Country Digest

The Puerto Rico population is 3,474,182 (latest U.S. Census Bureau data). The number of people living in Puerto Rico has fallen by more than 250,000 people in the last five years.

Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and not a state in itself. However if Puerto Rico were a state it would be the 30th largest state by population in the USA, sandwiched between Connecticut and Iowa.

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a collection of islands in the eastern Caribbean. It is located to the east of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. The capital of Puerto Rico, and its largest city, is San Juan.

People born in Puerto Rico are US citizens, although they do not have voting representation in Congress and are not able to vote in US Presidential elections while they are living in Puerto Rico.

How many people live in Puerto Rico today?

The latest Puerto Rico population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau. They report that on 1 July 2015 the population was 3,474,182. Data on the 2016 Puerto Rico population will be released in June 2017.

After strong population growth in the 1980s and 1990s the Puerto Rico population has begun to decline.

Puerto Rico Population Decline

The number of people living in Puerto Rico fell by 2.2% between the 2020 10 censuses. Since the 2010 census the rate of population decline has increased further and in the last five years the population has fallen by an additional 6.8%.

CNN puts the rate of migration out of Puerto Rico at 230 people per day.

Today’s population of just under 3.5 million people is still considerably higher than the 3.2 million population of 1980. But, if the population of Puerto Rico continues to fall at anticipated rates, experts believe that the population will fall below 3 million people by 2050.

Research by the Pew Foundation shows that the majority of Puerto Ricans who left for the US mainland went either for job related reasons or for family reasons.

Puerto Rico’s economy has struggled in recent years and its level of debt is high. Analysts are concerned that such a high level of outmigration will make Puerto Rico’s economic and debt problems worse over time.

Largest cities in Puerto Rico

San Juan is the largest city in Puerto Rico. In 2015 the population of San Juan was 355,074 people.

The population of San Juan has, like the rest of Puerto Rico, fallen in recent years. Since the 2010 census it has fallen from 395,136 people to just 355,074 today. That’s a decline of more than 10%.

Other major cities (also known as municipalities) in Puerto Rico include Bayamon (pop: 208,116), Carolina (pop: 176,762), Ponce (166,327) and Caguas (pop: 142,893).

Of these cities only Ponce is outside of the wider San Juan Metropolitan area. Around one in every three people living in Puerto Rico live in the wider San Juan metropolitan area.

Here is a list of the 10 largest cities in Puerto Rico. Population data is from 2010.

Puerto Rican population in US

Today there are more Puerto Rican people living in the rest of the USA than there are living in the islands of Puerto Rico.

The latest US Census bureau estimates (2014) indicate that there are 5,266,738 people of Puerto Rican origin in the United States outside of Puerto Rico. This includes people born in Puerto Rico who emigrated and the descendants of earlier emigrants.

As you can see from the map the New York/New Jersey area and Florida have a high density of Puerto Ricans. Each dot on the map represents 1,000 Puerto Ricans.

At the time of the 2010 census there were 1,070,558 people of Puerto Rican origin in the state of New York (23.15% of Puerto Ricans in the continental USA) and 847,550 people of Puerto Rican origin in Florida (18.33%).

New York City is the city with the largest Puerto Rico population in the world. In 2010 there were 723,621 Puerto Ricans in New York City. The next largest Puerto Rican communities in the continental US are Philadelphia (121,643) and Chicago (102,703).

(Source: Puerto Ricans in the United States).

Puerto Rico population density

Based on the 2015 population estimate, population density in Puerto Rico is 988 people per square mile or 382 people per km².

This makes Puerto Rico the fourth most densely populated state or territory in the USA. It is behind only Washington DC (10,589 people per square mile), New Jersey (1,210 people per square mile) and Rhode Island (1,006 people per square mile).

Puerto Rico is 10 times more densely populated than the United States as a whole.

Puerto Rico demographics

Race in Puerto Rico

The latest available data on the ethnic composition of Puerto Rico is from the 2010 census. This indicated that 99.0% of people living in Puerto Rico were Hispanic or Latino.

