Santa Rosa County, Florida
Encyclopedia
Santa Rosa County is a county
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...

 located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 117,743, while a July 1, 2005, estimate placed the population at 143,105, an 18% increase making it the 84th fastest growing county in the United States between 2000 and 2005. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is Milton
Milton, Florida
Milton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...

.

History

Santa Rosa County was created in 1842. It was named for the Roman Catholic Saint, Rosa de Viterbo.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1173.57 square miles (3,039.5 km²), of which 1016.93 square miles (2,633.8 km²) (or 86.65%) is land and 156.65 square miles (405.7 km²) (or 13.35%) is water.

Santa Rosa County is part of the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area
30° 26′ 0″ N, 87° 12′ 0″ WThe Pensacola metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on Pensacola, Florida.The Office of Management and Budget has designated Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area used...

.

Regions

Santa Rosa County can be divided into three distinct sections: South Santa Rosa, Central Santa Rosa, and North Santa Rosa. The sections are centered on the main east/west roads that pass through the county.
South Santa Rosa County comprises the area from Holley and Navarre
Navarre, Florida
Navarre is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the Northwest Florida Panhandle. Navarre is about 25 miles east of Pensacola and about 15 miles west of Fort Walton Beach. The community is roughly centered on the junction of U.S. Route 98 and State Road 87...

 in the east to Gulf Breeze
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze is a city located on the Fairpoint Peninsula in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States and is a suburb of Pensacola which lies to the north, across Pensacola Bay. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,455. ...

 at the western end of the Gulf Breeze Peninsula (Fairpoint Peninsula
Fairpoint Peninsula
The Fairpoint Peninsula is a peninsula located in the Florida Panhandle . It separates Santa Rosa Sound to the south from Pensacola Bay to the north. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is routed south of the peninsula through Santa Rosa Sound...

), and along U.S. Highway 98
U.S. Route 98
U.S. Route 98 is an east–west United States highway that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, and has since been extended westward into Mississippi and eastward across the Florida...

. A section of Santa Rosa Island
Santa Rosa Island, Florida
Santa Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...

, containing the unincorporated community of Navarre Beach
Navarre Beach, Florida
Navarre Beach, is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the U.S. state of Florida. It is on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. The community is considered part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.Immediately to its east...

, is also part of South Santa Rosa County. Major bodies of water including Santa Rosa Sound
Santa Rosa Sound
Santa Rosa Sound is a sound connecting Pensacola Bay and Choctawhatchee Bay in Florida. The northern shore consists of the Fairpoint Peninsula and portions of the mainland in Santa Rosa County and Okaloosa County...

, Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United States, known as the Florida Panhandle.The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is located in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, adjacent to the city of Pensacola, Florida, and is about 13 miles long and 2.5 miles ...

 and East Bay
East Bay (Florida)
East Bay is a bay located in the far western Florida Panhandle.Milton, which is the county seat of Santa Rosa County, is located on the north end of the bay. Unusually, East Bay is connected to open waters via Pensacola Bay to its southwest...

 strongly influence the housing and life style of citizens in the southern part of the county. This fast-growing region serves primarily as "bedroom communities" for Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...

 to the west and Hurlburt Field
Hurlburt Field
Hurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...

, Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...

, and Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....

 to the east. The U.S. Navy presence is marked by Whiting Field
Naval Air Station Whiting Field
Naval Air Station Whiting Field is a United States Navy base located near Milton, Florida, in central Santa Rosa County, and is one of the Navy's two primary pilot training bases . NAS Whiting Field also provides training for U.S. Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force student pilots, as well as...

, NOLF Spencer Field
Naval Outlying Field Spencer
Naval Outlying Field Spencer is a military airport located two miles northeast of Pace, Florida, in Santa Rosa County. It is owned by the United States Navy. NOLF Spencer is one mile north of U.S. Highway 90, 3.5 miles west of the City of Milton, just over 6 miles east of the Escambia River and...

 and the former Ellyson Field
Naval Air Station Ellyson Field
Naval Air Station Ellyson Field was a former U.S. Navy training base, established in Escambia County, Florida in 1940 at the outset of World War II as an auxiliary facility to Chevalier Field at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida...

