Manatee County Florida   Located in South West Florida

Manatee County Cities

Land area (rank): 747 square miles (30)
Population 1993 (rank): 223,508 (16)
Population density 1993 (rank): 299 persons per square mile (16)
Growth 1980-1990 (rank): 42.6% (25)

Physical Characteristics

Manatee County is bordered by Hillsborough, Hardee, De Soto, and Sarasota counties. The county has 52 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 61.5 degrees F, and the average August temperature is 81.2 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 54.60 inches.

History

Manatee County was established in 1855 from portions of Hillsborough and Mosquito counties. The county was named for the manatee (also known as the sea cow) found in its waters. According to some accounts, Hernando de Soto landed on Terra Ceia Island and began his trek north from present-day Manatee County.

Population

Much of Manatee County's population is in the west. Eastern Manatee County is predominately devoted to agriculture, rangeland, and forests. In 1993, 70% of the population lived in unincorporated areas. Bradenton was by far the incorporated area with the greatest population in 1993 (46,626). The unincorporated area of Bayshore Gardens had a 1990 population of 17,066. South Bradenton has continued to grow and had a 1990 population of 20,398. Late in 1994 construction is to begin on the 28,000-acre Schroeder-Manatee Ranch on the Sarasota County border. The U.S. Bureau of the Census has designated Manatee County as the Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1993, 91% of Manatee County's population was white and 9% was nonwhite. In 1990, 4.5% of the population was Hispanic. Of the population increase between 1980 and 1990, 100.0% was due to net migration. The 1992 birth rate was 12.8 live births per 1,000 persons, and the 1992 death rate was 13.0 deaths per 1,000 persons. In 1992 the infant mortality rate was 7.8 per 1,000. In 1993 the leading causes of death were heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

Education

Of all 1992 high school graduates, 64.6% planned to continue their education. The 1992 high school dropout rate was 4.5%. In 1990, 75.6% of persons in the county were high school graduates, and 15.5% had completed four or more years of college. Colleges and universities. Manatee Community College, Bradenton.

Economy

The per capita income for 1993 was $21,235 (10th highest in the state). The median household income in 1989 was $25,951. In 1989, 6.8% of families had incomes below the poverty level. In 1990, 18.4% of personal income in Manatee County was derived from transfer payments. In 1992 there were 728 farms in Manatee County, totalling 299,699 acres (63% of land in the county). Manatee County is a major producer of tomatoes and nursery products. Production of transportation equipment and citrus processing were the most significant components of the county's manufacturing sector in 1992. In 1991, 7,431,504 pounds of fish and 100,594 pounds of shellfish were landed in Manatee County.

Median value of a single-family home 1990: $79,400
Median monthly rent 1990: $397
Mobile homes as a % of total housing: 22.7
Housing starts 1992: 1,695
Housing starts 1993: 1,692

In 1992 the price level index for Manatee County was 98.77 (12th highest in the state).

Local Government

In 1993, the ad valorem millage rate was 6.6786, and the total taxable value of land was $8,414,778,476. Taxable sales totalled $1750.40 million in 1992 and $1875.30 million in 1993. Lottery sales totalled $29,701 thousand in 1992-93. In 1990-91 Manatee County's revenues totalled $384,352 thousand ($1,786.6 per capita) and its expenditures $394,527 thousand ($1,833.9 per capita). Of those 18 years of age and older, 73.1% were registered to vote in 1992. Of these, 40.2% were registered Democrat and 51.5% were registered Republican. In the 1992 presidential election 42.6% of the votes were cast for Bush, 33.8% for Clinton, and 23.2% for Perot.

Events and Places of Interest

Manatee Heritage Week, Bradenton, March; De SotoÊCelebration, Bradenton, April; Braden Castle Park, Bradenton; Gamble Plantation State Historic Site, Ellenton; Manatee Village Historic Park, Bradenton; South Florida Museum/Bishop Planetarium, Bradenton; De Soto National Memorial, vicinity of Bradenton.