A more detailed breakdown from the census clarifies that 75.8% of people in Puerto Rico consider themselves to be white and 12.4% consider themselves to be Black or African-American. A further 8.5% consider themselves to be from another group and 3.3% consider themselves to be of mixed race.

Before Spanish colonists began to colonise the islands in the early 16th century, Puerto Rico was inhabited by the Taino Indians. Historians estimate that the Taino population of Puerto Rico was somewhere between 20,000 and 50,000 people in 1508. Just 40 years later less than a hundred remained on the island.

Religion in Puerto Rico

Because of its historic links to Spain, Roman Catholicism is by far the largest religion in Puerto Rico. However, more recent links with the United States mean that there is a substantial and increasing number of Protestants in Puerto Rico.

Estimates of the breakdown of religious groups in Puerto Rico vary but a recent (2014) study by the Pew Research Centre reported that 56% of Puerto Ricans are Catholic and 33% are Protestant. A further 8% are other Christians and 2% follow another religion.

Puerto Rico is believed to be home to approximately 5,000 Muslims and 3,000 Jews. Puerto Rico has the largest Jewish community in the Caribbean.

Reliable data on the number of people in Puerto Rico who are not religious is not available, although the percentage is believed to be much lower than in other parts of the United States – probably in the range of 2% to 5%.

Languages in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has two official languages – Spanish and English.

Spanish is the primary language spoken by the vast majority of people in Puerto Rico. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that, in 2010, 94.9% of people spoke a language other than English at home.

Because of this almost all business, including government business, and education in Puerto Rico is conducted in the Spanish language.

Although many people – perhaps a majority – in Puerto Rico can speak English to some degree the U.S. Census Bureau reports that only around 30% can speak English very well.

In an attempt to improve the territory’s economic prospects and build closer links with the rest of the United States, the government in Puerto Rico is increasing the number of services and documents it provides in English and increasing the amount of English language education.

Although there are obvious practical benefits from increasing the use of English in Puerto Rico, such plans are also controversial. Opponents are concerned that, if not handled well, they could lead to a decline in the use of Spanish.

Puerto Rico life expectancy

Average life expectancy in Puerto Rico is 79.22 years, according to the UN. Female life expectancy in Puerto Rico is 83.17 years. Male life expectancy is 75.19 years.

This average life expectancy is slightly higher than the average US life expectancy, which the UN puts at 78.88 years.

If Puerto Rico were an independent country it would have the 39th highest life expectancy in the world. If Puerto Rico were a US state it would have the 23rd highest life expectancy in the USA.

Sources and further reading

Unless otherwise noted data in this article comes from the US Census Bureau.

The Pew Research Centre has a section on Hispanic trends on its website which often contains interesting articles and data about Puerto Rico.

Another website we recommend visiting is Welcome to Puerto Rico, which provides plenty of background information about the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Finally the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico (Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico) contains a wealth of demographic information. Note: this site is in Spanish only.

This list of countries by population (2021) contains details of the population of every country and dependent territory in the world today.

The table also predicts what the population of each country will be in 2050. This list of the most populous countries in 2050 was compiled using data from the UN (see below for source).

Countries and territories by population (full table)

If you want to read more about the population of countries in this list, click on the country name to go to a more detailed article. You can also sort the table if you want to see which are the most populated countries in each year, or to see the projected percentage increase between 2016 and 2050.

Source: Data for this list comes from the official UN World Population Prospects Report 2015. They produce regular reports detailing how many people live in each country, and projections for population growth. In compiling this table, we have used the UN’s medium fertility variant to rank the most populated countries in 2017.

The Florida population is 20,612,439 (latest US Census Bureau data). This makes Florida the third largest state in the US by population, after California and Texas.

Florida is a State in the South East of the United States, a peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is the fifth fastest growing US state, and the 8th most densely populated state in the US. Its largest city is Jacksonville (population 880,619) and its state capital is Tallahassee (population 190,894).

How many people live in Florida today

The latest US Census Bureau estimate (published in December 2016) puts the population of Florida at 20,612,439. Details of the Florida population 2017 will be published in December 2017.

