Collier County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, its population was 375,752; an increase of 16.9% since the 2010 United States Census.[1] Its county seat is East Naples,[2] where the county offices were moved from Everglades City in 1962.

Collier County
The Collier County courthouse in April 2010
The Collier County courthouse in April 2010
Flag of Collier County
Official seal of Collier County
Official logo of Collier County
Map of Florida highlighting Collier County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 26°05′N 81°24′W / 26.08°N 81.4°W / 26.08; -81.4
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedMay 8, 1923
Named forBarron Collier
SeatEast Naples
Largest cityNaples
Area
 • Total
2,305 sq mi (5,970 km2)
 • Land1,998 sq mi (5,170 km2)
 • Water307 sq mi (800 km2)  13.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
375,752 Increase
 • Density188/sq mi (73/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts18th, 19th, 26th
Websitewww.colliergov.net
Collier County's main administration building, left, and the back end of the county courthouse, right.

Collier County comprises the NaplesMarco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which, along with the Cape Coral-Fort Myers (Lee County) MSA and the Clewiston (Hendry County, Glades County) Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), is included in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples Combined Statistical Area (CSA).[3]

History

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Archaeology at Platt Island in the Big Cypress National Preserve shows humans settled in what is now Collier County more than 2000 years ago.[4] The Calusa people had an extensive presence in the area when Europeans arrived.

 
Ted Smallwood Store on Chokoloskee Island

The county was created in 1923 from Lee County. It was named for Barron Collier, a New York City advertising mogul and real estate developer who had moved to Southwest Florida and established himself as a prominent landowner. He agreed to build the Tamiami Trail for what was then Lee County (comprising today's Collier, Hendry, and Lee Counties) in exchange for favorable consideration with the state legislature to have a county named for him. After Collier County was named, Collier was quoted as saying: "When I first came here on holiday with Juliet, I never expected that I would buy a whole region of it, nor did I expect to pay for the new Tamiami Trail, or half the things I've done. But I really didn't expect to have a whole county named after me."[5]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,305 square miles (5,970 km2), of which 307 square miles (800 km2) (13.3%) are covered by water.[6] It is the largest county in Florida by land area and fourth-largest by total area. Virtually the entire southeastern portion of the county lies within the Big Cypress National Preserve. The northernmost portion of Everglades National Park extends into the southern coastal part of the county. Chokoloskee, Florida is in the county. The total area of this county is nearly one and a half times the size of Rhode Island, which is the smallest state, and is bigger than Rhode Island and Luxembourg combined.

Adjacent counties

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Collier County is located at the southern end of Florida's Gulf Coast, and bounded by:

National protected areas

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Transportation

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Major highways

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
19302,883
19405,10277.0%
19506,48827.2%
196015,753142.8%
197038,040141.5%
198085,971126.0%
1990152,09976.9%
2000251,37765.3%
2010321,52027.9%
2020375,75216.9%
2023 (est.)404,310[7]7.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2015[12] 2020[13]

2000 census

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As of the census[14] of 2000, 251,377 people, 102,973 households, and 71,257 families resided in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile (48 people/km2). The 144,536 housing units had an average density of 71 per square mile (27/km2).

As of 2000, its racial makeup was 86.06% White, 4.54% was African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 6.25% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos (of any race) accounted for 19.61%. Primary languages spoken were 75.3% English, 17.8% Spanish, 2.3% French Creole, and 1.2% German.

In 2000, of the 102,973 households, 22.7% had children under 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were not families. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.79.

The county's population distribution was 19.9% under 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 44.1 years, higher that the U.S. average. For every 100 females, there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 99.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,289, and for a family was $54,816. Males had a median income of $32,639 versus $26,371 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,195. About 6.6% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

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The county continues to experience significant growth and is becoming increasingly diverse. As of the 2010 census, the county's population had increased by 27.9% to 321,520, over the 2000 census. As of the 2010 census, 83.85% of the population was non-Hispanic Whites, 25.9% was Latino or Hispanic, 6.6% was African American, and 1.1% was Asian.[15] As of the 2010 census, the greatest source of population growth in the county since the 2000 census came from the Latino or Hispanic population, which grew from 49,296 (19.6%) to 83,177 (25.9% ). In terms of ancestry, 37.9% were English, 9.9% were Irish, 9.1% were "American", 3.2% were Italian and 3.1% were German.[16]

2020 census

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Collier County racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[17][18]
Race Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 211,156 235,455 65.67% 62.66%
Black or African American (NH) 19,898 22,554 6.19% 6.0%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 609 551 0.19% 0.15%
Asian (NH) 3,390 5,419 1.05% 1.44%
Some other race (NH) 431 1,502 0.15% 0.42%
Mixed/multiracial (NH) 2,787 7,961 0.87% 2.12%
Hispanic or Latino 83,177 102,249 25.87% 27.21%
Total 321,520 375,752

As of the 2020 United States census, 375,752 people, 140,578 households, and 97,279 families resided in the county.

Education

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The county's public schools are operated by the District School Board of Collier County.

