Okeechobee County, Florida

Okeechobee County, Florida

The Okeechobee County Judicial Center, in Okeechobee

Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Okeechobee County
Location in the state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.
Founded May 8, 1915
Named for Lake Okeechobee
Seat Okeechobee
Largest city Okeechobee
Area
 • Total 892 sq mi (2,310 km2)
 • Land 769 sq mi (1,992 km2)
 • Water 123 sq mi (319 km2), 13.8%
Population (est.)
 • (2015) 39,469
 • Density 52/sq mi (20/km²)
Congressional district 17th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.co.okeechobee.fl.us

Okeechobee County (US /oʊkiˈtʃoʊbi/[1]) is a county located in the state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,996.[2] The county seat is Okeechobee.[3]

Okeechobee County comprises the Okeechobee, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL Combined Statistical Area.

History

The Okeechobee County Courthouse, constructed in 1926, is located in the County Seat, Okeechobee.
The Old Okeechobee High School, now the Freshman Campus, built 1925

Okeechobee County was incorporated in 1917. It was named for the Lake Okeechobee, which was itself named for Hitchiti words oka (water) and chobi (big).

Historic buildings

Historic buildings in Okeechobee County include:

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 892 square miles (2,310 km2), of which 769 square miles (1,990 km2) is land and 123 square miles (320 km2) (13.8%) is water.[4]

Adjacent counties

Transportation

Airports

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
19202,132—
19304,12993.7%
19403,000−27.3%
19503,45415.1%
19606,42486.0%
197011,23374.9%
198020,26480.4%
199029,62746.2%
200035,91021.2%
201039,99611.4%
Est. 201539,469[5]−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2015[2]

As of the census of 2010, there were 39,996 people, 13,857 households, and 9,016 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 people per square mile (18/km²). There were 15,504 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.9% White, 8.6% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 1.2% from two or more races. 24.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2005 68.5% of the county population was White non-Hispanic, 21.6% of the population was Latino, 8.0% was African-American and both Native Americans and Asians constituted 0.9% of the population.[10]

In 2000 there were 12,593 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% 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 3.07.

In the county in 2000 the population was spread out with 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 115.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.20 males.

In 2010 the median income for a household in the county was $36,929, and the median income for a family was $35,163. Males had a median income of $25,574 versus $20,160 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,553. About 11.80% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.90% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

Libraries

Okeechobee County is part of the Heartland Library Cooperative which has 7 branches that serve Okeechobee county and some of the surrounding counties, including Glades, Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto.

Communities

City

Unincorporated communities

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Okeechobee County, Florida.

Governmental

Non-governmental

References

  1. ↑ "Okeechobee". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  10. ↑ Okeechobee County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
  11. ↑ http://www.dep.state.fl.us/southeast/hottopics/Viking/Viking%20Main.htm
  12. ↑ http://www.vikingestates.info
 Polk County and Osceola County Indian River County
Highlands County Martin County and St. Lucie County
   Okeechobee County, Florida  
Glades County and Hendry County Palm Beach County

Coordinates: 27°23′N 80°53′W / 27.39°N 80.89°W / 27.39; -80.89

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