This is based on data from the 2010 census, when the Florida state population was 18,801,310. Since the census was undertaken, Florida’s population has grown by 7.82%, the fifth largest rate of population growth in the country (see below for more details).

Florida is known as a retirement state and, today, almost one in five (19.1%) of people living in Florida are aged over 65 – that’s the highest proportion of retirees in the country. In one county – Sumter County – more than half of residents are aged over 65!

On the flip side, Florida also has the 8th lowest percentage of young people of any state in the US – only 21.9% of Floridians are aged under 18.

During 2014, Florida passed New York to become the third most populous state in the USA. Assuming that the two states relative positions don’t change, Florida stands to gain an additional seat in the US House of Representatives after the 2020 census.

Largest Cities in Florida

Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida by population, as well as the most populous city in the Southeast USA and the 12th largest city in the United States. In 2016, the population of Jacksonville was 880,619.

Jacksonville, which is spread out over 747 square miles, also holds the distinction of being the largest city by area in the continental United States. (Four Alaskan cities are technically larger because they are part of massive administrative boroughs – Sitka, for example, is four times larger than Jacksonville, covering 2,870.3 square miles).

Other major cities in Florida with a population of more than 500,000 people are Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and St Petersburg. Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida is only its seventh largest city.

The table below contains a list of the largest Florida cities by population.

For more detailed statistics and a full list of the state’s 214 most populous cities, read our article on the largest cities in Florida.

Largest Counties in Florida

Miami-Dade County is the largest county in Florida by population (2,662,874) and Palm Beach County is the largest county by area (2,026 square miles).

The smallest county by population in Florida is Liberty County (pop: 8,331 people) and the smallest county by area is Union County (240 square miles).

St Johns is the richest county in Florida $36,836 per capita income, 2013), while Union County is the poorest ($13,590).

The table below lists the five most populous counties in Florida. If you click on the county name you will be taken to an article about the population of that county.

>>CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FLORIDA COUNTIES

Florida Population Growth

Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the USA. In the past five years Florida has been the fifth fastest growing state in the nation. Its recent population growth rate of 7.8% is almost double the national average of 4.1%.

In the ten years between the last two censuses, the number of people living in Florida increased by nearly three million people – from 12,982,378 people in 2000 to 18,801,310 people in 2010. That’s an increase of 17.6% over just ten years.

Florida’s impressive growth rate shows no sign of slowing – in the first five years after the 2010 census, Florida has added another million and a half people (that’s a Florida population growth rate of 7.8% win just five years) and moved past 20 million people for the first time.

The table below lists the population of Florida at the time of each US Census since 1830.

Florida Population Density

Florida’s population density (2015) is 378 people per square mile (145 people per km2). Florida’s total land area (which is needed to calculate population density) is 53,625 square miles (138,888 km2).

This makes Florida the 8th most densely populated state in the USA. Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida (3,427 people per square mile).

As you can see from the Florida population density map below, the majority of people in Florida are clustered in a few major cities or along the coast. Unsurprisingly for a state which has the longest coastline in the continental US, more than 75% of the people in Florida live within ten miles of the coast.

Image source: JimIrwin at the English language Wikipedia

Florida Demographics

Ethnicity / Race in Florida

The largest single racial or ethnic group in Florida is White (non-Hispanic) which makes up 55.3% of the population.

This percentage has been decreasing steadily for several decades – down from 77.9% in 1970. If this trend continues, it is likely that Florida will become a non-white majority state within the next decade.

Hispanic or Latino is the next largest single group within Florida (24.5%). Florida’s Hispanic population has been steadily increasing (up from 6.6% in 1970) although growth has slowed since the 2010 census.

Black or African American (16.8%) is the third largest group in the state, followed by Asian (2.8%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (0.5%).

Just under one in five (19.6%) people living in Florida today were born outside of the USA.

Religion in Florida

According to the Pew Research Center, Christianity is the most common religion in Florida. In total, 70% of the population of Florida is believed to be Christian.

Just 6% of people are members of a non-Christian faith – the largest being Jewish (3%). The number of Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus is lower than 1% in each group.

