Coconut Creek is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. Situated 37 miles (60 km) north of Miami, it had an estimated population of 57,348 in 2022.[6] It is part of South Florida's Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area. The city seceded from Pompano Beach in the 1960s. It is nicknamed "Butterfly Capital of the World" because it is home to Butterfly World, the world's largest butterfly aviary, with over 80 species and 20,000 individual butterflies.[7]
Characteristics
Coconut Creek has an area of 12 square miles (31 km2), with approximately 57,000 residents and 1,400 businesses. Housing is primarily single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses within professionally landscaped communities.
The city took its name from the coconut trees, that were planted in the area by early developers. Robert E. Bateman, one of the developers, named Coconut Creek after combining the names of Miami-Dade County's village of Indian Creek and the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove.
The city is a well-planned community with a unique environmental consciousness touting an abundance of trees, waterways, landscaped roads, parks, and butterfly gardens throughout the neighborhoods. This is due to the city's progressive planning approach to creating a unique life-style for residents and businesses. Coconut Creek is the first in the state of Florida and eleventh in the country to be certified as a "Community Wildlife Habitat".
Playful City USA, a national program advocating for local policies that increase play opportunities for children and is a key platform in combating the play deficit, has named Coconut Creek a 2012 Playful City USA. KaBOOM! selected Coconut Creek for its outstanding dedication to play.
Coconut Creek is adjacent to "Mount Trashmore", officially known as the Monarch Hill Renewable Energy Park, which has long emitted foul odors into the air of the city.[8][9] In September 2010, after threatening to sue over the landfill's odors, Coconut Creek reached an agreement with Waste Management, Inc., the operator of the landfill, that prohibits food and other decaying materials from going into Mount Trashmore after October 2, 2013.[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, Coconut Creek has a total area of 12.0 square miles (31.1 km2), of which 11.9 square miles (30.7 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2) is water (1.21%).[12]
Climate
A neighborhood with coconut palms, displaying the tropical climate.
According to the Köppen climate classification, Coconut Creek has a tropical rainforest climate (Af). The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 91.9 °F, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 57.8 °F. The annual average precipitation at Coconut Creek is 57.27 inches with each month exceeding 2.4 inches of total rainfall on average. Summer months tend to be wetter than winter months. The wettest month of the year is June with an average rainfall of 7.31 Inches.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 57,833 people, 24,137 households, and 14,091 families residing in the city.[17]
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 52,909 people, 22,028 households, and 13,239 families residing in the city.[18]
Residential Coconut Creek homes along a lake.
2000 census
In 2000, there were 20,093 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.73.
In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 18.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
As of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $43,980, and the median income for a family was $55,131. Males had a median income of $40,965 versus $31,188 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,590. About 5.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 79.23% of residents, and Spanish made up of 11.18%. Other languages spoken as a first language were Portuguese 1.79%, Italian 1.40%, Yiddish 1.37%, and French at 1.17% of the population.[19]
As of 2000, Coconut Creek was the twenty-sixth most Brazilian-populated area in the U.S. (tied with Belle Isle, Big Pine Key, and several other areas in the Northeast) at 1.2% of the population.[20]
Economy
Largest employers
According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[21] the largest employers in the city are:
