Key West, Florida Population 2023

26,984

Key West is a city located in Monroe County Florida. It is also the county seat of Monroe County. With a 2023 population of 26,984, it is the 160th largest city in Florida and the 1719th largest city in the United States.Key West is currently growing at a rate of 0.67% annually and its population has increased by 2.04% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 26,444 in 2020. Spanning over 7 miles, Key West has a population density of 4,827 people per square mile.

The average household income in Key West is $98,784 with a poverty rate of 11.78%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Key West is 42.1 years, 42.1 years for males, and 42.2 years for females.

Key West includes the island of Key West, part of Stock Island and other nearby islands. This city is a popular tourist destination and is known for its stunning beaches and many points of interest.

Key West Population and Diversity

Over three-quarters of the population speak English, while over 17% speak Spanish. Other languages spoken in Key West include French, German and Italian.

Key West Population Growth

Key West has seen its share of highs and lows when it comes to its population. The city reached over 18,000 residents in 1890 before dropping by over 5%. The community began to grow again before declining again in 1920 and 1930. This pattern has continued, with the population reaching its peak in 1960. While the population was down in 2010, recent data show that it is on the rise again, growing 9.5% since the 2010 census.

The Calusa tribe first inhabited the island of Key West. The Europeans first discovered it in 1521. When Florida came under the control of Spain, a fishing village was established.

Great Britain gained control of the state in 1763, and the Spanish and Native American inhabitants were moved to Havana, Cuba. Though the Spanish regained control 20 years later, the city was not officially resettled. It only became a place for the Cuban and British to use for fishing.

It was in 1815 when the governor of Cuba deeded the island to Juan Pablo Salas. When the state was sold to the U.S. six years later, Salas sold the island. He sold it twice, and the two men moved quickly to beat each other at securing the rights to the island. The island went to businessman John Simonton, who subdivided the island.

Throughout the 1800s, the city began to grow and was the wealthiest city per capita, in the country. A naval base was constructed, leaving the island in the hands of the Union during the Civil War. Major industries during this time were salvaging, fishing and salt manufacturing. Salt production halted during the Civil War but resumed at the end of the war until the industry was affected by a hurricane and never recovered.

By the end of the 19th century, Key West was the wealthiest and largest city in the state. At the beginning of the 20th century, the island was connected to the mainland in 1912 via the Overseas Railroad. The Overseas Highway was built in the 1930s which encouraged further growth. Pan American Airlines was also founded during the early 20th century.

In recent years, the city has continued to expand with the addition of shopping centers, malls, schools, and an airport. The city is a popular tourist destination and is a port of call for many cruise lines. The Naval Air Station Key West remains in business and is a training center for naval aviation.

Key West Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Key West was:

  • White: 78.55%
  • Black or African American: 13.38%
  • Other race: 3.4%
  • Two or more races: 2.6%
  • Asian: 1.76%
  • Native American: 0.22%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.09%
The current population of Key West, Florida is 26,984 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 26,444.

Key West, Florida Population 2023

Key West Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

White

Black or African American

Other race

Two or more races

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Key West Population by Race

Key West Population Pyramid 2023

Key West Median Age

42.1

Total

42.1

Male

42.2

Female

Key West Adults

There are 20,969 adults, (4,387 of whom are seniors) in Key West.

Key West Age Dependency

47.7

Age Dependency Ratio

26.5

Old Age Dependency Ratio

21.3

Child Dependency Ratio

Key West Sex Ratio

Female11,39646.52%
Male13,09953.48%

Key West Population by Age

Key West Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

2.66

Average Family Size

2.15

Average Household Size

41.8%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Key West Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Key West Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Key West Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among 2+ races people with a rate of 93.05%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 43%.

Key West Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$39,078

Average Earnings

$44,764

Average Male

$31,995

Average Female

Key West Earnings by Educational Attainment

Key West Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Key West Language

76.35% of Key West residents speak only English, while 23.65% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 17.03% of the population.

Key West Language

Key West Poverty by Race

rate

11.78%

Overall Poverty Rate

11.21%

Male Poverty Rate

10.31%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Key West

The race most likely to be in poverty in Key West is Native, with 71.11% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Key West is White, with 5.81% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.8%. Among those working part-time, it was 13.2%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 20.86%.

Key West Poverty

Key West Poverty Rate by Education

Key West Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Key West Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Key West Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

46.9%

Overall Marriage Rate

45.7%

Male Marriage Rate

48.4%

Female Marriage Rate

Key West Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Key West Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Key West Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Key West Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

1,733

Number of Veterans

1,464

Male Veterans

269

Female Veterans

Key West Veterans by War

Key West Veterans by Age

count

Key West Veterans by Race

Key West Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

9.31%

Veteran Poverty Rate

18.44%

Veteran Disability Rate

Key West Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

71.1%

Labor Force Participation

64.6%

Employment Rate

2%

Unemployment Rate

Key West Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Key West Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Key West Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

23.94%

Born in Key West

72.18%

Native Born

20.45%

Foreign Born

10.83%

Non Citizen

9.61%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

72.18% of Key West residents were born in the United States, with 23.94% having been born in Florida. 10.83% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Key West Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Key West Population by Year