A further 24% of Floridians are not religious.

Protestant Christians are the largest Christian denomination in Florida, making up 40% of the population. Of the total population, 24% of people are reported to be Evangelical Protestants, 14% Mainline Protestants and 8% Historically Black Protestant.

The next largest group of Christians in Florida is Catholic, making up 21% of the population, followed by Mormons (1%) and Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%).

Languages in Florida

English is the most common language in Florida as well as being the official state language.

At the time of the 2010 census, English was the primary language of 73.6% of people in Florida.

Spanish is the next most common language among the Florida population, spoken by 19.54%, followed by French Creole (1.84%).

Florida Life Expectancy

Average life expectancy in Florida is 79.4 years, the 22nd highest in the USA.

Life expectancy varies between different racial or ethnic groups in Florida – from 88.9 years for Asian Americans in Florida down to 75.8 years for Black Floridians.

There is also a wide variation in life expectancy between different parts of the state – the fourth highest disparity in the entire US.

Residents in Collier County, one of the state’s richest counties, can expect to live to 80 years, while those in Baker and Union, two of the poorest counties in the state, have a much lower life expectancy of 68 years.

Sources and further reading

Unless otherwise noted, data in this article comes for the US Census Bureau. Other Florida population resources that we recommend are:

• Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research
• Florida Demographics Charts
• State of Florida Quick Facts
• Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research Population Studies Program

The Palm Beach County Population is 1,422,789 (latest US Census Bureau estimate). This makes Palm Beach the 3rd largest county in Florida by population and the 28th largest county in the US.

Located on the East coast of Florida, Palm Beach is the largest county in Florida by area and the 10th largest by population density.

Largest cities in Palm Beach County

West Palm Beach, the county seat, is the largest city in Palm Beach County and the 20th largest city in Florida, with a population of 104,031 in 2014, the latest year for which a formal estimate is available.

Despite being the oldest municipal area in Southern Florida (it was incorporated in 1894, two years before Miami) West Palm Beach is only the 19th largest city in Florida.

Including West Palm Beach, there are seven cities in Palm Beach County with a population of more than 50,000 people. They are listed in the table below.

Note: All data is from 2013, except the population of West Palm Beach, which is from 2014.

Ethnicity / Race in Palm Beach County

White non-Hispanic is the largest single group in Palm Beach County, with 61.6% of the population in 2015. This is a slight drop from the 2010 census figure of 63.7%.

The next largest single group is Hispanic or Latino (17.6%, up from 16.3% in 2010), followed by Black (13.3%, up from 12.6% in 2010) and Asian (5.6%, up from 4.8% in 2010).

Haitians are the largest group of immigrants in Palm Beach, followed by Cubans and Mexicans.

Languages in Hillsborough County

Almost three quarters (73.1%) of people living in Palm Beach speak English as their first language.

Other first languages include Spanish (15.7%), French Creole (4.0%), and French (1.1%).

Economy and Income

Per capita income in Palm Beach County is $33,610. This is the 5th highest in Florida, and significantly higher than the US national average of $27,334.

Palm Beach County Population Density

Although Palm Beach is the largest county in Florida by area (2,034 square miles or 5,268km2), it is not particularly densely populated.

The population density in Palm Beach is 722 people per square mile (279 people per km2) which makes it the 10th most densely populated county in Florida.

Palm Beach County Population Growth

Although population growth in Palm Beach County slowed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, it has picked up again in recent years. In 2014, Palm Beach County was the fourth fastest growing county in the state and, in a single year, it added more residents than a number of states, including Michigan and Pennsylvania.

This table lists the Palm Beach County population at the time of each US Census, from 1910 onwards.

Further Reading and Sources

Unless otherwise noted, all data in this article comes from the US Census Bureau.

Other resources we recommend are this Palm Beach County Government page on demographics and this page from the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

The Hillsborough County population is 1,349,050 (latest US Census Bureau data). This makes it the fourth most populous county in Florida.

Located on the west coast of Florida, Hillsborough is home to the city of Tampa. It is the 12th largest county in Florida by area, and the 6th largest by population density.

