Cudjoe Key, Florida

Cudjoe Key is a census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida. It is on an island of the same name in the lower Florida Keys.  As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 1,695.

It was originally called Littleton Island.

The United States Army activated Cudjoe Key Air Force Station in 1959. It was to track missiles traveling through the Eglin Gulf Test Range. The Air Force took over operations the next year. After this, it became a detached installation of Homestead Joint Air Reserve Base. The station flies a white radar aerostat. It is known locally as "Fat Albert". This is used for drug interdiction missions by the Drug Enforcement Administration. On April 20, 2007 a Cessna 182 crashed after its left wing struck the tether anchoring "Fat Albert" . The aerostat is marked on air navigation charts inside a restricted area. The area has the warning, "Caution: Unmarked balloon on cable to 14,000 [feet]."

It is possibly named after the Joewood tree (Jacquinia keyensis), a native species. It is also known as cudjoewood. But writer John Viele of Summerland Key gives a better reason for its name.  He believes that Cudjoe, a very common West African name, was the name of a fugitive slave or free negro who lived on the island at some point before to Gerdes' survey in 1849.

Geography
Cudjoe Key is located at  (24.664298, -81.482339).

U.S. 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 20.5 – 23, between Summerland Key and Sugarloaf Key.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.6 km2 (5.6 mi2).  13.6 km2 (5.2 mi2) of it is land and 1.0 km2 (0.4 mi2) of it (6.93%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,695 people, 799 households, and 541 families living in the CDP.  The population density was 124.9/km2 (323.6/mi2).  There were 1,482 housing units. The average density was 109.2/km2 (282.9/mi2).  The racial constitution of the CDP was 96.22% White, 0.88% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.66% of the population.

15.6% of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them. 62.0% were married couples living together. 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present. 32.2% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of a single person and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.43.

12.2% residents were under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 38.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older.  The average age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 108.2 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $57,500, and the median income for a family was $59,883. Males had a median income of $36,094 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,085.  About 4.4% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line. Of these, there were 5.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

References

Islands of Florida
Census-designated places in Florida