Brevard County keeps growing, graying and diversifying.
More than one in every five Brevardian is 65 or older, and about one in every 14 is Hispanic, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Civic leaders worry that the county's aging diverse population could stress social safety nets.
Brevard is "a little bit older than the state as a whole," said Stanley Smith, program director for the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "But its growth rate is very similar to the state average."
MANATEE — Manatee County has become slightly younger, a little more masculine, more racially diverse and a lot more Hispanic so far this decade, according to Census estimates to be released today.
The county’s Hispanic and Asian populations have nearly doubled, its median age has fallen by a few months and males narrowed their numerical gap with females between 2000 and mid-2008, the figures show.
The Census’ July 1, 2008, statistical snapshot of Manatee largely mirrored Florida, which has steadily become more ethnically and racially diverse, demographers said.
The Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) began making population estimates for Florida and its counties in the 1950s, formally establishing the Population Program in 1972 when BEBR received the first of a continuous series of annual contracts from the State of Florida to produce the state's official city and county population estimates.
The Population Program continues to produce Florida’s official city, county, and state population estimates each year. These estimates are used for state revenue-sharing and many other planning, budgeting, and analytical purposes. The program also produces estimates of households and average household size and projections by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin for the state and each county.
