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2012 Economic Yearbook
Northwest Florida Economic Indicators
Santa Rosa County
Two call centers closed last year, taking 500 jobs. The moves contributed to the county's decision to restructure its economic development organization, establishing a closer partnership with Pensacola's Chamber of Commerce-led economic development program. Among positives that County Commissioner Don Salter noted are the presence of strong technology firms Avalex Technologies and AppRiver and interest from two companies considering relocating to the county.
| Santa Rosa Population: 161,588 | ||||
| Population Growth Rate (2008-12): 2.13% | ||||
| Population by Age: | ||||
| 0-14 | 15-19 | 20-39 | 40-64 | 65+ |
| 19.12% | 6.81% | 24.61% | 35.77% | 13.69% |
| Per Capita Income: $36,573 | ||||
Gulf County
 Gulf County is working on redeveloping the port at Port St. Joe. [Photo: Port St. Joe Port Authority] |
The economy is making a comeback, says Port St. Joe City Clerk Jim Anderson. Among projects under way: Redevelopment of the port at Port St. Joe and a cultural initiative to revitalize and reopen the historic, 1938-constructed Port Theater. Last year's tourism-generated bed taxes were up 14.8% from 2010 and were the highest ever, says Visit Gulf office manager Crystal Follin.
The biggest setback last year was the decision of Colorado-based Rentech to cancel its proposed $225-million project to build a 55-megawatt woody biomass energy plant at Port St. Joe, which would have added 85 jobs.
| Gulf Population: 16,012 | ||||
| Population Growth Rate (2008-12): 0.25% | ||||
| Population by Age: | ||||
| 0-14 | 15-19 | 20-39 | 40-64 | 65+ |
| 12.92% | 4.72% | 27.55% | 37.82% | 16.99% |
| Per Capita Income: $28,079 | ||||
Business Beat - Week of May 3rd
