Marco Rubio - District Profile

 

Today's blog is going to be discussing the great state that Marco Rubio represents as senator: Florida!

Census Data

According to census.gov, the population of Florida is 21,781,128 as of July 1, 2021. The majority of the population is white non-Hispanic (77.3%), while Hispanics (26.4%) make up another large portion. African Americans come in third at 16.9%. 

Of the population, nearly 21% is of the age 65 and above. This ranks them as one of the oldest states in the US. Meanwhile, 19.7% of the population is under the age of 18. Most of the population is located in an urban setting, such as the state's largest cities Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa. 

The median income of the population is $55,660. This ranks them #36 in United States for median household income.

Industry

Florida has a very diverse set of industries that drive its economy. There are over two million business firms, with over one million of them being owned by women, minorities, and veterans. While the rest of the US struggles with keeping businesses like these running during the pandemic, Florida continues to march on. Governor DeSantis has played a large role in this, striking down mandates and vaccine passports that have affected businesses worldwide.

As for large companies, there are currently 18 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Florida, such as Publix Supermarkets, Tech Data, and World Fuel Services. Fortunately for the state, it is home to a plethora of different industries. My favorite is SpaceX, which I got to visit a couple of years ago!

Party Affiliation

Political affiliation within Florida has always been a little dicey. Currently, according to pewforum, 37% of the population identifies as conservative, 31% identify as moderate, and 24% identify as liberal. However, according to the excellent Dr. Wanless, it is very unlikely that there is actually 31% of the population that are true moderates!

In the 2020 presidential election, the state voted for Donald Trump (R), who accumulated 51.2% of the state's total votes. Trump also won in 2016 when running against Hilary Clinton. Florida is largely considered a battleground state, whether that be for presidential or lower elections. 

Overall, Senator Marco Rubio represents a very diverse state that continues to be on the rise economically.