- Okaloosa County, Florida
-
Okaloosa County, Florida 
Seal
Location in the state of Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.Founded June 13, 1915 Seat Crestview Area
- Total
- Land
- Water
1,082.00 sq mi (2,802 km²)
935.63 sq mi (2,423 km²)
146.37 sq mi (379 km²), 13.53%Population
- (2010)
- Density
180,822
193/sq mi (74.62/km²)Website www.co.okaloosa.fl.us Okaloosa County is a county located in the state of Florida. Located in northwest Florida, it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2000 census, the population was 170,498. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 182,172.[1] The 2009 estimate for the county is 196,237 people. Its county seat is Crestview.
Okaloosa County is coextensive with the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) designated by the Office of Management and Budget. Fort Walton Beach, Crestview and Destin are designated as the principal cities of the MSA. The Fort Walton Beach, Florida Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area was first defined in 1981. In 2003 Crestview and Destin were named principal cities, and the MSA name was changed to its present form.
Contents
History
Okaloosa County was created by an act passed June 3, 1915.[2] Okaloosa is a Choctaw word meaning "black water". "Oka" means water, and "lusa" is black in the Choctaw language.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,082.00 square miles (2,802.4 km2), of which 935.63 square miles (2,423.3 km2) (or 86.47%) is land and 146.37 square miles (379.1 km2) (or 13.53%) is water.[3] Fort Walton Beach and three United States Air Force bases, (Duke Field in the North and Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field are located in the south).
Okaloosa County is the sole county in the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Adjacent counties
- Covington County, Alabama - north
- Walton County, Florida - east
- Santa Rosa County, Florida - west
- Escambia County, Alabama - northwest
National protected areas
- Choctawhatchee National Forest (part)
- Gulf Islands National Seashore (part)
Demographics
Historical populations Census Pop. %± 1920 9,360 — 1930 9,897 5.7% 1940 12,900 30.3% 1950 27,533 113.4% 1960 61,175 122.2% 1970 88,187 44.2% 1980 109,920 24.6% 1990 143,776 30.8% 2000 170,498 18.6% 2010 180,822 6.1% [4][5] As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 170,498 people, 66,269 households, and 46,520 families residing in the county. The population density was 182 people per square mile (70/km²). There were 78,593 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile (32/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.41% White, 9.10% Black or African American, 0.60% Native American, 2.47% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. 4.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 66,269 households out of which 33.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.80% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,474, and the median income for a family was $47,711. Males had a median income of $30,977 versus $21,961 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,918. About 6.60% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.70% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Okaloosa County is one of the most conservative counties in Florida. Incumbent George W. Bush won the county in 2004 with 78% of the popular vote and in 2008 the Republican candidate John McCain polled 72%.[7]
Places
Incorporated
- Town of Cinco Bayou
- City of Crestview
- City of Destin
- City of Fort Walton Beach
- City of Laurel Hill
- City of Mary Esther
- City of Niceville
- Town of Shalimar
- City of Valparaiso
Unincorporated
- Baker
- Blackman
- Campton
- Deerland
- Eglin AFB
- Escambia Farms
- Garden City
- Holt
- Lake Lorraine
- Milligan
- Ocean City
- Seminole
- Wright
See also
References
- ^ http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/tables/CO-EST2005-01-12.xls census.gov
- ^ Hutchinson, Leonard Patrick, "History of the Playground Area of Northwest Florida", Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, Florida, 1st ed., 1961, no Library of Congress card number, no ISBN, page 41.
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/cencounts/files/fl190090.txt
- ^ http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_QTPL&prodType=table
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "2008 US Presidential Election Results by County - USATODAY.com". Content.usatoday.com. 2008-11-10. http://content.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/PresidentialByCounty.aspx?oi=P&rti=G&sp=Fl. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
External links
Government links/Constitutional offices
- Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners
- Okaloosa County Clerk of Court
- Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections
- Okaloosa County Property Appraiser
- Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office
- Okaloosa County Tax Collector
- Okaloosa County Census
Special districts
Judicial branch
- Okaloosa County Clerk of Courts
- Public Defender, 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties
- Office of the State Attorney, 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida
- Circuit and County Court for the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida
Tourism links
- Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Okaloosa County Information and City Maps
- Northwest Florida Regional Airport
Media links
Escambia County, Alabama Covington County, Alabama Santa Rosa County 
Walton County 
Okaloosa County, Florida 
Gulf of Mexico Municipalities and communities of Okaloosa County, Florida County seat: Crestview Cities 
Towns CDPs Unincorporated
communitiesCategories:- Florida counties
- Okaloosa County, Florida
- 1915 establishments in the United States
- Populated places established in 1915
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