Largest cities in Hillsborough County

Tampa is the largest city in Hillsborough County and the third most populous city in Florida. In 2013 (latest available data) the population of Tampa was 347,645.

Tampa is nearly ten times as large as Plant City, the next largest city in Hillsborough County, which is home to just 36,697 people.

There are only three other cities or communities in Hillsborough County with a population of more than 5,000 people. They are Temple Terrace (pop: 25,179), Sun City Center (pop: 19,258) and Hunters Green (pop: 5,056).

Sun City Center is unusual in that it is an age-restricted community. Just 1.9% of the population of Sun City Center is aged under 44 years. It is also unusual in that the population is 98.96% white.

Ethnicity / Race in Hillsborough County

According to 2015 data from the US Census Bureau, the largest single group in Hillsborough County is White non-Hispanic. In 2015 the White non-Hispanic population of Hillsborough County was 51.0%. This is a slight decrease compared to the 2010 census, when the population was 53.7% White non-Hispanic.

Hispanic or Latino is the second largest group, with 27.0% – an increase from 24.9% in 2010.

Black or African American makes up the third group – its population of 17.7% is also an increase, up from 16.7% in 2010 – and Asian is the fourth group with 4.1% of the population, up from 3.4% in 2010.

In total, 15.1% of the people living in Hillsborough County were born outside of the US (2010 data).

Languages in Hillsborough County

English is the primary language in Hillsborough County, spoken by almost a quarter (74.59%) of residents at home.

Spanish (19.52%) is the only other language spoken by more than 1% of the population at home.

Other languages with a notable number of speakers are French Creole (0.56%) and Vietnamese (0.51%).

Economy and Income

Per capita income in Hillsborough County is $27,062. This is just below the US national average of $27,344.

This makes Hillsborough the Florida county closest to the US national average.

Hillsborough County Population Density

Hillsborough is the 6th most densely populated county in Florida, with a 2015 population density of 1,323 people per square mile (511 people per km2).

By area, Hillsborough is Florida’s 12th largest county, with a total area of 1,051 square miles (2,722 km2).

Hillsborough County Population Growth

The population of Hillsborough County has been growing rapidly in recent years, and in fact the rate of population growth increased between 2000 and 2010 (from 19.8% in 2000 to 23.1% in 2010.

In the last year, population growth in Hillsborough was 2.33%. Based on current projections, population growth between 2010 and 2020 is likely to be slightly over 20%.

The table below lists the Hillsborough County population at the time of each census since it was founded in 1834.

Further reading and sources

Unless otherwise noted, data in this article comes from the US Census Bureau, which provides a page detailing its latest estimates.

Other sites we recommend are the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research and the official Hillsborough County Government website.

There are 67 counties in Florida. Their population ranges from 2,662,874 people (Miami-Dade County) all the way down to 8,314 people (Liberty County).

The table in this article contains a complete list of Florida counties by population.

It also contains information about the geographical area (size) of each county, its population density, and its per capita income.

Below the table there are sections providing explanations and more detail about the largest and smallest counties in Florida, the most densely populated county, plus the richest and poorest counties in Florida.

As well as articles about individual Florida counties, we also have a detailed article on the overall population of Florida which is updated every year with the latest data. We also have a detailed list of the largest cities in Florida.

Table of Florida Counties by Population

This table lists each county, sorted by population.

A number of counties are highlighted in red – you can click through to read more detailed articles about the number of people who live in these counties and their demographics.

Note: The table has population data from 2013. Where updated population data (e.g., from 2015) is available it has been used in the explanations below. Although the population totals may be slightly different, the rankings have not changed.

Largest County in Florida by population

Miami-Dade County is the largest county in Florida by population. In 2015, its population was 2,693,117.

As well as being the largest county in Florida, Miami-Dade is the seventh largest county in the US,

Located at in South East Florida, Miami-Dade is of course home to the city of Miami, which is also the county seat (capital) of Miami-Dade.

It is home to 900,000 more people than the next most populous county in Florida, Broward County (1,780,172) and double Palm Beach (1,335,187) the third most populous county.

