City of St. Pete, Florida: General Information

St. Pete, Florida is a city in Pinellas County, and has long been known as a vacation destination for American and foreign tourists.  As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 245,314, making St. Pete the fourth largest city in the state of Florida and the largest city in Florida that is not a county seat.  St. Pete is the second largest metropolis in the Tampa Bay Area and the second largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the state.

The city is located on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, connected to mainland Florida to the north.  The city of Tampa lies to the east and is accessible by causeways and bridges across Tampa Bay.  The Gandy Bridge was the first causeway to be built across Tampa Bay, connecting St. Pete and Tampa directly and avoiding a circuitous 43-mile trip around Tampa Bay.  With an average of 360 days of sunshine each year, it is nicknamed “The Sunshine City,” and has long been a popular retirement destination, especially for those in the United States from colder Northern climates.

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, 23.85% of St. Pete households had children under the age of 18, while 37.295% were married couples, 13.8% had a female householder and 43.8% were non-families.  Individuals comprised 35.6% of all households and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household had 2.10 people and the average family size was 2.9.  The city's population was spread out according to age, with 21.5% of residents being under the age of 18, and 7.7% aged from 18 to 24.  Other age groups included 30.2% of residents aged from 25 to 44, 23.1% ranging from 45 to 64 years old, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.24 years.

The median income for a household in St. Pete according to the 2000 Census was $34,597, and the median income for a family was $43,198.  Males edged out females with a median income of $30,794 versus $27,860.  The per capita income for individuals the city was $21,107.