City Manager

Police Police Department:*
Chief, 62 Sworn Officers
and 37 civilians

County Sheriff’s Department*
122 certified law enforcement officers
and more than 1,000 active volunteers

Fire Department*
5 stations, 53 firefighters

Central Yavapai: Fire District

5 stations, 56 firefighters

*All emergencies DIAL 911
Insurance Protection Class: 4

Community Facilities

Libraries: 4
Art Galleries: 17
Bowling Alley: 1
Horse Racing Track
Movie Theater Screens: 10
Roller Skating Rink: 1
900 Acres of City Parks
Museums: 3
Pools: 2
Golf Courses: 4
Tennis Courts: 16 (lighted)
Racquetball Courts: 2 (indoor)
Health Clubs: 9
Heritage Park Zoo
Lighted Softball / Baseball Fields: 18
Football Fields: 6

Prescott National Forest

Accommodations

Hotels and Motels: 32
Bed and Breakfasts: 19
Total Number of Rooms: 1,300+
Meeting Space: More than 27,000 square feet

For a complete group and meeting guide contact the
Prescott Convention & Visitors Bureau
1-800-266-7534