.

Central Santa Rosa County is the area north of the bays and south of the extensive forests separating it from North Santa Rosa. The central section developed along "The Old Spanish Trail" that ran from St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...

 on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 all the way to New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, and further points west. Today, U.S. Highway 90
U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90 is an east–west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number, U.S. 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route; it has always ended at Van Horn, Texas. A short-lived northward extension to U.S...

 closely parallels the old trail. The county seat, Milton
Milton, Florida
Milton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...

 is located where the trail crossed the Blackwater River
Blackwater River (Florida)
The Blackwater River of Florida is a river rising in southern Alabama and flowing through the Florida Panhandle to the Gulf of Mexico. The river enters Florida in Okaloosa County and flows through Santa Rosa County to Blackwater Bay, an arm of Pensacola Bay. The river passes through Blackwater...

. To the west of Milton, the fast growing community of Pace
Pace, Florida
Pace is a census-designated place in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,393 during the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.According to Pace CDP Census 2010 results, the population of the area was...

 have turned the west central part of the county into one large "bedroom community" for people who work in the industries here and in Escambia County
Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2010 population was 297,619. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 296,772. Its county seat is Pensacola.- History :...

, to the west. Interstate 10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...

 also passes through this section of the county.

Northern Santa Rosa County is forest and farming country. The only town in the north is Jay
Jay, Florida
Jay is a town in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 579 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 650. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area....

. Most development has been along State Road 4
Florida State Road 4
State Road 4 is a two-lane Florida State Road in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Escambia counties. It is signed east–west, but the road is slightly diagonal. It is about 45 miles long, from Century near the Alabama state border at an intersection with U.S. Route 29, to the farming community of...

 which runs through the northern sections of Escambia
Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2010 population was 297,619. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 296,772. Its county seat is Pensacola.- History :...

, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa
Okaloosa County, Florida
Okaloosa County is a county located in the state of Florida. Located in northwest Florida, it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2000 census, the population was 170,498. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 182,172. The 2009 estimate for the...

 counties. A large oil and natural gas field around Jay produced a great deal of oil, and made many farmers millionaires in the 1970s and 1980s, but the field has been depleted and is producing little oil today. The citizens have, for the most part, returned to farming and forestry for their livelihoods.

State Road 87
State Road 87 (Florida)
State Road 87 is a north–south highway in the state of Florida that extends from U.S. Route 98 to the Alabama state line where it becomes Alabama State Route 41...

 traverses the county from north to south, between US Highway 98 and the border with Escambia County, Alabama
Escambia County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.1% White*31.9% Black*4.4% Native American*0.2% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.5% Two or more races*1.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

 near Brewton
Brewton, Alabama
Brewton is a city in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 5,498. The city is the county seat of Escambia County.-History:...

, where it connects with State Route 41. This road is a primary emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...

 route for the county during hurricanes.

Adjacent counties

  • Escambia County, Alabama
    Escambia County, Alabama
    -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.1% White*31.9% Black*4.4% Native American*0.2% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.5% Two or more races*1.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

     - north
  • Okaloosa County, Florida
    Okaloosa County, Florida
    Okaloosa County is a county located in the state of Florida. Located in northwest Florida, it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2000 census, the population was 170,498. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 182,172. The 2009 estimate for the...

     - east
  • Escambia County, Florida
    Escambia County, Florida
    Escambia County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2010 population was 297,619. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 296,772. Its county seat is Pensacola.- History :...

     - west

Board of County Commissioners

The Board of County Commissioners serves as the legislative and policy setting body of Santa Rosa County as established under Section 125 of the Florida Statutes. As such, the Board enacts all legislation and authorizes programs and expenditures within the County. The Board appoints a professionally trained County Administrator who is responsible for policy and budget development and implementation.

