Pace, Florida

Pace is a census-designated place in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population estimate was 34,235 in 2018. It is part of the Pensacola Metropolitan Statistical Area. Pace has experienced exponential growth, and has evolved from a small, rural community into a thriving suburb of Pensacola. Pace has experienced a large increase of population. From 2000 to 2010, the Pace CDP population growth percentage was 171.1%. It is the second largest community in Santa Rosa County, in terms of population. This puts it only behind Navarre, which has a estimated population of 44,876.

Pace, Florida
Town
Pace Welcome Sign
Location in Santa Rosa County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 30.5992°N 87.1614°W
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Santa Rosa
Area
• Total	9.4 sq mi (24.3 km^2)
• Land	9.4 sq mi (24.3 km^2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km^2)
Elevation	66 ft (20 m)
Population  (2018)
• Total	34,215
• Density	2,131.8/sq mi (824.7/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	32571
Area code(s)	850
FIPS code	12-53725[1]
GNIS feature ID	0288352[2]

Geography

Pace is located in northwestern Florida. Pace is located in central Santa Rosa County, and is located just north of Escambia Bay. Pace comprises the 32571 ZIP code. Pace is just northeast of Pensacola, and is roughly 15 miles (24 km) away from downtown Pensacola. According to the United States Census Bureau, Pace has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24 km²), all land.

History

Pace was first recognized in the 1912 United States Census. It was located just north of Floridatown, and west of Pea Ridge. Pace is named after James G. Pace, who owned large lumber, paper and turpentine productions that operated in the Pace area. On March 12, 1919, Black veteran Bud Johnson was lynched as part of the Red Summer of 1919. Throughout the 20th century, Pace remained a small, rural community. However, beginning in 1980, Pace began to experience rapid growth and began to evolve from a small, rural community to a fast-growing suburb of Pensacola. Commercial growth has also been strong: chain restaurants, chain retailers, and Big-box retailers such as Dick's Sporting Goods, Walmart and Target have moved into the Pace area. Floridatown and Pea Ridge are now considered to be neighborhoods within Pace. Pace continues to experience strong population growth, and the growth trend is expected to continue.

Education

Schools in Pace are administered by the Santa Rosa County School District. Schools in the Pace area perform well, with all schools receiving an A or B rating according to the Florida Department of Education.

High schools

• Pace High School
• Milton High School

Middle schools

• Avalon Middle School
• Thomas L. Sims Middle School

Elementary schools

• Bennett C. Russell Elementary School
• Pea Ridge Elementary School
• S.S. Dixon Primary School
• S.S. Dixon Intermediate School

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1970	1,776		—
1980	5,006		181.9%
1990	6,277		25.4%
2000	7,393		17.8%
2010	20,040		171.1%
source:[3]

At the 2010 census there were 20,040 people, 7,956 households, and 2,092 families in the CDP. The population density was 788.0 people per square mile (304.3/km²). There were 3,096 housing units at an average density of 330.0/sq mi (127.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.70% White, 1.80% African American, .9% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.40% from other races, and 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.60%.[1]

Of the 2,805 households 37.6 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4 percent were married couples living together, 13.9 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4 percent were non-families. 20.2 percent of all households were one person and 6.6 percent had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.01.

The age distribution was 27.1 percent under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8 percent from 25 to 44, 23.5 percent from 45 to 64, and 9.6 percent who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median household income was $79,239 and the median family income was $64,966. About 9.2 percent of the population were below the poverty line.

References

1. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. "CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING (1790-2000)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2010-07-31.