Nokomis, Florida

Nokomis is an unincorporated town along the Gulf Coast of Florida, United States, located south of Osprey and just north of Venice. The town has access to the coast through Nokomis Public Beach and Casey Key. The town's population was 3,167 at the 2010 census.[4] It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Nokomis, Florida
Census-designated place
Location in Sarasota County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°7′25″N 82°26′20″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Sarasota
Area
• Total	1.9 sq mi (5.0 km^2)
• Land	1.6 sq mi (4.2 km^2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km^2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	3,167
• Density	1,951/sq mi (753.4/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	34274–34275
Area code(s)	941
FIPS code	12-48875[2]
GNIS feature ID	0287754[3]

View from Nokomis Beach, outside the Nokomis CDP, early on a summer morning

Nokomis includes approximately 2.5 miles of the Legacy Trail, including a water crossing at the Shakett Creek (Dona Bay) bridge.

Casey Key is a barrier island to the northwest of the CDP along the Gulf of Mexico, where there are luxurious beachfront houses lining the key. Casey Key is not part of any CDP.[5]

History

In 1917, Alfred F. Wrede established the first post office with the name of Nokomis southwest of the original Venice post office. The same year, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Fred Albee purchased 112 acres from the Sarasota-Venice Company. With Ellis W. Nash,Albee created the Nokomis subdivision by subdividing the property into 130 lots, with streets radiating from two inner avenue circles and the new asphalt highway, which eventually became U.S. 41. On U.S. 41, Albee and investors built the Pollyanna Inn, a 35-room hotel.[6]

Compiled in the late 1930s and first published in 1939, the Florida guide listed Nokomis's population as 79 and described it as:

a suburb of Venice, is separated from that town by Shackett Creek...[7]

— Federal Writers' Project, "Part III: The Florida Loop", Florida; a guide to the southernmost state (1947)

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.9 square miles (5.0 km²), of which 1.6 square miles (4.2 km²) is land and 0.31 square miles (0.8 km²), or 15.65%, is water.[4]

Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 3,334 people, 1,544 households, and 955 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,998.5 people per square mile (770.8/km²). There were 1,820 housing units at an average density of 1,091.0/sq mi (420.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.69% White, 0.60% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.

There were 1,544 households, out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.64.

Surfing at North Jetty Park, outside the Nokomis CDP

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 17.1% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $34,699, and the median income for a family was $37,731. Males had a median income of $27,209 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,077. About 8.6% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Nokomis CDP, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
5. "P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Sarasota County, FL". U.S. Census Bureau. December 11, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
6. "FOUR: HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES" (PDF).
7. Federal Writers' Project (1947). Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 395.