Monroe County, Florida

Monroe County

Monroe County is part of the southeast Florida region along with Miami-Dade, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward. Key West is the county seat. Other incorporated municipalities are Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Layton, and Islamorada. The county's population is over 70,000.

Monroe County is the southernmost county in Florida and the continental United States. 99% of the population of Monroe County lives in the Florida Keys, which are wholly contained within Monroe County. Mainland Monroe County is covered by wetlands. Portions of Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve form the entirety of the section of Monroe County that lies on the peninsula. 22% of the properties in Monroe County are government owned.

The largest industry in Monroe County is tourism. In 2010, The Keys alone had 3.8 million visitors. Major private sector employers are Kmart, HMA, Baptist Mariner's Hospital, HTA, and Hawks Cay Resort. Public employers are US Armed Forces, Monroe County Schools, Monroe County Government, and Florida Keys Community College.

Visitors go to the Keys for the year-round warm weather, sandy beaches, and stunning vistas of both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The islands of the Keys offer a variety of maritime recreation opportunities, including boating, fishing, and windsurfing. The Keys are sometimes referred to as the Conch Republic after the islands seceded from the United States in 1982 and immediately surrendered to protest a blockade at the mainlands to search for drugs.

Once the largest city in Florida, Key West is still the southernmost in the lower 48. The cultural and economic heart of Monroe County is at the southern terminus of US 1. The southern islands have long been a naval base, dating back to its establishment in 1823 to combat piracy. Today, Naval Air Station Key West is used as a forward base to combat the narcotics trade in the Caribbean and as a flight training center.

Sue Goldthorp

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My name is Sue Goldthorp. I am a real estate broker and co-founder of Visulate. Drop me a line if you would like me to help you buy or sell a property in Monroe County Florida.

Monroe County Florida Cities

There are 10 cities in Monroe County Florida. These are listed below. Click on a link for details.

Big Pine Key, Islamorada, Key Colony Beach, Key Largo, Key West, Long Key, Marathon, Marathon Shores, Summerland Key, Tavernier,

Monroe County has a population of approximately 74,809 people. The population increased 2.4% from 2010 to 2012. This compared to a 2.7% increase for the State of Florida and a 1.7% increase for the country as a whole. Monroe County is 983.28 square miles and had a population density of 74.3 Persons per square mile in 2010. This compared to 350.6 for Florida and 87.4 for the country.

There are 52,552 housing units in Monroe County (a housing unit is defined by the US Census Bureau as a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room that is occupied as separate living quarters.) Monroe County has a 64.3% homeownership rate compared to Florida's rate of 69.0%. Monroe County's medium household income in 2011 was $53,889, which is higher than the medium income for Florida as a whole: $47,827.

Regional Economic Indicators
RegionPopulation
2012
Economic Activity
2007 (Millions)
Population Growth
2010 to 2012
Median Household
Income 2011
Housing
Units
Median Price
2007 to 2011
United States 313,914,040 $14,025,202 1.7% $52,762 132,312,404 $186,200
Florida 19,317,568 $630,738 2.7% $47,827 9,026,965 $188,600
Monroe County 74,809 $2,136 2.4% $53,889 52,552 $463,100

11.6% of the population in Monroe County lives below the poverty line, compared to 14.7% in Florida and 14.3% nationwide. Additional Information:

Monroe County Economic Activity

The U.S. Bureau of the Census, Economic , 2007 calculated the total value manufacturing, merchant wholesaler, retail sales and food service sales in Monroe County. The Census measured activity of large and medium-sized firms during calendar year 2007. It does not include every aspect of the economy but can be used as a measure of economic activity.

At $2,136 million, Monroe County's economic activity represents 0.34% of the Florida economy.

Economic Activity
ActivityValue (Millions)Percentage
Manufacturers shipments $0 0.0%
Merchant wholesaler sales $0 0.0%
Retail sales $1,388 65.0%
Accommodation and food services sales $748 35.0%
Total $2,136100%

Monroe County Regional Comparisons

Monroe County is located in Southeast Florida. This region is responsible for 37.7% of Florida's economic activity. Monroe County represents 0.9% of the region's economy.

Regional Economic Indicators
RegionPopulation
2012
Economic Activity
2007 (Millions)
Population Growth
2010 to 2012
Median Household
Income 2011
Housing
Units
Median Price
2007 to 2011
Indian River County 140,567 $2,455 1.8% $46,363 76,251 $179,300
St. Lucie County 283,866 $5,576 2.2% $44,947 137,581 $157,600
Martin County 148,817 $4,347 1.7% $53,612 78,356 $238,200
Palm Beach County 1,356,545 $38,668 2.8% $52,951 668,159 $236,600
Broward County 1,815,137 $73,668 3.8% $51,782 810,795 $225,300
Miami-Dade County 2,591,035 $110,643 3.8% $43,957 990,558 $246,800
Monroe County 74,809 $2,136 2.4% $53,889 52,552 $463,100
Total 6,410,776 $237,494 2.6% $49,643 2,814,252 $249,557

Monroe Real Estate

There are 47,581 properties in Monroe County. The following table shows a summary of them based on 2013 sales data.

Monroe County Real Estate Sales Summary
Usage TypeProperty Count%Sales CountMedian PriceMedian Price/FtSales FromTo
Commercial Property 0 0.00 167 $400,000 $547January 1st, 2013September 1st, 2013
Government Property 1,038 2.18 2 $417,500 $358July 1st, 2013July 1st, 2013
Residential Property 0 0.00 1,992 $340,000 $283January 1st, 2013September 1st, 2013

Commercial Real Estate in Monroe County, Florida

0( .00%) of the properties in Monroe County are classified as Commercial. 167 of them sold between January 1st, 2013 and September 1st, 2013. The total value of these sales was $497,709,452. The median sales price was $400,000. In 2013 the median sales price for A Class Commercial Property in Monroe County was ####### per sq ft, B Class properties sold for $547/ft and C Class $125/ft.

Government Real Estate in Monroe County, Florida

1,038( 2.18%) of the properties in Monroe County are classified as Government. 2 of them sold between July 1st, 2013 and July 1st, 2013. The total value of these sales was $835,000. The median sales price was $417,500. In 2013 the median sales price for Government Property in Monroe County was $358 per sq ft.

Residential Real Estate in Monroe County, Florida

0( .00%) of the properties in Monroe County are classified as Residential. 1,992 of them sold between January 1st, 2013 and September 1st, 2013. The total value of these sales was $1,018,656,475. The median sales price was $340,000. In 2013 the median sales price for A Class Residential Property in Monroe County was $539 per sq ft, B Class properties sold for $283/ft and C Class $142/ft.

Additional Details:

Monroe Market Data

Monroe Real Estate
Property UsageProperty CountTotal Sq Ft
Agricultural 5 0
Government Property 1,181 4,978,447
Health Care 13 218,474
Hotel & Motel 603 4,435,920
Industrial 223 1,353,167
Land 5,386 463,874
Miscellaneous Property 90 428,774
Mobile/Manufactured 5,442 4,658,930
Multifamily 1,967 4,986,844
Office 450 1,138,756
Residential 34,717 52,222,474
Retail 1,331 6,975,573
Senior Housing 5 92,150
Special Purpose 1,999 2,007,726
Sports & Entertaining 90 388,125