Coastal Demographics

Of the total population of 19.6 million in Florida, approximately 15 million people live in coastal portions of the state.

Coastal Economy

Coastal Florida employs 6.2 million people annually, earning a total of $302.8 billion. This equates to almost $760 billion in gross domestic product.

Natural Hazards

Three billion-dollar weather disasters affected Florida in 2018—and a total of 13 affected the state between 2010 and 2018. In October 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall in Mexico Beach, Florida, as a category 5 hurricane, with 160 mile-per-hour winds and storm surge in excess of 15 feet. Michael was the third category 4 or higher storm to make landfall in the U.S. that year, the first category 5 to strike the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and is only the fourth category 5 on record. Total costs were $25.2 billion.*

Coastal Resources

Florida’s coral reefs provide millions of dollars in protection to buildings and the local economy every year—almost $600 million to the peninsula and over $75 million to the Florida Keys every year.**