Pasco County
U.S. County
Pasco County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 28°18′N 82°26′W / 28.3°N 82.44°W / 28.3; -82.44
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	June 2, 1887
Named for	Samuel Pasco
Seat	Dade City
Largest CDP	Wesley Chapel
Area
• Total	868 sq mi (2,250 km2)
• Land	747 sq mi (1,930 km2)
• Water	122 sq mi (320 km2)  14.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	561,891
• Density	752/sq mi (290/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	12th
Website	www.pascocountyfl.net

Pasco County is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the 2020 census, the population was 561,691.^[1] Its county seat is Dade City,^[2] and its largest city is Zephyrhills. The county is named after Samuel Pasco.

Pasco County is included in the Tampa Bay Area and is primarily a bedroom community for Tampa and St. Petersburg.

It includes numerous parks and trails located along rivers, the Gulf of Mexico, lakes, and highway/railroad right-of-ways. Several nudist resorts are located in Pasco. It has become known as the "naturist capital of the United States," beginning with a development in 1941.^[3] West Pasco includes retirement areas, commercial fishing, and suburbs of Tampa. The Suncoast Parkway as well as U.S. 19, U.S. 41, U.S. 98, U.S. 301, and Interstate 75 all pass through Pasco. The county is directly west of Polk and Sumter counties, north of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and south of Hernando County.

History

Pasco County was created on June 2, 1887, from the southern third of Hernando County. The same legislation also created Citrus County from the northern third of Hernando County. The county was named after Samuel Pasco, who had just been elected to the United States Senate.^[4]

Dade City was named the temporary county seat until a popular vote was held in 1889, at which time voters made Dade City the permanent county seat. As early as 1917, residents of the western part of the county proposed forming a separate county or merging with Pinellas County, as Dade City was not centrally located in the county. The issue was finally resolved in the late 1970s with the construction of identical government centers in both Dade City and New Port Richey.^{[citation needed]}

The earliest towns were Anclote, Blanton, Dade City, Earnestville, Fort Dade (not to be confused with Fort Dade on Egmont Key), Macon (Trilby), Lacoochee, St. Leo,^[5] and San Antonio. Citrus was an important industry when the county was formed, although a decline followed a freeze in 1895. Several large sawmills operated in the county in the early part of the 20th century.^{[citation needed]}

During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, New Port Richey became the winter home of silent screen star Thomas Meighan and golfer Gene Sarazen; Meighan attempted to bring other Hollywood figures to the city. The county has experienced significant population growth since the 1960s. The growth began along the Gulf coast but is now occurring most rapidly in areas north of Tampa.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 868 square miles (2,250 km²), of which 747 sq mi (1,930 km²) is land and 122 sq mi (320 km²) (14.0%) is water.^[6]

A portion of Eastern Pasco County contains rolling topography with elevations from 100 to 160 ft (30 to 49 m), along with San Antonio and St. Leo.

Adjacent counties

• Hernando County—north
• Sumter County—northeast
• Polk County—southeast
• Hillsborough County—south
• Pinellas County—southwest

Climate

The county has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and average temperatures in Dade City range from 59.2 °F in January to 82.1 °F in July and August while in Port Richey they range from 59.0 °F in January to 82.2 °F in August. PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 561,891 people, 209,483 households, and 139,278 families residing in the county.

As of the census^[16] of 2000, there were 344,765 people, 147,566 households, and 99,016 families residing in the county. The population density was 463 inhabitants per square mile (179/km²). There were 173,717 housing units at an average density of 233 per square mile (90/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.70% White, 2.07% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.52% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. 5.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 147,566 households, out of which 23.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.20% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 26.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 92.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,969, and the median income for a family was $39,568. Males had a median income of $30,974 versus $23,802 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,439. About 7.60% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Though the county seat is in Dade City, duplicate county government offices and court facilities are also located in the New Port Richey area on the west side of the county.

Politically, the county has been a swing area over the past quarter century. However, three of the last four elections have trended strongly Republican in Presidential elections, with 2008 being the exception. Although the GOP had the most votes in 2008 at the time, it was by a much smaller margin than the previous 2004 election and in subsequent elections, when the raw vote for the Republican candidate increased every time.