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Preface

This is the 13th edition of the Hernando County Statistical Abstract. The data herein has been collected by different entities both private and public, from local, state, and federal levels. This annual abstract and the Monthly Demographics Update (MDU) are available online at: http://www.hernandocounty.us/plan/PlanningStats.htm

Size of Local Government by population served: Hernando County is #30 of 473:

Since budget size is often related to the size of the population served it is noteworthy that of 473 city and county governments in Florida, Hernando County ranked # 30 as of April 1, 2003. This is the top 7%Bor put another way, 93% of Florida governments serve fewer people. (See Table 1.02B)  Many counties in Florida with larger populations are subdivided among numerous small city governments. With few sizable cities, the budget for Hernando County government serves 141,478 residents in the unincorporated area of the County.  (See Table 1.04)

Unprecedented Census detail available for Hernando County businesses and organizations:

Census 2000 details of the Hernando County market are now available on the internet at: http://factfinder.census.gov/ This Abstract highlights some of that data from a local perspective. For example, in Census Tract 415 lying west of US 19 and south of the Weeki Wachee River:

55 households had an income over $200,000
949 persons have a Bachelor=s degree or higher, and
81 persons were employed in the construction occupations.

Every Census 2000 question applies to the administration of some government program. But the data is also available to the private and not-for-profit sectors on the above websites.

Changes in mapping technology with little cost to public:

Hernando County data is frequently shown Aat a glance@ in this abstract by way of maps. In the past, only costly technology could provide the zoom-in capability and detail of, for example, aerial photos, thousands of street names, ownership parcel detail, or US Geological Survey Quad-Drawings.  With the availability of Adobe Reader 6.0 in the public domain, tremendous map detail can now be viewed online and printed via Portable Document Format .pdf maps. Adobe Reader 6.0 can be downloaded for free at:  http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Suncoast Parkway:

The Turnpike District of the Florida Department of Transportation finished construction of the 42-mile Suncoast Parkway in 2001. Interchanges in Hernando County are at County Line Road, Spring Hill Drive, SR 50, and U.S. 98. Adjacent to the Parkway, the Turnpike District has developed the Suncoast Parkway Trail, a paved recreational trail 12 feet in width. The Public Information Office for the Suncoast Parkway is located at the toll plaza in northern Pasco County. (813/558-1117 Ext.12) Toll information and Parkway maps are available at: http://www.floridasturnpike.com    http://www.sunpass.com

Hernando County is part of the 9-County ANature Coast@:

The vision for the Hernando County community includes a distinctive effort to capitalize on the AClose to Home, Room to Roam@ aspects of this transitional rural/suburban county.  More than 27% of Hernando County lands are in conservation land-use including the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, three tracts of the Withlacoochee State Forest, and the recently purchased Weeki Wachee Preserve, Annuteliga Hammock, and APK Ranch@ by the State of Florida. At the local level, in 1988 voters said yes to the Environmentally Sensitive Lands program (ESL) to purchase additional Alands and habitats for endangered species, threatened species, and species of special concern.@

Hernando County is also part of the 4-county Tampa Bay MSA:

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Hernando County is part of the 4-county Tampa-St.Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area. (MSA)  The Tampa Bay MSA checked in with a April 2003 population of 2,535,439 up from 820,443 in 1960.  The Tampa Bay MSA ranked as the 21st largest metro area in the nation at the time of the Census 2000. Hernando County=s rate of growth was even faster for that time period--a jump of 1,155% from 1960 to 2003.    [Table 1.02A]

Urbanized Area (UA) nearly doubles and has a new name:

As of Census 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau has designated the Brooksville Urbanized Area with a population of 102,193. This replaces the former Spring Hill UA (1990 Census population of 52,056) as per naming criteria published in the Federal Register giving priority to incorporated cities. Urbanized Areas require a minimum population of 50,000 people as well as densities exceeding 500 per square mile. The Brooksville UA includes a Pasco County portion in the Shady Hills area with a population of 5,377. The balance of population in the UA lying within Hernando County is 96,816.

Hernando County growth is Aperpetually@ due to In-migration:

For more than 25 years, 100% of the County=s population growth has been attributed to those moving in--since the number of deaths each year exceeds the number of births.  [Table 1.08B]  That trend also occurred in 2003 for the Florida counties of Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Flagler, Franklin, Glades, Gulf, Highlands, Holmes, Indian River, Lake, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, St. Lucie, Sarasota, Sumter, Union, Volusia, and Washington. In addition, the migration from other states into Florida can be tracked via the 2002 Florida motor vehicle registrations. In order, the five leading exit states into Florida were: Georgia-56,814; New York-49,240; Ohio-26,475; Alabama-25,267;  and North Carolina-24,699.

Further information is available at the back of this abstract under ALinks For Further Reference@. The Planning Department homepage can be found at: http://www.hernandocounty.us/plan/