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

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.

63.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 36.4% lived in rural areas.

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.

There were 18,484 housing units, of which 21.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.4% were owner-occupied and 26.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%.

Racial and ethnic composition

+Okeechobee County, Florida – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)17,44823,94025,69926,25824,67186.10%80.80%71.57%65.65%62.23%Black or African American alone (NH)1,6961,8752,7963,1173,3188.37%6.33%7.79%7.79%8.37%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)791271482872630.39%0.43%0.41%0.72%0.66%Asian alone (NH)631482283453320.31%0.50%0.63%0.86%0.84%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census142514xx0.04%0.06%0.04%Other race alone (NH)164424281460.08%0.15%0.07%0.07%0.37%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census3173751,043xx0.88%0.94%2.63%Hispanic or Latino (any race)9623,4936,6849,5619,8574.75%11.79%18.61%23.90%24.86%Total20,26429,62735,91039,99639,644 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%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/km2). 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.Okeechobee County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

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. - Text list

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

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. Okeechobee County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of July 31, 2022 Political Party Total Voters Percentage Republican 11,423 50.68% Democratic 6,211 27.55% No party affiliation 4,550 20.19% Minor parties 355 1.58% Total 22,539 100.00%

See also Florida Heartland National Register of Historic Places listings in Okeechobee County, Florida Treasure Coast

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

References