South Bay is a city in

Palm Beach County Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and Broward County and the 24th-most populous in the United States, wi ...

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. It is the westernmost municipality in the

South Florida metropolitan area The Miami metropolitan area is a coastal metropolitan area in southeastern Florida. It is the sixth-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States, and the la ...

. As of 2020, the population recorded by the

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

was 4,860 residents. While the current estimates place South Bay's population in the incorporated city limits at more than 4,000 people, surrounding areas increase the population figures to 54,000 people in a radius and more than 1.4 million in a radius.

History

South Bay was named for its location on

Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee ( ) is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the List of largest lakes of the United States by area, eighth-largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest ...

. The town was incorporated in 1941. The first mayor of South Bay was Aubrey (a.k.a. "Orb") Walker, who, along with his brother, Haughty D. Walker (a.k.a. "Haught"), survived the great hurricane of 1928 by gathering his family members onto a boat in the canal.

Geography

South Bay is located at (26.666487, –80.718985), near the southern bank of Lake Okeechobee. 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 city has a total area of , including of land and of (26.95%) water. The

Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) is a 109-mile multi-use path around Lake Okeechobee, the seventh largest lake in the United States and the largest in the state of Florida. The trail began as the Okeechobee Segment of the Florida National S ...

runs through South Bay.

Climate

Infrastructure

Transportation

Two major roads, East-West State Road 80 and North-South U.S. 27 intersect in the town.

Mayors

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,860 people, 787 households, and 614 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 4,876 people, 843 households, and 746 families residing in the city.

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 3,859 people, 805 households, and 644 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 935 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 12.5% White (non-Hispanic), 66.93% Black or African American, 19.56%

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race, 0.29% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.03%

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 ...

, 5.83% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. In 2000, there were 805 households, out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% 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, 32.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.39 and the average family size was 3.76. In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 172.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 210.6 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $23,558, and the median income for a family was $26,944. Males had a median income of $21,087 versus $22,321 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 city was $9,126. About 29.2% of families and 36.7% of the population 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 ...

, including 48.4% of those under age 18 and 27.4% of those age 65 or over. As of 2000, speakers of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

made up 77.76% of all residents, while

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

comprised 21.51%, and

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

as a

mother tongue A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongue'' refers ...

accounted for 0.72% of the population.

References

External links

Official City Website for South Bay, Florida
Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about South Bay {{authority control Cities in Palm Beach County, Florida Cities in Florida Populated places on Lake Okeechobee