Crofton, Maryland

Development

In 1963, after the Crawford Corporation accumulated over 1,600 acres (650 ha) of land, it announced that it would build a new community called Crofton. This new town and planned community was founded at the same time as Reston, Virginia (April 17, 1964) and Columbia, Maryland (1967). Crofton would be anchored by a community golf course, which later became the Crofton Country Club. Crofton was officially founded in the fall of 1964. The company considered picking an English name for the new town that "sounds well and implies that this is a pleasant place to live." It ended up picking the name "Crofton", named after a small township in Cumberland County, England. The English town was originally called Croft-town, derived from the word "Croft", as the town standing upon the Crofts. Originally an exclusive gated community, Crofton's gates were opened and they now only serve as a symbol for the community.

"100 Best Places to Live"

In July 2007 Crofton was named by Money magazine as one of "100 Best Places to Live" in the United States. Crofton placed 72nd out of 100 cities on the list. It was selected for its relative anonymity while still boasting many major amenities, excellent schools, and sought-after location.

Crofton was selected again for the magazine's 2011 list, this time placing 82nd.

Crofton pond snakehead fish incident

Crofton was in the national news in late June and early July 2002 after a Northern Snakehead fish was discovered in a local pond. The infestation was found in water behind the Crofton post office and the adjacent shopping center, across Route 3 from local landmark Lake Louise.

The snakehead species is highly aggressive and voracious. In order to ensure that the fish were eliminated, in September 2002 the main pond and two nearby ponds were dosed heavily with rotenone and subsequently with potassium permanganate. Six adult snakeheads and more than one thousand juvenile fish were found and destroyed.

Ultimately, the incident initiated a national discussion on invasive species. One comparison case was the mute swan, also an invasive and destructive species of the Chesapeake Bay watershed but, in comparison, quite beautiful, and which garnered support from some environmental and animal rights groups.

Several movies were inspired by this incident. Syfy aired two movies in relation to the snakehead outbreak: in March 2004, a movie called Snakehead Terror was featured, and the movie Frankenfish was aired in June 2004. Ten Pound Films also produced a feature film titled Swarm of the Snakehead which related to this incident. In 2007, a documentary titled Fishzilla: Snakehead Invasion aired on the National Geographic Channel, discussing the ecological damage that the snakeheads found in Crofton have done to surrounding areas.

Geography

The original community of Crofton was built within a triangle formed by three major roads: Crain Highway (Maryland Route 3) to the northwest, Davidsonville Road (Maryland Route 424) to the northeast, and Defense Highway (Maryland Route 450) to the south. Within the triangle, Crofton Parkway, a loop road 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long, encircles the center of the community. Crofton Parkway is the scene of yearly parades, two of the community's five elementary schools, the Town Hall, Village Green, community events, Crofton Country Club, and walkers, joggers and bikers around the loop. Crofton also has a community pool, the Crofton Swim and Tennis Club (CSTC), which is restricted to those inhabitants of the triangle.

The Crofton CDP now extends north and east from the triangle, including Crofton Park and reaching northeast as far as St. Stephens Church Road.

The Little Patuxent River borders Crofton on its southwest corner at the intersection of Route 3 and Route 450, providing a buffer between Anne Arundel and Prince Georges counties.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Crofton CDP has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17.1 km²), all of it land.

Schools

Crofton contains a number of public schools, administered by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system:

For grades 6-8, students from all four of these elementary schools attend Crofton Middle School in adjacent Gambrills, Maryland.

Older students from Crofton attend one of two high schools:

However, a new Crofton area high school is being planned. Construction is due to start in 2018 and planned occupancy is August 2020. Once this facility opens, students from Crofton Middle School can stay together and attend the same high school.

There are also some private preschools in Crofton:

Overcrowding

BRAC realignments and additional construction have increased residential and commercial development in Crofton, and schools have become overcrowded. In 2013, a redistricting proposal was approved for Crofton schools to accommodate an increase in students that was not previously planned for. While most current plans address overcrowding in elementary schools, county officials have not yet addressed needs at the Middle and High School level.

2010 census data

As of the 2000 census, there were 20,091 people, 7,404 households, and 5,478 families residing in the Crofton census-designated place. The population density was 3,998.6 people per square mile (1,545.3/km²). There were 7,573 housing units at an average density of 1,507.2 per square mile (582.5/km²). There were 7,404 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.13. In the community the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

In 2010, Crofton had grown to 27,348, an increase of 36%. The median age remained at 35 years. Of the 10,203 housing units, most were households of families (71.5%) with an average household size of 2.67 people.

Census data show an increase in the percentage of minorities living in Crofton. In 2000, the racial makeup of the community was 90.21% White, 5.13% African American, 0.23% Native American, 2.33% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.48% of the population. In the 2010 census, the racial makeup of the community was 79.8% White (-10.4%), 10.3% Black (+5.2%), 4.7% Hispanic (+2.2%), 3.3% two or more races (+1.9%), 4.9% Asian (+2.6%), .1% Native American (+.1%), and 1.4% "some other race".

Population history

The U.S. Census Bureau has recorded the following populations for the Crofton census-designated place.

Earnings data

Crofton has experienced a 33.99% income growth rate since 2000. This exceeds both the Maryland state average rate (30.24%) and the national average rate (19.17%).

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the area was $93,198, and the median income for a family was $101,644. Males had a median income of $56,819 versus $41,229 for females. The per capita income for the area was $33,518. About 2.0% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Income has risen since then. Based on the American Community Survey for 2008-2012, median incomes in the area were $104,279 for households and $120,316 for families. The per capita income for the area was $43,452. About 1.9% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Crime and law enforcement

The area of Crofton is policed by the Crofton Police Department, which was founded in 1969. The department operates under the Anne Arundel County Charter, aided by the Anne Arundel County Police Department and Sheriff's Office as directed by authority.

Town Hall is centrally located in the older section of Crofton, at the corner of Crofton Parkway and Duke of Kent Drive. The structure was built as the sales center for the original Crawford development; it was donated to the community in 1973. Town Hall contains offices for the town manager, other Crofton Civic Association (CCA) staff, and the police department.

Landmarks

Notable Croftonites

In popular culture