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Economic yearbook 2011
Southwest - Yearbook
charlotte County
| Charlotte County Population: 162,974 | ||||
| Population Growth Rate (2007-11): 0.90% | ||||
| Population by Age: | ||||
| 0-14 |
15-19 | 20-39 | 40-64 | 65+ |
| 11.8% |
4.2% | 15.2% | 34.0% | 34.9% |
| Per Capita Income: $35,389 | ||||
Local economic developers have been working to find a developer for the county's Murdock Village property, which has been vacant since 2003. One promising development: The county is willing to give 137 acres at Murdock Village to a local developer in exchange for about 30 acres at Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park near Punta Gorda Airport. According to news reports, Wilderness Resorts, which operates resorts in Wisconsin and Tennessee, has expressed interest in developing a $110-million water park resort on the property if it can get the appropriate financing. Kay Tracy, interim director of the Charlotte County Economic Development Office, says the acreage would "add another tool to our economic development toolbox," whereby the county could offer that land as an incentive in exchange for job creation and a tax base. "Instead of just saying, here's some money, we'd say, we have county property, and we can convey that property if you qualify."
HENDRY / GLADES County
| Hendry Population: 40,211 | ||||
| Population Growth Rate (2007-11): 0.51% | ||||
| Population by Age: | ||||
| 0-14 |
15-19 | 20-39 | 40-64 | 65+ |
| 24.3% | 7.8% |
30.1% | 26.2% | 11.5% |
| Per Capita Income: $27,249 | ||||
| Glades Population: 11,274 | ||||
| Population Growth Rate (2007-11): 0.69% | ||||
| Population by Age: | ||||
| 0-14 |
15-19 | 20-39 | 40-64 | 65+ |
| 13.8% | 5.7% |
27.1% | 31.4% | 22.1% |
| Per Capita Income: $25,710 | ||||
Lykes-Duda is moving forward with plans to develop a South Florida International Logistics Center. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration preliminarily accepted Hendry County's AirGlades Airport to participate in a privatization pilot program. Officials hope to transform the airport into a cargo hub.
DeSoto / Highlands / Hardee Counties
| DeSoto Population: 36,593 | ||||
| Population Growth Rate (2007-11): 1.05% | ||||
| Population by Age: | ||||
| 0-14 |
15-19 | 20-39 | 40-64 | 65+ |
| 18.2% |
6.2% | 31.2% | 26.1% | 18.3% |
| Per Capita Income: $22,889 | ||||
| Highlands Population: 103,164 | ||||
| Population Growth Rate (2007-11): 1.16% | ||||
| Population by Age: | ||||
| 0-14 |
15-19 | 20-39 | 40-64 | 65+ |
| 15.7% |
5.0% | 19.2% | 28.8% | 31.3% |
| Per Capita Income: $27,768 | ||||
| Hardee Population: 30,154 | ||||
| Population Growth Rate (2007-11): 1.13% | ||||
| Population by Age: | ||||
| 0-14 |
15-19 | 20-39 | 40-64 | 65+ |
| 24.2% |
6.4% | 30.5% | 25.9% | 13.0% |
| Per Capita Income: $22,429 | ||||
In February, University of South Florida Polytechnic opened the "Blue Sky Wauchula" facility in Hardee County. The center serves as both an academia outreach center, where middle and high school students can prepare and plan for college, trade school or the military, and as a business development center. USF Polytechnic operates a similar facility, the Student Mentoring and College Planning program, in Sebring.
