Jensen Beach is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Martin County,

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, United States. The population was 12,652 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inla ...

History

The history of Jensen Beach in the 19th century revolved around pineapple farming. John Laurence Jensen, an immigrant from

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, arrived in 1881, and set up his

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...

plantation, which became the town of Jensen. By 1894, the

Florida East Coast Railway The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a p ...

reached Jensen Beach, and freight shipments were loaded directly onto the freight cars. By 1895, Jensen was called the "Pineapple Capital of the World", shipping over one million boxes of pineapples each year during the June and July season. To help handle the increased pineapple production, a pineapple factory was built, but a hard freeze in 1895 devastated most of the small pineapple plantations. Two fires, in 1908 and 1910, destroyed most of Jensen Beach and its remaining pineapple farms. The industry finally collapsed in 1920 due to a wide variety of financial and agriculture problems. Growers decided to turn their efforts in another direction: raising

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

fruits. The pineapple has become a symbol of Jensen Beach. The fruit legacy is celebrated annually during the Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival. Jensen Beach was incorporated as "Jensen" in 1926 during the

Florida Land Boom The first real estate bubble in Florida was primarily caused by the economic prosperity of the 1920s coupled with a lack of knowledge about storm frequency and poor building standards. This pioneering era of Florida land speculation lasted fr ...

, but was dissolved seven years later by the State of Florida in 1933 following the onset of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. The town's name was officially changed to "Jensen Beach" by Martin County in 1943. In the second half of the 1900s,

Saint Joseph College of Florida Saint Joseph College of Florida (1890–1972) was a college operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Florida in St. Augustine and in Jensen Beach, Florida.Thurlow, Sandra Henderson, Sewall's Point, The History of a Peninsular Community on Florida ...

and later the

Florida Institute of Technology Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) is a private research university in Melbourne, Florida. The university comprises four academic colleges: Engineering & Science, Aeronautics, Psychology & Liberal Arts, and Business. Approxim ...

both located on the Mansion at Tuckahoe premises in Jensen Beach. In 2004 Jensen Beach was hit by two hurricanes. On September 5, 2004,

Hurricane Frances Hurricane Frances was the second most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic during 2004 and proved to be very destructive in Florida. It was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic h ...

made landfall at Hutchinson Island with winds of . On September 25, 2004,

Hurricane Jeanne Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin since Mitch in 1998, and the deadliest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2004. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the se ...

made landfall on Hutchinson Island with winds of .

Geography and climate

Martin County Fire Rescue Station 16 - 003

Jensen Beach occupies the northeast corner of Martin County. It is bordered to the east by the

Indian River Lagoon The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida; one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the Northern Hemisphere and is home to more than 4, ...

and the town of Ocean Breeze, to the southeast by the town of Sewall's Point, to the south by unincorporated

Rio Rio or Río is the Portuguese and Spanish word for "river". The word also exists in Italian, but is largely obsolete and used in a poetical or literary context to mean "stream". Rio, RIO or Río may also refer to: Places United States * Rio, Fl ...

, to the southwest by the city of

Stuart Stuart may refer to: People *Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) * Clan Stuart of Bute, a Scottish clan *House of Stuart, a royal house of Scotland and England Places Australia Generally *Stuart Highway, ...

, the Martin

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

, to the northwest by

U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ...

, and to the north by the city of Port St. Lucie in St. Lucie County. Unincorporated North River Shores is to the west of Jensen Beach, on the opposite side of US 1. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 14.82%, are water. Waveland was the original name for the area from Crossroads Hill (south of N.E. Center Street) south to the tip of Sewall's Point and west to Warner Creek. "Jensen" originally meant the area immediately adjacent to modern-day downtown Jensen Beach. Jensen Beach was rated the "Top Spot for Beach Volleyball" in 2008 by ''Prime Time Magazine'', and is a part of Florida's

Treasure Coast The Treasure Coast is a region in the southeast of the U.S. state of Florida. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and comprises Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. The region, whose name refers to the Spanish Treasure Fleet that was lost ...

region, which derives its name from the ships that wrecked during the 17th century because of coral reefs in the shallow waters. Artifacts and treasures from these ships of Spanish origin can still be discovered today. The Skyline Drive area includes some of the highest points in the community, reaching an elevation of at one point. The climate in the area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to somewhat cool winters, with occasional frosts. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Jensen Beach has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps, transitioning to a tropical monsoon or tropical rainforest climate.

