Jensen Beach, Florida

Jensen Beach is a located in Martin County in the  of Florida. In the it had a population of 11,707 inhabitants and a population density of 1472 PD/sqmi., It is part of the.

Geography
Jensen Beach is located at the coordinates 27.24389°N, -80.24111°W, According to the. Jensen Beach has a total area of 8.1 sqmi, of which 6.8 sqmi correspond to the mainland and 1.2 sqmi (15.04%) is water.

Ocean Breeze is an incorporated town located within unincorporated Jensen Beach.

Waveland was the original name for the area from Crossroads Hill (south of N.E. Center Street) south to the tip of Sewall's Point and west to Warner Creek.

"Jensen" originally meant the area immediately adjacent to modern-day downtown Jensen Beach.

Jensen Beach was rated the "Top Spot for Beach Volleyball" in 2008 by the "Prime Time Magazine", and is a part of the which derives its name from the ships that wrecked during the 17th century because of coral reefs in the shallow waters. Artifacts and treasures from these ships of Spanish origin can still be discovered today.

The Skyline Drive area is among the highest points in south Florida.

Demographics


According to the, there were 11,707 people residing in Jensen Beach. The was 1,531.8 PD/sqmi Of the 11,707 residents, Jensen Beach was comprised of 94.53%, 2.48% were , 0.2% were , 0.67% were , 0.03% were , 0.89% were  and 1.21% were of two or more races. Of the total population, 4.84% were or  of any race..

There were 5,059 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.78.

20.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,674, and the median income for a family was $49,787. Males had a median income of $34,368 versus $25,118 for females. The for the CDP was $22,921. 8.3% of the population and 5.0% of families were below the poverty line. 8.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older were living below the.

Recreation
The main public beach in Jensen Beach is on Hutchinson Island and is called Jensen Sea Turtle Beach. It is a wide sandy beach on the. Martin Countylife guards are in attendance. The beach is used for sun bathing, surfing, and swimming.

Ecology
Jensen Beach is known in the marine biology community for being a location for sea turtles to nest.

Designated sections of the Jensen Sea Turtle Beach are barricaded off in order to protect the nests of the sea turtles. The three species found on this beach are the loggerhead, leatherback turtle and green sea turtle. Loggerhead nests are the most common type found on this and adjacent beaches. Locations of the sea turtles' nests are marked with the approximate date in which the eggs were laid and the expected date in which the eggs will hatch. These notifications are meant to discourage tourists and residents from visiting the beach in the evening hours during these time periods. Efforts are made to protect both species of sea turtles since nests have been declining in recent years due to the severe erosion of the beach.

History
The history of Jensen Beach in the 19th century revolved around pineapple farming. John Laurence Jensen, an immigrant from Denmark, arrived in 1881, and set up his pineapple plantation, which became the town of Jensen.

By 1894, the reached Jensen Beach, and freight shipments were loaded directly onto the freight cars.

By 1895, Jensen was called the “Pineapple Capital of the World,” shipping over one million boxes of pineapples each year during the June and July season. To help handle the increased pineapple production, a pineapple factory was built. To help handle the increased pineapple production, a pineapple factory was built.

A hard freeze in 1895 devastated most of the small pineapple plantations. Two fires, in 1908 and 1910, destroyed most of Jensen Beach and its remaining pineapple farms. The industry finally collapsed in 1920 due to a wide variety of financial and agriculture problems. Growers decided to turn their efforts in another direction: raising citrus. The pineapple has become a symbol of Jensen Beach. The fruit legacy is celebrated annually during the Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival.

In 2004 Jensen Beach was hit by two hurricanes. On September 5, 2004, Hurricane Frances made landfall at with winds of 105 mph. On September 25, 2004,  made landfall on Hutchinson Island with winds of 120 mph.

Historic landmarks
Historic landmarks in Jensen Beach include:


 * All Saints Episcopal Church erected in 1898 is the oldest church building in Jensen Beach as well as in Martin County. Adjacent to the church is All Saints Cemetery which is non-sectarian and serves the whole community.
 * Capt. John Miller House (private) on Indian River Drive in Eden, built by an early settler in the late 1890s
 * Jensen Beach Christian Church built in 1910-1912
 * Capt. Henry E. Sewall House, now located in Indian RiverSide Park
 * in IndianRiverside Park
 * in IndianRiverside Park
 * , on State Road 707, N.E. Dixie Highway

Sister cities
Jensen Beach has been the sister city of in  since July 1989.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the system, Jensen Beach has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Media
As of September 10, 2010, Jensen Beach once again has its own newspaper, the free Pineapple Post.

Economics


Downtown Jensen Beach is the site of the annual Pineapple Festival.

Education

 * Jensen Beach High School
 * Jensen Beach Elementary
 * Felix A. Williams Elementary
 * The Environmental Studies Center
 * Stuart Middle School

Notable people

 * Ralph Evinrude, CEO of Outboard Motor Company with a test facility in Stuart, married and retired to Jensen Beach.
 * Derek Fathauer, PGA golfer.
 * Forest K. Ferguson, World War II recipient of
 * , singer and entertainer
 * Bobby Lord, country singer
 * Anthony Newley, British songwriter and actor
 * Scott Proctor, baseball pitcher
 * Jennifer Sky (born Jennifer Kathleen Wacha), American actress