Largest County in Florida by area

Palm Beach County, located in Eastern Florida, is the largest county in Florida by area. Its 2,034 square miles put it slightly ahead of Collier County’s 2,026 square miles.

The two counties couldn’t be more different, however. Palm Beach packs 1.3 million people into its territory – almost four times as many as the 328 thousand people living in Collier County.

Smallest county in Florida

Liberty County is the smallest county in Florida by population. In the far north of the state, Liberty is home to just 8,331 people (2015 data).

The smallest state by area is Union County, also in North Florida. It has an area of just 240 square miles.

Most densely populated county in Florida

Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida.

Despite being the second smallest county in Florida by area (280 square miles) Pinellas is Florida’s sixth largest county by population.

Squeezing 949,827 people into just 280 square miles gives Pinellas County a population density of 3,427 people per square mile.

Richest County in Florida

St Johns is the richest county in Florida, both in terms of per capita income ($36,836) and in terms of median household income ($64,876). (Data from 2009-2013 American Community Survey).

On a count of per capita income, St Johns is also the 87th richest county in the United States.

The county is a popular retirement spot, which goes some way towards explaining its relative wealth.

Poorest County in Florida

By contrast, the poorest county in Florida is Union County, in the north of the state. It has a per capita income of just $13,590.

This low per capita income places Union County in 3,111th place out of 3,143 counties in the US, making it one of the poorest places in the entire country.

The Orange County, Florida, population is 1,288,126 (latest US Census Bureau data. This makes Orange County the fifth largest county in Florida by population and the 34th largest county in the US.

Note: This article is about Orange County, Florida and not its namesake Orange County, California.

Located in eastern Florida, Orange County. It is home to the city of Orlando, and is the fifth most densely populated county in Florida.

Largest cities in Orange County, Florida

Orlando is the county seat, is the largest city in Orange County, with a population of 270,394.

Orlando is also the fourth largest city in Florida, and the 73rd largest city in the United States.

The only other city in Orange County with a population of more than 50,000 people is Alafaya, which had a population of 78,113 at the time of the 2010 census.

Ethnicity / Race in Orange County, Florida

White non-Hispanic (42.6%) is the largest single ethnic group in Orange County.

Hispanic or Latino (29.8%) is the second largest group, followed by Black (22.3%) and Asian (5.6%).

Languages in Orange County, Florida

Just over two thirds (67.4%) of Orange County, Florida, residents speak English as their first language. A further 22.6% speak Spanish as their mother tongue.

Other first languages spoken in the county are French Creole (2.4%), Portuguese (1.2%), Vietnamese (0.9%) and Indian languages (0.8%).

Economy and income

Per capita income in Orange County is $25,490, putting it in 22nd place out of 67 counties in the state rankings.

This is slightly lower than the US average per capita income of $27,334.

Orange County Population Density

Orange County is the fifth most densely populated county in Florida, with 1,249 people per square mile (482 people per km²).

In terms of area, Orange County is the 21st largest county in Florida. Its territory covers 1,003 square miles or 2,598km²).

Orange County Population Growth

Orange County’s population is growing rapidly. In the 20 years from 1990 to 2010 the number of people living in Orange County nearly doubled – from 677,491 people in 1990 to 1,145,956 people in 2010.

The table below lists the population of Orange County, Florida at the time of each US census.

Further reading and sources

Unless otherwise noted, data used in this article comes from the US Census Bureau.

Other resources we recommend this factsheet containing detailed statistics and the Orange County Government ‘Orange Stats’ website.

The Miami-Dade County population is 2,693,117 (US Census Bureau Data 2015). This makes Miami-Dade the largest county in Florida by population, and the 7th largest county in the US.

Miami-Dade County is located on the coast, at the South-East tip of Florida. Despite being home to a grand total of 34 incorporated cities including Miami, the largest city in the county, Miami-Dade is only the fourth most densely populated county in Florida.

Largest cities in Miami-Dade County

Miami is the largest city in Miami-Dade County. It is also the second most populous city in Florida (click here to see a full list of Florida cities by population) and the 44th most populous city in the United States. Latest estimates from the US Census Bureau (2015) put the population of Miami at 441,003 people.

