Deerfield Beach occupies more than 16 square miles of land located at the northeastern tip of Broward County. It is considered part of the Miami Metropolitan Area. Less than a half of a square mile of the city is located on Deerfield Beach Island. One square mile of the city is covered by water. Most of that water comes from the Gulf Stream that runs across the city limits. The city is north of Pompano Beach and south of Boca Raton.
Incorporated in 1939, Deerfield Beach was once home to mostly just farmers and fishermen who fished along the Intracoastal Waterway. In the early 20th century, the Florida East Coast Railroad added track through the center of the land that leads to Miami. This naturally sparked interest in the area. Originally known as just Deerfield, the “Beach” was added when the city was incorporated to let people know the land included coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Tourists began to flock to the city. To accommodate the increased interest in the beach, the Deerfield Beach Pier was finished in 1952. In 1950, the population of the city was barely more than 2,000 residents. Since 1980, the number of total residents has slightly more than doubled. The current population has just recently topped 80,000 residents.
With a population density hovering above 5,000 residents per square mile, Deerfield Beach is a busy city filled with a diverse population. Less than half of the residents are married. About two-thirds of the residents are Caucasian. Just over 25 percent of the residents are African American. Approximately 60 percent of the population speak English. About 15 percent speak Spanish. The median age of the residents of the city is almost 43 years. That is almost two years more than the state average. As a result of a steady influx of new residents over the decades, only about 30 percent of the current residents of the city were born in Deerfield Beach.
The Learning Experience and Polyglass USA are two of the significant employers within Deerfield Beach. A large portion of the employment in the city is related to tourism. Some of the attractions in the area include Deerfield Beach Arboretum, Deerfield Beach Pier, Quiet Waters Park, and Deerfield Island Park. The median household income in the city is slightly more than $42,000. The unemployment rate is within a percentage point of that of the state and the country.
