2005-2006 Preface

Preface

This is the 14th 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 #28 of 476:

Since budget size is often related to the size of the population served it is noteworthy that of 476 city and county governments in Florida, Hernando County ranked #28 as of April 1, 2005. This is the top 6%Bor put another way, 94% 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 143,497 residents in the unincorporated area of the County. (See Table 1.04) Also, in the United States, 87% of the counties have a smaller overall population than Hernando County.

Growth, Growth, and more Growth:

The U.S. Census Bureau has ranked Hernando County at # 48 for rate of growth and # 91 for numeric change out of 3,141 U.S. Counties. According to the Census Bureau, for that period from July 2003 to July 2004, Hernando County was growing by:

18 more permanent residents each day 131 more permanent residents each week
571 more permanent residents each month 6,856 more permanent residents each year

This does not include the family and friends who visit those new residents and drive on SR 50!
Growth Example: When you turn on the water faucet expecting to get clean water from somewhere, 6,856 additional residents will also have that same expectation compared to one year earlier.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/004654.html
http://www.census.gov/ http://factfinder.census.gov/

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 7.0 in the public domain, tremendous map detail can now be viewed online and printed via Portable Document Format .pdf maps. Adobe Reader 7.0 is free at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Suncoast Parkway:

The Turnpike District of the Florida Department of Transportation opened the 42-mile Suncoast Parkway in 2001. Adjacent to the Parkway, the Turnpike District has developed the Suncoast Parkway Trail, a paved recreational trail 12 feet in width. http://www.floridasturnpike.com http://www.sunpass.com http://www.suncoastparkway2.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 2005 population of 2,636,972 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 1,246% from 1960 to 2005. [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 Census 2000 balance-of-population in the UA lying within Hernando County was 96,816 and through June 2005 has increased to 115,161.

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 2004 for the Florida counties of Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Flagler, Franklin, Glades, Gulf, Highlands, Holmes, Indian River, Jefferson, Lake, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Pasco, Pinellas, St. Lucie, Sarasota, Sumter, Union, Volusia, and Washington. In addition, the migration from other states into Florida can be tracked via the 2003 Florida motor vehicle registrations. In order, the five leading exit states into Florida were: Georgia-57,050; New York-52,679; New Jersey-29,755; Ohio-26,311; and Alabama-24,203.

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/