Rockledge, Florida

From Free net encyclopedia

Rockledge is a city located in Brevard County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 20,170. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 23,295 [1].

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Livelihood
4 External links

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Geography

Image:FLMap-doton-Rockledge.PNG Rockledge is located at 28°19'30" North, 80°43'58" West (28.324938, -80.732686)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.5 km² (12.2 mi²). 27.7 km² (10.7 mi²) of it is land and 3.8 km² (1.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 12.15% water.

It is bounded on the north by Cocoa, on the west by the St. Johns River and scrubland, to the south by Viera (unincorporated) and Melbourne, and to the east by the Indian River Lagoon and Merritt Island (unincorporated) on the opposite shore.

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Demographics

Image:Rockledge.jpg As of the census Template:GR of 2000, there were 20,170 people, 7,864 households, and 5,677 families residing in the city. The population density was 727.8/km² (1,884.4/mi²). There were 8,353 housing units at an average density of 301.4/km² (780.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.06% White, 14.64% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.66% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. 3.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,864 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,218, and the median income for a family was $52,332. Males had a median income of $39,434 versus $25,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,700. 6.5% of the population and 4.0% of families were below the poverty line. 6.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

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Livelihood

Rockledge was founded on August 7, 1887, making it the oldest incorporated municipality in Brevard County. Early industry in the area was based on the citrus trade and accommodation for tourists traveling to South Florida via the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway of the Indian River. The town's original hotel, the Brevard Hotel, was razed in the 1990s to make room for condominium and marina development. Current citrus groves are now nominal, producing citrus confections, juice and souvenirs for the tourist trade and for local consumption. Local businesses now focus greatly on technology and aerospace, especially those related to nearby Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. The city also sees a fair amount of ghost hunters coming to visit Ashley's restaurant, a reportedly haunted establishment. Rockledge takes great pride in its high school (Rockledge High School), which has won many state championships in athletics, including the 2001 and 2002 FHSAA football state championships.