| Highlands County, Florida | ||
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Location in the state of Florida |
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Florida's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | April 23, 1921 | |
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| Named for | county's terrain | |
| Seat | Sebring | |
| Largest city | Sebring | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,106.28 sq mi (2,865 km²) 1,028.27 sq mi (2,663 km²) 78.01 sq mi (202 km²), 7.05% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
98,786 96.1/sq mi (37.09/km²) |
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| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www.hcbcc.net | |
Highlands County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the population was 97,346.[1] Its county seat is Sebring, Florida.[2] The county comprises the Sebring, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.
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Highlands County was created in 1921, when it was separated from Desoto County. It was named for the terrain of the county.
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,106.28 square miles (2,865.3 km2), of which 1,028.27 square miles (2,663.2 km2) (or 92.95%) is land and 78.01 square miles (202.0 km2) (or 7.05%) is water.[3][4]
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 9,192 |
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| 1940 | 9,246 | 0.6% | |
| 1950 | 13,636 | 47.5% | |
| 1960 | 21,338 | 56.5% | |
| 1970 | 29,507 | 38.3% | |
| 1980 | 47,526 | 61.1% | |
| 1990 | 68,432 | 44.0% | |
| 2000 | 87,366 | 27.7% | |
| 2010 | 98,786 | 13.1% | |
| [5][6] | |||
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 87,366 people, 37,471 households, and 25,780 families residing in the county. The population density was 85.00 people per square mile (32.82/km²). There were 48,846 housing units at an average density of 47.5 per square mile (18.34/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.47% White, 9.33% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.14% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. 12.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
In 2005 Highlands County's population was 73.8% non-Hispanic white, 15.1% Latino, 9.6% African-American and 1.2% Asian.[8]
In 2000 there were 37,471 households out of which 20.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.70.
In the county the population was spread out with 19.20% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 19.30% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 33.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,160, and the median income for a family was $35,647. Males had a median income of $26,811 versus $20,725 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,222. About 10.20% of families and 15.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.60% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 58.4% | 40.4% | 1.3% |
| 2004 | 62.4% | 37.0% | 0.6% |
| 2000 | 57.5% | 40.3% | 2.2% |
| Polk County | Osceola County | |||
| Hardee County and DeSoto County | Okeechobee County | |||
| Highlands County, Florida | ||||
| Charlotte County | Glades County |
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