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Cocoa Beach sunrise.
Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,482 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 12,435.
Government
HistoryCocoa Beach started its current growth during the 1960s due to America's space program. NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center is located approximately 15 miles away. After manned space flights, the town held parades in honor of the astronauts. Many of the homes in Cocoa Beach are built on dredged mud and sand from the Banana River. After NASA's Apollo program came to an end, and before the Shuttle program was in full swing, the town suffered from layoffs. Many families lost their jobs or simply moved away. People could not sell their homes and some walked away from them. Cocoa Beach was the setting for the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, although only one episode was actually filmed there (Jeannie's wedding).
Climate
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,482 people, 6,529 households, and 3,532 families residing in the city. The population density was 985.5/km² (2,552.1/mi²). There were 8,709 housing units at an average density of 687.6/km² (1,780.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.64% White, 0.62% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.52% of the population. There were 6,529 households out of which 12.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.91 and the average family size was 2.47. In the city the population was spread out with 12.2% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 34.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
Economics
Personal Income The median income for a household in the city was $42,372, and the median income for a family was $51,795. Males had a median income of $39,418 versus $27,113 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,968. About 3.7% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over. Cocoa Beach is a retirement area, with the average age being 54.
IndustryRon Jon's, a surf shop, receives 2 million visitors a year. The store contains 52,000 square feet. It is the world's largest surf shop.It is open 24 hours a day, and covers two floors. Behind the surf shop is a museum to surfing and a surf school. There is also a sculpture garden.
Sister Cities
An empty Cocoa Beach on a cloudy day. Information provided by Wikipedia |
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