The most recent estimate was carried out in 2015 by the United States Census Bureau and it was estimated that the state’s population had reached 20,271,272. The last official census within the United States was carried out in 2010 and the east coast state of Florida recorded a total number of citizens at 18,801,310.
Florida Population Density and Area
In terms of population density, Florida has a surface area of 65,755 square miles (170,304 square kilometers). Based on estimates, that equates to 353.4 people per square mile, (136.4 per square kilometer) and that makes it the eighth most densely populated state in the US.
The largest city in Florida by population is Jacksonville, with over 900,000 individuals in the area. The largest county by population is Miami-Dade County, with well over 2 million individuals residing within the county lines.
Florida Gender and Religion Statistics
The median age in Florida is approximately 41.6, with a slight gap in gender at 51.1% females and 48.9% males in the state.
In religious terms, the Florida population is recorded as 70% Christian based faiths, 24% no particular faith, and 6% non-Christian faith-based.
Florida Boundary, Census and Statehood History
Florida was a Spanish possession until transferred to the United States by treaty, concluded in 1819 but not in full effect until 1821. Florida was made a territory in 1822 with essentially its present boundaries, and was admitted as a State on March 3, 1845. From 1830 on, all parts of Florida have had census coverage.
Florida Population History
Records from 1830 show that a mere 34,730 people lived in Florida, but like the rest of the US, those numbers were to grow dramatically from then onwards. By 1840, the number of people who live in Florida had increased by over 50% to 54,477. Florida joined the union in 1845 as the 27th state, and saw consistently high growth for the rest of the 19th century.
That pattern remained for the early part of the 20th century as well, and by 1950, the population of Florida had grown to 2,771,305. However, the biggest growth was yet to follow and in 1960, the national census revealed that numbers had leapt by 78.7% (nearly 6% annualized) to 4,951,560 over the preceding ten years.
Florida Population Growth
More increases came throughout the decades but the latest census shows that rises are slowing down. In 2000, the population of Florida was 15,982,378 and the increase to 2010 was therefore just 17.6%.
Florida Population Projections
If growth continues at roughly the same rate, by the time that the next Census is undertaken in 2020, the population will exceed 22 million. The population could potentially surpass 26 million in 2030, driven by immigration from both Northern US states and other countries.
Much of the population increase is due to net migration, not only from overseas but from within the US itself. Current claims suggest that around two thirds of residents were born in another state – a statistic that is the second highest in the US. Florida also has one of the highest populations of Hispanic residents in the United States. It is one of just eight states with a Hispanic population that exceeds one million. In fact, Hispanic residents in Florida, California, and Texas account for 55% of the total Hispanic population in the United States.
Immigrants from Spain, Latin America and Cuba have immigrated to Florida in recent years. Because of the large influx of Hispanic immigrants, Spanish is spoken by 20% of Floridians. The population of non-Hispanic blacks has also increased in recent years, primarily because of Caribbean immigration and reverse migration from the North.
Florida also has a high proportion of illegal aliens with figures around 20% of the total state population, the fourth largest in the US.
