Palm Bay is a city located in Brevard County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 79,413. As of December 28, 2005, the population is 96,236.
Palm Bay is located at 27°58'59"N, 80°39'32"W (27.982980, -80.658798).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 172.9 km2 (66.8 mi2). 164.9 km2 (63.7 mi2) of it is land and 8.0 km2 (3.1 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 4.64% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 79,413 people, 30,336 households, and 21,781 families residing in the city. The population density is 481.7/km2 (1,247.7/mi2). There are 32,902 housing units at an average density of 199.6/km2 (517.0/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 81.54% White, 11.31% African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.38% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. 8.63% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 30,336 households out of which 34.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% are married couples living together, 12.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% are non-families. 21.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.60 and the average family size is 3.03.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,508, and the median income for a family is $41,636. Males have a median income of $31,060 versus $22,203 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,992. 9.5% of the population and 7.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.5% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The Timucuan Indians, attracted to the mouth of Turkey Creek at the Indian River by fresh water springs and plentiful fish, oysters, and wildlife, are thought to have been the first civilization in the Palm Bay area. Palm Bay's recent history began in the 1850's when the first white settlers, also drawn by the bounty and beauty of the area, built homes along Turkey Creek. Originally referred to as Tillman, the settlement was described as a "small strip of hammock...on each side of Turkey Creek...mostly pine and palmetto, miserable sandy barren oak scrub, some ponds and interspersed with sawgrass and gallberry."
By the mid-nineteenth century, there was a lumbering operation, packing house, and orange groves, but growth was slow until the arrival of the railroad in 1894. Now goods could be brought in and produce could be shipped to market faster, encouraging more families to immigrate to the area.
Between 1910 and 1914, Tillman became the center for a land company known as the Indian River Catholic Colony. Promised two crops a season, farmers quickly depleted the soil, and the colony failed. The hearty few who survived built St. Joseph's Church on Miller Street, the oldest building still standing. The 1920's brought the city's present name of Palm Bay with it. The town was so named after the bay, bordered with palm trees, situated at the mouth of Turkey Creek. This decade also brought a wave of short-lived prosperity to the area. A group of Tillman businessmen set up an agency, called the Melbourne-Tillman Drainage District, to issue $1.5 million worth of bonds.
Starting in 1922, a 180 mile (290 km) grid of 80 canals was dug to drain 40,000 acres (160 km2) of swampy land west of Palm Bay. The canals made it possible to control flooding and turn marsh lands to agricultural use. The land became dotted with citrus groves and truck farms shipping winter produce by the Florida East Coast Railroad to northern markets. Farmers sold timber and land to paper companies. In 1926, a fire among the dredges and a severe hurricane began Palm Bay's economic depression. The Melbourne-Tillman Drainage District went bankrupt.
In 1959, the Mackle brothers from Miami purchased land for a residential project now known as the Port Malabar subdivision.
That same year, Palm Bay's first modern industry arrived: Radiation, Inc., now Harris Corporation, moved from the Melbourne Airport property to its present Palm Bay facility on Palm Bay Road. The 1960s, punctuated with the turmoil of growth so typical of a "booming" community, were to be viewed later as the beginning of political maturity with the incorporation of the town as the City of Palm Bay in 1960. The first elementary school, Palm Bay Elementary on Glenham Drive, was constructed in 1966.
Palm Bay's industrial base expanded in 1972 with the addition of Documation Inc., now Storage Technology, and the city's first bank, while 1974 ushered in the multi-million dollar Woodlake Village apartment complex as well as the Dutch Inn Motel, now the Days Inn. Also during the 1970s, the federal government approved funds for constructing city hall and the police department, the community center, road improvements, and housing rehabilitation. Highlights of 1976 included the reclassification and renaming of Southwest Jr. High School to Palm Bay High School and the rapid expansion of Harris Corporation.
In 1977, General Development Corporation (the Mackle brothers' company) offered a portion of Turkey Creek hammock for a wildlife preserve to be known as the Turkey Creek Sanctuary and put it into public trust under the management of the Audubon Society. The population in 1977 was approximately 14,000.
Palm Bay experienced enormous growth in the 1980s, with the addition of the K-Mart Shopping Center, and numerous restaurants. A municipal complex located on Malabar Road, housing city hall and the police station, was designed and completed in 1990. The early 1990s brought with it several challenges. General Development Corporation filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. After three years of litigation, the City acquired the General Development Utilities-Port Malabar Water and Sewer System, which is now the Utilities Department of the City. Drainage continues to be a problem in some parts of the city, caused primarily by the sudden unplanned transition from GDC to the city of the responsibility of planning for future growth and implementing adequate drainage, but this problem has been greatly mitigated since 2000 with the continued design and construction work by City employees. During the early 1990s, Palm Bay Regional Park, a large soccer and athletic complex in the Western part of the city, was constructed and then improved, and numerous other parks and recreational facilities were built throughout the city. The city continues its record growth due to its proximity to the ocean and the ready availability of year-round sporting facilities.
Source:
PalmBayFlorida.com
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