In total, there are 34 incorporated cities in the county of Miami-Dade. Only three have a population of more than 100,000 people – Miami (441,003), Hialeah (237,069) and Miami Gardens (113,187).

There are five other Miami-Dade cities with a population of more than 50,000 people – Miami Beach (92,312), Homestead (60,512) and North Miami (62,435), Doral (56,035) and Coral Gables (51,117).

Source: US Census Bureau American Fact Finder 2015.

Ethnicity / Race in Miami-Dade County

Unsurprisingly for a city so close to Cuba, Hispanic or Latino is the largest single ethnic or racial group in Miami-Dade. As of 1 July 2015, 66.8% of residents are reported to be Hispanic or Latino.

The second largest group in Miami-Dade is Black or African American (18.7%), followed by White non-Hispanic (14.4%). The percentage share of population for each of these groups is falling.

More than half (54%) of Latinos in Miami are Cuban-Americans. A further 13% are from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic or Mexico and the remaining 32% are from elsewhere in Central or South America.

More than half (52%) of the people who live in Miami-Dade were born outside of the USA.

Miami-Dade languages

Because of its high Hispanic and Latino population, almost two thirds of the population speaks Spanish as their mother tongue.

Census data from 2010 shows that 63.8% of people in Miami-Dade speak Spanish as their primary language, 28.1% speak English and 4.2% speak French Creole.

Of those people in Miami-Dade whose first language is Spanish, more than half are not fluent in English. Almost all of the county’s English speakers are fluent only in English.

Economy and Income

Per capita income in Miami-Dade County is $22,957. This is lower than the US average of $27,334, and places Miami-Dade 33rd out of 67 in the Florida state rankings.

Data on household income (2013) shows that each household earned on average $41,913. This puts Miami-Dade 242nd out of 263 US counties with a population of more than 250,000 people. Almost two-thirds of households earned less than a living income, demonstrating that poverty is an important issue in the county.

Miami-Dade County Population Density

Miami Dade is the third largest county in Florida by area, and the fourth most densely populated.

The county’s total area is 2,431 square miles (6,296 km²). This means that, as of 2015, 1,378.9 people live in each square mile – that’s 532 people per km².

MIami-Dade County Population Growth

Miami-Dade was founded (as Dade County) in 1840 and, almost immediately its population of 446 began to shrink. Between 1840 and 1860 it fell to just 83 people. This drop in the Miami-Dade County population is probably due in part to the ongoing conflict between the US Army and the Seminoles, known as the Seminole Wars, which were fought between 1816 and 1858.

Since then, however, growth has been steady – as high as 475% per decade in the late 19th century. Today growth hovers between 10-20% per decade.

The table below details the population of Miami-Dade county at the time of each US census.

Sources and Further Reading

Unless otherwise noted, data in this article about how many people live in Miami-Dade County comes from the US Census Bureau. Other resources we recommend are the Miami Dade government’s Regulatory and Economic Resources page and Miami Dade Matters, which is provided by the Health Council of South Florida.

The Broward County population is 1,896,425 (latest US Census Bureau Data).

Broward County is located in the state of Florida. It is the second largest county in Florida by population, and the 17th largest county in the US by population. It is also the second most densely populated county in the state, after Pinellas County.

The population in Broward County has been growing rapidly for many years, and if growth continues at the current rate it may pass 2 million by the time of the 2020 census.

There are six cities in Broward County with a population of more than 100,000 people and fifteen in total with a population of more than 50,000 people. The county is a part of the Miami metropolitan area, which includes Miami and its commuter cities.

Largest cities in Broward County

Fort Lauderdale is the largest city in Broward County and the 10th largest in Florida. In 2015 its population was an estimated 178,590. After a small drop in population during the 1980s, its population growth has been steadily increasing. By the time of the 2020 census, the county population is likely to pass 190,000.

