Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Florida

See also: Culture of Florida

Florida's population density

Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1830	34,730		—
1840	54,477		56.9%
1850	87,445		60.5%
1860	140,424		60.6%
1870	187,748		33.7%
1880	269,493		43.5%
1890	391,422		45.2%
1900	528,542		35.0%
1910	752,619		42.4%
1920	968,470		28.7%
1930	1,468,211		51.6%
1940	1,897,414		29.2%
1950	2,771,305		46.1%
1960	4,951,560		78.7%
1970	6,789,443		37.1%
1980	9,746,324		43.6%
1990	12,937,926		32.7%
2000	15,982,378		23.5%
2010	18,801,310		17.6%
Est. 2016	20,612,439		9.6%
Sources: 1910–2010[83] 2016 Estimate[4]

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Florida was 20,271,272 on July 1, 2015, a 7.82% increase since the 2010 United States Census.^[4] The population of Florida in the 2010 census was 18,801,310.^[84] Florida was the seventh fastest-growing state in the U.S. in the 12-month period ending July 1, 2012.^[85] In 2010, the center of population of Florida was located between Fort Meade and Frostproof. The center of population has moved less than 5 miles (8 km) to the east and approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north between 1980 and 2010 and has been located in Polk County since the 1960 census.^[86] The population exceeded 19.7 million by December 2014, surpassing the population of the state of New York for the first time.^[87]
Florida contains the highest percentage of people over 65 (17%).^[88] There were 186,102 military retirees living in the state in 2008.^[89] About two-thirds of the population was born in another state, the second highest in the U.S.^[90]
In 2010, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 5.7% of the population. This was the sixth highest percentage of any state in the U.S.^[91][92] There were an estimated 675,000 illegal immigrants in the state in 2010.^[93]
A 2013 Gallup poll indicated that 47% of the residents agreed that Florida was the best state to live in. Results in other states ranged from a low of 18% to a high of 77%.^[94]

Municipalities and metropolitan areas

See also: List of urbanized areas in Florida (by population), Florida statistical areas, List of municipalities in Florida, and Florida locations by per capita income

The legal name in Florida for a city, town or village is "municipality". In Florida there is no legal difference between towns, villages and cities.^[95]
In 2012, 75% of the population lived within 10 miles (16 km) of the coastline.^[96]

v t e Largest cities or towns in Florida Source:[97]
	Rank	Name	County	Pop.
Jacksonville Miami	1	Jacksonville	Duval	853,382	Tampa Orlando
	2	Miami	Miami-Dade	430,332
	3	Tampa	Hillsborough	358,699
	4	Orlando	Orange	262,372
	5	St. Petersburg	Pinellas	253,693
	6	Hialeah	Miami-Dade	235,563
	7	Tallahassee	Leon	188,107
	8	Fort Lauderdale	Broward	176,013
	9	Port St. Lucie	St. Lucie	174,110
	10	Cape Coral	Lee	169,854

A map of Florida showing county names and boundaries.

The largest metropolitan area in the state as well as the entire southeastern United States is the Miami metropolitan area, with about 5.8 million people. The Tampa Bay Area, with over 2.8 million people, is the second largest; the Orlando metropolitan area, with over 2.2 million people, is the third; and the Jacksonville metropolitan area, with over 1.3 million people, is fourth.
Florida has 22 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 43 of Florida's 67 counties are in a MSA.

Racial and ethnic makeup

Predominant ancestry in Florida in 2010

Florida racial breakdown

[hide]Racial composition	1970[98]	1990[98]	2000[99]	2010[100]	2013
White (includes White Hispanics)	84.2%	83.1%	78.0%	75.0%	78.1%
Black	15.3%	13.6%	14.6%	16.0%	16.7%
Asian	0.2%	1.2%	1.7%	2.4%	2.7%
Native	0.1%	0.3%	0.3%	0.4%	0.5%
Other race	0.1%	1.8%	3.0%	3.6%	–
Two or more races	–	–	2.3%	2.5%	1.9%
Non-Hispanic whites	77.9%	73.2%	65.4%	57.9%	56.4%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	6.6%	12.2%	16.8%	22.5%	23.6%

Hispanic and Latinos of any race made up 22.5% of the population in 2010.^[101] As of 2011, 57% of Florida's population younger than age 1 were minorities (meaning that they had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white).^[102]
Florida is among the three states with the most severe felony disenfranchisement laws. Florida requires felons to have completed sentencing, parole and/or probation, and then seven years later, to apply individually for restoration of voting privileges. As in other aspects of the criminal justice system, this law has disproportionate effects for minorities. As a result, according to Brent Staples, based on data from The Sentencing Project, the effect of Florida's law is such that in 2014 "[m]ore than one in ten Floridians – and nearly one in four African-American Floridians – are shut out of the polls because of felony convictions."^[103]