Government

Jensen Beach is an unincorporated town in Martin County. Jensen Beach is currently represented by Doug Smith as part of Martin County District 1. The Jensen Beach Neighborhood Advisory Committee is composed of appointed Jensen Beach residents and business owners and formally advises the Martin County

Community Redevelopment Agency A redevelopment agency (RDA) is a government body dedicated to urban renewal. Typically it is a municipal level city department focused on a particular district or corridor that has become neglected or blighted (a community redevelopment agency o ...

regarding planning matters in the area.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,652 people, 5,934 households, and 3,038 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 11,100 people, 5,059 households, and 3,025 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 5,805 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.80%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.25%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.37% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.77% of the population. There were 5,059 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.78. 20.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,674, and the median income for a family was $49,787. Males had a median income of $34,368 versus $25,118 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $22,921. 8.3% of the population and 5.0% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. 8.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Recreation

The main public beach in Jensen Beach is on Hutchinson Island and is called ''Jensen Sea Turtle Beach''. It is a wide sandy beach on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. Martin County life guards are in attendance. The beach is used for sun bathing, surfing, fishing and swimming.

Ecology

Jensen Beach is known in the marine biology community for being a location for sea turtles to nest. Designated sections of the Jensen Sea Turtle Beach are barricaded off in order to protect the nests of the sea turtles. The three species found on this beach are the loggerhead, leatherback turtle and

green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exte ...

. Loggerhead nests are the most common type found on this and adjacent beaches. Locations of the sea turtles' nests are marked with the approximate date in which the eggs were laid and the expected date in which the eggs will hatch. These notifications are meant to discourage tourists and residents from visiting the beach in the evening hours during these time periods. Efforts are made to protect both species of sea turtles since nests have been declining in recent years due to the severe erosion of the beach.

Economics

Downtown Jensen Beach is the site of the annual Pineapple Festival.

Education

* Jensen Beach High School *Jensen Beach Elementary *Felix A. Williams Elementary *The Environmental Studies Center *Stuart Middle School

Media

As of September 10, 2010, Jensen Beach once again has its own newspaper, the free ''Pineapple Post''.

Historic landmarks

Historic landmarks in Jensen Beach include: * All Saints Episcopal Church erected in 1898 is the oldest church building in Jensen Beach as well as in Martin County. Adjacent to the church is All Saints Cemetery which is non-sectarian and serves the whole community. * Capt. John Miller House (private) on Indian River Drive in Eden, built by an early settler in the late 1890s * Jensen Beach Christian Church built in 1910-1912 * Capt. Henry E. Sewall House, now located in Indian Riverside Park * The Mansion at Tuckahoe in Indian Riverside Park *

Mount Elizabeth Archeological Site The Mount Elizabeth Archeological Site, also known as Racey's Tuckahoe, St. Joseph's Novitiate or the Mount Elizabeth Indian Mound is a prehistoric midden and an archaeological site in Jensen Beach, Florida. It is located in Martin County's I ...

in Indian Riverside Park * Stuart Welcome Arch, on County Road 707

Sister cities

Jensen Beach has been the

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

of Gregory Town in

the Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...

since July 1989.

Notable people

Ralph Evinrude Ralph S. Evinrude (September 27, 1907 – May 21, 1986) was an American business magnate who was chairman of Outboard Marine Corporation, and the husband of singer and entertainer Frances Langford. Evinrude was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to B ...

, CEO of Outboard Motor Company with a test facility in Stuart; married

Frances Langford Julia Frances Newbern-Langford (April 4, 1913 – July 11, 2005) was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades. She was known as the "GI Nightinga ...

and retired to Jensen Beach * Derek Fathauer, PGA golfer * Forest K. Ferguson, World War II recipient of

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

Paul C. Genereux Paul C. Genereux (born 12 October 1950) is a retired United States Army officer. A veteran of the Iraq War, he served from 1972 to 2012 and attained the rank of Brigadier general (United States), brigadier general. Genereux was assistant division ...

, US Army brigadier general *

, singer and entertainer *

Bobby Lord Robert Lester Lord (January 6, 1934 – February 16, 2008) was an American country music singer-songwriter popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Lord was born January 6, 1934, in Sanford, Florida, but grew up in Tampa, Florida, Tampa. As a ...

, country singer *

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, director, comedian, singer, and composer. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest ...

, British songwriter and actor * Scott Proctor, baseball pitcher *

Jennifer Sky Jennifer Sky is a former American actress and model. She has had roles in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' in 1997, ''General Hospital'' (1997–1998), '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' in 1999, and starred as Cleopatra, the title character in ''Cleopatra ...

(born Jennifer Kathleen Wacha), actress

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Martin County, Florida Port St. Lucie metropolitan area Populated coastal places in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean Beaches of Martin County, Florida Census-designated places in Florida Beaches of Florida