Broward County reaches milestone in 1966

Broward County reached a milestone in 1966. By the end of March that year, 500,000 people claimed the county as permanent residence. The headcount rose at an estimated rate of 90 people a day: 20 being born, 12 dying and roughly 80-85 moving to the area each day.   That rate began in 1964 and continued through 1966.

The 1966 population number doesn’t seem impressive when compared to that of 2021 which points to an estimated 1.9 million in Broward. In contrast, the 1950 population was counted at 83,933 persons; in 1960 the U.S. Census recorded 333,946. The rate slowed during the next decade; in 1970 the U.S. Census tallied 620,000 residents.

Broward County, established in 1915, is comprised of 30 municipalities within 1,196.9 square miles, including about 787 square miles (65 percent) of conservation area. (Little wonder that land values continue to soar.) The county’s boundaries, which extend 50 miles west and stretch 25 miles north to south, include 23 miles of sandy white beaches and 126 miles of navigable canals.Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale News, March 16, 1966

U.S. Census

Broward.org

Tags: Broward County history, Broward population, Fort Lauderdale historian, Miami historian