Public library

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The Collier County Public Library system consists of 10 locations serving the entire county. All locations offer public internet stations, printing, photocopying, free Wi-Fi, and 24/7 drop boxes for book and video returns.[19]

Politics

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Voter registration

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According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans comprise a majority of registered voters in Collier County. It is also one of the handful of counties where independents outnumber Democrats among registrants. The county is part of a long-established Republican stronghold in southwestern coastal Florida; the last Democrat to win the county was Adlai Stevenson II in 1952.[20] The last Democratic governor to carry the county was Reubin Askew in 1974 and the last Democratic senator to do so was Bob Graham in 1992; six years later, the county was one of four to back the then-Republican candidate, Charlie Crist.

All voter information is as of September 30, 2022, and provided by Collier County Supervisor of Elections Office.[21]

  Republican (51.36%)
  Democratic (22.15%)
  Other parties (26.49%)

Statewide elections

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United States presidential election results for Collier County, Florida[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 143,267 65.89% 71,720 32.98% 2,447 1.13%
2020 128,950 61.91% 77,621 37.27% 1,714 0.82%
2016 105,423 61.11% 61,085 35.41% 6,002 3.48%
2012 96,520 64.64% 51,698 34.62% 1,106 0.74%
2008 86,379 60.84% 54,450 38.35% 1,159 0.82%
2004 83,631 64.99% 43,892 34.11% 1,160 0.90%
2000 60,467 65.58% 29,939 32.47% 1,796 1.95%
1996 42,593 58.74% 23,185 31.97% 6,739 9.29%
1992 38,448 53.44% 18,796 26.13% 14,700 20.43%
1988 38,920 74.87% 12,769 24.57% 291 0.56%
1984 33,619 78.75% 9,067 21.24% 5 0.01%
1980 23,900 71.10% 7,739 23.02% 1,974 5.87%
1976 14,643 61.76% 8,764 36.96% 303 1.28%
1972 13,501 80.63% 3,201 19.12% 42 0.25%
1968 5,362 50.85% 2,230 21.15% 2,952 28.00%
1964 3,581 55.45% 2,877 44.55% 0 0.00%
1960 2,708 60.74% 1,750 39.26% 0 0.00%
1956 1,934 59.73% 1,304 40.27% 0 0.00%
1952 1,086 49.59% 1,104 50.41% 0 0.00%
1948 247 28.07% 362 41.14% 271 30.80%
1944 180 21.95% 640 78.05% 0 0.00%
1940 156 16.17% 809 83.83% 0 0.00%
1936 88 8.89% 902 91.11% 0 0.00%
1932 37 8.03% 424 91.97% 0 0.00%
1928 151 37.01% 256 62.75% 1 0.25%
1924 15 8.33% 148 82.22% 17 9.44%
Gubernatorial Election Results
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2022 71.74% 117,477 27.98% 45,815 0.29% 467
2018 64.52% 100,303 34.48% 53,594 1.00% 1,556
2014 66.31% 75,337 31.05% 35,281 2.64% 3,002
2010 65.12% 66,960 32.49% 33,408 2.39% 2,465
2006 68.80% 59,821 29.10% 25,303 2.10% 1,822
2002 73.74% 61,555 25.44% 21,237 0.82% 687
1998 71.06% 41,688 28.94% 16,981 0.00% 1
1994 61.40% 36,370 38.60% 22,860

Communities

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Cities

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Census-designated places

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Community development districts

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Other unincorporated communities

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Invasive snake issues

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Barefoot Beach Preserve, a Collier County park

Collier is located in the center of Florida's invasive snake epidemic. A three-month effort at the beginning of 2016 netted over one ton of captured snakes, including a Florida record for largest male Burmese python, measuring 16 ft and weighing 140 lb.[23][24][25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Collier County, Florida Demographics and Housing 2020 Decennial Census".
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Guidance on the Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Executive Office of the President. July 21, 2023. p. 64. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Widmer, Randolph J. (1988). "The Prehistory of Southwest Florida". Evolution of the Calusa: a Stratified Non-Agricultural Chiefdom on the Southwest Florida Coast. University of Alabama Press. p. 72. ISBN 9780817303587.
  5. ^ Clark, James C. (2014). A Concise History of Florida. Arcadia. p. 150. ISBN 9781625851536.
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  10. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  13. ^ "Collier County, Florida Demographics and Housing 2020 Decennial Census".
  14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  15. ^ "Collier County Census Overview". colliercountyfl.gov.
  16. ^ "POPULATION & DEMOGRAPHICS | Collier County, FL". www.colliercountyfl.gov.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  19. ^ "Locations, hours, maps". Collier County Public Library. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  20. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  21. ^ "Collier County Supervisor of Elections". Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  22. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  23. ^ "A ton of Burmese pythons removed in 90 days". March 17, 2016.
  24. ^ "South Florida has pythons by the ton, literally".
  25. ^ "South Florida has pythons by the ton, literally". Miami Herald.
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Government links/Constitutional offices

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Special districts

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Judicial branch

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Recycling Center

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26°05′N 81°24′W / 26.08°N 81.40°W / 26.08; -81.40