The Board comprises five members, elected countywide. Each member must reside within particular district for which seat he/she seeks election. Each year the Board organizes itself selecting a Chair and Vice-Chair from among its members to preside at Commission meetings.
Current Santa Rosa County Commissioners>
District Commissioner
1 (Pace
Pace, Florida
Pace is a census-designated place in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,393 during the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.According to Pace CDP Census 2010 results, the population of the area was...

)
Jim Williamson
2 (Milton
Milton, Florida
Milton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...

/Central to Northeastern Region)
Bob Cole
3 (Jay
Jay, Florida
Jay is a town in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 579 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 650. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area....

/Central to Northwestern Region)
Don Salter
4 (Navarre
Navarre, Florida
Navarre is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the Northwest Florida Panhandle. Navarre is about 25 miles east of Pensacola and about 15 miles west of Fort Walton Beach. The community is roughly centered on the junction of U.S. Route 98 and State Road 87...

/Southeastern Region)
Jim Melvin
5 (Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze is a city located on the Fairpoint Peninsula in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States and is a suburb of Pensacola which lies to the north, across Pensacola Bay. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,455. ...

/(Southwestern Reigon)
Lane Lynchard


The Commission meets in regular session beginning at 9:00 a.m. the second and fourth Thursday of the month in the Commissioner's Board Room in the Administrative Center, 6495 Caroline Street, in Milton
Milton, Florida
Milton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...

. Called meetings and workshops are scheduled periodically and are advertised and open to the public.

County officials

Office Officeholder
Supervisor of Elections Ann Bodenstein
Property Appraiser Greg Brown
Sheriff Wendell Hall
Tax Collector Stan Colie Nichols
Clerk of Courts Mary M. Johnson

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 117,743 people, 43,793 households, and 33,326 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 116 people per square mile (45/km²). There were 49,119 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.72% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 4.25% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 1.01% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 1.30% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.08% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.67% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.98% from two or more races. 2.52% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race.

There were 43,793 households out of which 36.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.90% were non-families. 19.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,881, and the median income for a family was $46,929. Males had a median income of $34,878 versus $22,304 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $20,089. About 7.90% of families and 9.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.60% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

Incorporated

  1. City of Gulf Breeze
    Gulf Breeze, Florida
    Gulf Breeze is a city located on the Fairpoint Peninsula in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States and is a suburb of Pensacola which lies to the north, across Pensacola Bay. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,455. ...

  2. Town of Jay
    Jay, Florida
    Jay is a town in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 579 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 650. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area....

  3. City of Milton
    Milton, Florida
    Milton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...


Unincorporated

  • Bagdad
    Bagdad, Florida
    Bagdad is a census-designated place in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,490 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

  • Munson
  • Navarre
    Navarre, Florida
    Navarre is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the Northwest Florida Panhandle. Navarre is about 25 miles east of Pensacola and about 15 miles west of Fort Walton Beach. The community is roughly centered on the junction of U.S. Route 98 and State Road 87...

  • Navarre Beach
    Navarre Beach, Florida
    Navarre Beach, is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the U.S. state of Florida. It is on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. The community is considered part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.Immediately to its east...

  • Pace
    Pace, Florida
    Pace is a census-designated place in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,393 during the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.According to Pace CDP Census 2010 results, the population of the area was...

  • Oriole Beach
    Oriole Beach, Florida
    Oriole Beach is an unincorporated community located in Santa Rosa County, Florida on Santa Rosa Sound. It lies east of Gulf Breeze, Florida along Santa Rosa Sound on the Fairpoint Peninsula. Oriole Beach is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.The main...


Media links



Government links/Constitutional offices


Special districts


Judicial branch


Tourism links


Community and Civic Organizations


Hospitals

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