Other cities with a population of more than 100,000 people are Pembroke Pines (pop: 162,329), Hollywood (pop: 146,526), Miramar (pop 130,288), Coral Springs (pop: 126,604 and Pompano Beach (pop: 104,410).

Here is a table listing cities in Broward County with a population of more than 50,000 people.

Note that all population data is from 2013, except for Fort Lauderdale which is from 2015. The 2013 population of Fort Lauderdale was 172,389.

Ethnicity / Race in Broward County

Broward County is one less than a hundred US counties where minority populations outnumber its white population.

As of 2015, White (non-Hispanic) remains the single largest single group within Broward County, comprising 38.8% of the population. Black (non-Hispanic) is the next largest group (29.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (28.0%).

Other groups include Asian (3.5%), two or more races (2.1%), American Indian / Alaska Native (0.4%) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (0.1%).

Economy and income

Per capita income in Broward County is $28,631. This is just above the US average ($27,334) and ranks Broward 12th highest in the state of Florida.

Broward County Population Density

Broward County is the second most densely populated county in Florida, after Pinellas County.

Although Broward County is the second most populous county in Florida, it is only the is the 7th largest by area.

Its total area of 1,209 square miles (2,896km2) means that it has the Broward County population density in 2015 was 1,445 people per square mile (558 people per km2).

Broward County Population Growth

The table below lists the population of Broward County at the time of each census. The County was founded in 1915, so the first data available is from 1920.

Further reading and sources

Unless otherwise noted, data in this article comes from the US Census Bureau. A great deal of useful demographic information about Broward County and the State of Florida more generally can be found at the website of the Florida Office of Economic & Demographic Research.

The Pinellas County population is 949,827 (latest US Census Bureau data).

Pinellas County is located in the state of Florida. It is the 6th largest county in Florida by population, and the 51st largest county in the US. It the most densely populated county in the state. Although the population of Pinellas County dropped by 0.5% between the 2000 and 2010 censuses (from 921,482 people in 2000 to 916,542 people in 2010), population growth has returned in the past five years.

Since the 2010 census, the number of people who live in Pinellas County has grown to 949,827, which is an increase of 3.6%.

There are two major cities in Pinellas County – St Petersburg, with a population of 257,083 (2015 data) and Clearwater, the state capital, with a population of 107,685. Together they are a part of the wider Tampa Bay metropolitan area.

Largest cities in Pinellas County

St Petersburg is the largest city in Pinellas County – its 2015 population was 257,083. It is also the 5th largest city in the state of Florida, and the 80th largest city in the US.

Clearwater, the county seat, is the second largest city in Pinellas County and the 16th largest in Florida. In 2015 its population was 107,685 people.

Other major cities in Pinellas County are Largo (population 84,500), Pinellas Park (population 49,079) and Dunedin (population 35,321).

Together, St Petersburg and Clearwater are a part of the Tampa Bay Area, alongside the larger city of Tampa Bay (which is a part of Hillsborough County) and a number of smaller unincorporated cities such as Brandon.

Formally known by the US Census Bureau as the Tampa-St Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area, the area has a population of 4,310,524 million people (2010 census).

Ethnicity / Race in Pinellas County

According to the US Census Bureau (2015 data) , the largest ethnic group in the county is White non-Hispanic (74.9%). Other major groups are Black or African alone (11.0%), Hispanic or Latino (9.1%) and Asian alone (3.5%).

Just over one in ten (11.2%) of the people living in Pinellas County were born outside of America.

Economy and income

Pinellas County has an average per capita income of $28,742. This makes it the 11th richest county in Florida.

Per capita income is just above the US average of $27,334.

Pinellas County Population Density

The total area of Pinellas County is 608 sq miles (1,57km2). This makes it the second smallest county in Florida by area.

However, Pinellas is the most densely populated county in Florida – it has a population density of 3,427 people per square mile (1,323 people per km2). This is more than twice the population density of Broward (1,445 people per square mile).

Pinellas County population growth

Pinellas County was founded in 1912, so the first census report is from 1920. This table lists the Pinellas County population at every census since then.

Further reading and Sources

Data used in this article comes from the US Census Bureau and the Pinellas County official Government website.