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Community Profile and Demographics

LOCATION

County: — Highlands
County Seat: — Sebring
Nearest Metropolitan Area: — Lakeland/ Winter Haven MSA
County Area (square miles): — 1,029

POPULATION

County Population
2000 — 87,366
2005 — 95,496
2006 — 96,672
2007 — 98,727
2009 — 100,111

Projections
2015 — 109,400
2020 — 116,500
2025 — 123,400
2030 — 129,800

Population Age Breakdown (2007)

0-17 — 18.9%
18-34 — 15.3%
35-54 — 20.8%
55-64 — 13.1%
65-79 — 21.3%
80 and over — 10.6%
Median Age — 51

Largest Incorporated Municipalities (2008)

Sebring — 11,005
Avon Park — 8.818
Lake Placid — 1,942
Unincorporated — 78,442

EMPLOYMENT

2009 Labor Force — 42,832
Employed — 37,821
Unemployment Rate — 11.7%

Employment by Industry
Agriculture & Mining — 3.3%
Construction — 7.0%
Manufacturing — 9.6%
Trade, Transportation & Utilities — 8.1%
Information — 1.3%
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate — 9.2%
Professional & Business Services — 3.6%
Education & Health Services — 6.4%
Leisure & Hospitality — 9.7%
Other Services — 4.5%
Government — 7.2%

TAXES

County Taxes
Ad Valorem Millage Rate
Government — 7.3544%
School District — 7.664%
Water District — 0.5693%
Total — 15.5877%

(Amounts vary by location)
Local Option Sales Tax — 1%
Local Option Gasoline Tax/gal — $0.13
Local Option Tourist Tax — 2%
Homestead Exemption......................Yes
Impact Fees.............................Yes
(Temporarily suspended)

State Taxes
Corporate Income Tax — 5.50%
Personal Income Tax — None
Retail Sales Tax — 6.00%
Gasoline Tax/gal — $0.13
Intangible Tax — $1/$1,000 assets over $250M

FINANCIAL

Number of Banks
Domestic — 9
Branches — 33
Credit Union — 1
Branches — 3

UTILITIES

Electricity
Progress Energy
Glades Electric Cooperative

Water Suppliers
Municipalities
Water Management District: — South Florida— Southwest Florida

Natural Gas
Coker Fuel
TECO Peoples Gas Company
Sebring Gas Systems

MAJOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS

10 Largest Employers Product/Service — Total Employees
Florida Hospital Healthcare — 1,300
WalMart Department Store — 796
Highlands Regional Medical Center Healthcare — 500
Cross Country Automotive Services Roadside Assistance — 500
Medical Data Systems, Inc. Collections Assistance — 387
Delray Plants/Highlands Greenhouses Ornamental Plants — 350
Lake Place Health Care Assisted Living Facility — 290
Alan Jay Auto Network Automotive Dealerships — 290
Palms of Sebring Assisted Living Facility — 64
Lowes Home Improvement Store — 125

TRANSPORTATION

Interstates — I-4
Florida Turnpike — I-75

Major Highways
– U.S. Highway 27
– U.S. Highway 98

Railroads
– CSX
– Amtrak

Major Commercial Airport
– Orlando International 80 miles from Sebring

Local Commercial/ Executive Airports
– Sebring Regional
– Avon Park Municipal
– Placid Lakes Airport

Nearest Port with Docking Facilities
– Port of Tampa 70 miles from Sebring
– Port of Palm Beach 100 miles from Sebring

COMMUNICATIONS

Newspapers
– Highlands Today/ Tampa Tribune
– News Sun
– Lake Placid Journal

Radio
Number of radio stations
AM:..........................................3
FM:..........................................3

Telephone
– CenturyLink
– POP/MCI in Avon Park

K-12 EDUCATION

Number of Schools (2007-2008)
Public: — 18
Nonpublic: — 12
Home-School Families: — 160

Enrollment (2007-2008)
Public: — 2,445
Nonpublic: — 1,434
Home-School Families: — 266

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

Colleges/Universities Serving County
– Warner Southern College
– Webber College
– Florida Southern College
– Hodges University
– University of South Florida
– Barry University

Community College
– South Florida Community College (Main Campus and 3 Branches)

Vo-Tech Schools
– Florida Community College
– Indian River Community College
– Ridge Technical School

MEDICAL

Hospitals: — 3
Number of Beds: — 335
Nursing Homes: — 5
Number of Beds: — 598
Assisted Living Facilities: — 11
Number of Beds: — 544
Physicians: — 169
Dentists: — 31
Optometrists: — 10
Physical Therapists: — 65
Chiropractors: — 21
Nurses-RN: — 946
Nurses-LPN: — 406

FACILITIES

Motels — 21
Total Rooms Available: — 648
Hotels — 7
Total Rooms Available: — 714
Food Service Establishments — 180
Seating: — 15,568

CHURCHES

Catholic: — 5
Jewish: — 1
Protestant: — 120
Other: — 5

RECREATION

Highlands Hammock State Park
Lake June Scrub State Park
Lakes: — 95
Public Boat Landing: — 44
Golf Courses: — 14
Tennis Courts: — 31
County Parks: — 19

BMX Track

POINTS OF INTEREST

– Sebring International Raceway
– Civilian Conservation Corps Museum
– Avon Park Depot Museum
– Lake Placid Historical Museum
– Sebring Historical Museum
– Military Sea Services Museum
– SFCC – Museum of FL Arts and Culture
– SFCC – Performing Artist Series


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