Okeechobee County, Florida

Okeechobee County () is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,644. The county seat is Okeechobee.

History

thumb|left|240px|The [[Okeechobee County Courthouse, constructed in 1926, is located in the county seat, Okeechobee.]]

thumb|right|240px|The [[Okeechobee High School (1925)|Old Okeechobee High School, now the Freshman Campus, built 1925]]

Okeechobee County was incorporated in 1917. It was named for Lake Okeechobee, which was itself named for the Seminole Indian words okee (water) and chobee (big).

Historic buildings

Historic buildings in Okeechobee County include:

First United Methodist Church, 1924
Freedman-Raulerson House, 1923
Okeechobee County Courthouse, 1926

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (13.8%) is water.

Okeechobee County comprises the Okeechobee, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), which is included in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL Combined Statistical Area. The μSA was first designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in 2003.

Adjacent counties

Indian River County - northeast
Martin County - east
St. Lucie County - east
Glades County - southwest
Hendry County - southwest via 5 county intersection in middle of Lake Okeechobee
Highlands County - west
Palm Beach County- Southeast via 5 county intersection in middle of Lake Okeechobee
Polk County - northwest
Osceola County - northwest

Points of interest

The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, runs along the Herbert Hoover Dike around the Lake.

Transportation

Airports

Okeechobee County Airport

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 39,644 across 14,433 households and 9,837 families. The median age was 42.2 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 113.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 113.9 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 68.9% White, 8.6% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 10.1% from some other race, and 10.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 24.9% of the population.

Of the 14,433 households in the county, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.8% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|17,448

|23,940

|25,699

|26,258

|style='background: #ffffe6; |24,671

|86.10%

|80.80%

|71.57%

|65.65%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |62.23%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|1,696

|1,875

|2,796

|3,117

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,318

|8.37%

|6.33%

|7.79%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8.37%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|79

|127

|148

|287

|style='background: #ffffe6; |263

|0.39%

|0.43%

|0.41%

|0.72%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.66%

|Asian alone (NH)

|63

|148

|228

|345

|style='background: #ffffe6; |332

|0.31%

|0.50%

|0.63%

|0.86%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.84%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|14

|25

|style='background: #ffffe6; |14

|0.04%

|0.06%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.04%

|Other race alone (NH)

|16

|44

|24

|28

|style='background: #ffffe6; |146

|0.08%

|0.15%

|0.07%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.37%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|317

|375

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,043

|0.88%

|0.94%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.63%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|962

|3,493

|6,684

|9,561

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,857

|4.75%

|11.79%

|18.61%

|23.90%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |24.86%

|Total

|20,264

|29,627

|35,910

|39,996

|style='background: #ffffe6; |39,644

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2010 census

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 . There were 15,504 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (8/km<sup>2</sup>). 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.

2005 estimate

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.

2000 census

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.

Education

The sole school district in the county is Okeechobee County School District.

Okeechobee County is part of the Heartland Library Cooperative which serves Okeechobee County and some of the surrounding counties, including Glades, Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto. The seven-branch library system has one branch in the city of Okeechobee and is also affiliated with Indian River State College through its Dixon Hendry campus. The Okeechobee County Public Library opened in 1968.

Communities

240px|right

City

Okeechobee

Census-designated places

Cypress Quarters
Taylor Creek

Other unincorporated communities

Ancient Oaks
Barber Quarters
Basinger
Basswood Estates
Country Hills Estates
Deans Court
Dixie Ranch Acres
Duberry Gardens
Echo Estates
Everglades
Fort Drum
Four Seasons
Hilolo
Mildred
Oak Park
Okeechobee Little Farms
Quail Acres
Rookerville
Sherman
Taylor Creek Isle
Treasure Island
Viking Estates
Upthegrove Beach
Whispering Pines

Politics

Prior to the Civil Rights Act, Okeechobee County followed the Solid South pattern of voting Democratic, making an exception in 1928 amidst Southern skepticism to Democrat Al Smith's Northern Catholicism. The only non-Republicans to carry Okeechobee County at the presidential level after John F. Kennedy in 1960 were Independent segregationist George Wallace of Alabama (which borders Florida) in 1968 as well as Southern Democrats Jimmy Carter of Georgia (another neighboring state of Florida; 1976 and 1980) and Bill Clinton of Arkansas (1992 and 1996).

Today, Okeechobee County — in line with other Florida Heartland counties — is a rock-ribbed Republican stronghold, with the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the county being Clinton in 1996, the last to be competitive in the county being Al Gore in 2000 (who lost the county by less than 5%), the last to win at least 40% of the county vote being John Kerry in 2004, and the last to win so much as 30% of the vote being Barack Obama in 2012.

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a majority of registered voters in Okeechobee County.

{| class=wikitable

! colspan = 6 | Okeechobee County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of July 31, 2022

! colspan = 2 | Political Party

! Total Voters

! Percentage

| Republican

| align = center | 11,423

| align = center | 50.68%

| Democratic

| align = center | 6,211

| align = center | 27.55%

| No party affiliation

| align = center | 4,550

| align = center | 20.19%

| Minor parties

| align = center | 355

| align = center | 1.58%

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 22,539

! align = center | 100.00%

External links

Governmental

Board of County Commissioners
Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners
Constitutional Officers
Okeechobee County Clerk
Okeechobee County Supervisor of Elections
Okeechobee County Property Appraiser
Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office
Okeechobee County Tax Collector
School district
School Board of Okeechobee County
Countywide District
Okeechobee Soil and Water Conservation District
Multi-county Districts
Indian River Community College
South Florida Water Management District
St. Johns River Water Management District
Heartland Library Cooperative
Tampa Bay Library Consortium
Judicial
Okeechobee County Clerk of Courts
Public Defender, 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida
State Attorney, 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Circuit and County Courts for the 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Non-governmental

Okeechobee Official Discussion Forum
D.R. Wilson Land Company
Okeechobee County Tourist Development Council
Okeechobee County Guide
Okeechobee News local newspaper for Okeechobee County, Florida fully and openly available in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library