changes are reflected in the reporting by people of Spanish origin in the 

 categories of "White" and "other" in Florida and Northwest Florida. In all, 

 people of Spanish origin made up about 2% of the population in Northwest Flor- 

 ida, and 8.8% for the State as a whole. These population counts probably miss 

 a large portion of the illegal alien residents in Florida. 



The percentage of young persons (16-24 years of age) in the population of 

 the United States will continue to increase primarily because of the rapidly 

 expanding minority population (Table 11). The percentage of non-Whites in 

 this age group in the United States is expected to rise from 13.5% in 1970 to 

 20.1% in 1995. Similar or even stronger trends are predicted for Florida, and 

 possibly for Northwest Florida, despite a relatively high emigration of minor- 

 ities from there in the 1970' s. 



INCOME CHARACTERISTICS 



INCOME LEVELS 



Because of the income sharing arrangements commonly found among families 

 living together or as units, family income data probably reveal a better 

 picture of the economic status of residents in Northwest Florida than per 

 capita income. 



The median family income for Northwest Florida was $2,054 in 1950 and 

 $4,392 in 1960, an increase of 113.8% (Table 12). From 1960 to 1969 median 

 family income increased to $7,130 (62%) and in 1979 it increased to $13,792, a 

 93.4% increase. 



The median family income in Northwest Florida was less than that for the 

 State. For example, in 1950-79 family income increased from $2,054 to $13,792 

 (571.5%) in Northwest Florida, and from $2,400 to $17,558 (an increase of 

 631.6%) statewide. 



Of the counties in Northwest Florida in 1979, Franklin County had the 

 lowest median family income, about $5,000 below most of the other counties and 

 much less than the median for the State ($17,558). Franklin County also had 

 the lowest percentage increase in median family income in 1950-79 (434%); 

 Santa Rosa had the largest increase (795%). 



Per capita income also is a useful measure of an area's economic status. 

 From 1950 to 1980, growth of personal income in Northwest Florida lagged 

 behind that of the State. It was $382 below that for the State in 1950; $556 

 below in 1960; $738 below in 1970; and $1,800 below in 1978 (Table 13). 



INCIDENCE OF POVERTY 



The percentage of people with low incomes was higher in Northwest Florida 

 than in other areas of the State (Table 14). In 1970, 20% of the families had 

 incomes at the poverty level ($3,968 or less for a family of four) and only 

 10.4% (about 17% for the State) of the families had incomes exceeding $15,000. 

 Less than 9% of the families in Franklin, Gulf, and Walton Counties earned 



14 



