Neptune Beach, Florida

Neptune Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach, Florida
City
	City of Neptune Beach
	Images from top, left to right: Sunrise at the beach, City Hall, Beaches Town Center, Jaguar statue in the Beaches Town Center, Duncan U. Fletcher High School
	Location in Duval County and the state of Florida
	Coordinates: 30°19′00″N 81°24′11″W / 30.31667°N 81.40306°W
Country	United States of America
State	Florida
County	Duval
Incorporated	August 11, 1931
Government
• Type	Council–Manager
• Mayor	Elaine Brown
• Vice Mayor	Kerry Chin
• Councilors	Lauren Key,; Josh Messinger, and; Nia Livingston
• City Manager	Richard Pike
• City Clerk	Catherine Ponson
Area
• Total	6.85 sq mi (17.74 km2)
• Land	2.34 sq mi (6.05 km2)
• Water	4.51 sq mi (11.69 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	7,217
• Density	3,088.15/sq mi (1,192.29/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	32266
Area code(s)	904, 324
FIPS code	12-48100
GNIS feature ID	0287587
Website	City of Neptune Beach

Neptune Beach is a beachfront city east of Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida, United States. When the majority of Duval County communities consolidated with Jacksonville in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Baldwin remained quasi-independent. Like those other municipalities, it maintains its own municipal government but its residents vote in the Jacksonville mayoral election and are represented on the Jacksonville city council. As of the 2020 census, the population is 7,217, up from 7,037 at the 2010 census. Neptune Beach is the smallest of the Jacksonville Beaches communities. it is part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Looking north along 1st St. at Neptune Beach in 1979.

Neptune Beach was originally part of Jacksonville Beach. Through its development, the part of Jacksonville Beach north of 20th Avenue North was sparsely populated, with a brick road (First Street) connecting the more populated southern area with Atlantic Beach. The name "Neptune Beach" originated in 1922 with Dan G. Wheeler, one of the few residents. Wheeler had a home at what is now One Ocean Hotel (now in Atlantic Beach), and had to walk all the way home from Mayport each evening after taking the Florida East Coast Railway train home from work in Jacksonville. A friend who worked for the railroad informed Wheeler that if he had a station, the train would have to stop for him, so Wheeler built his own train station near his home and named it Neptune.^[1]

Neptune seceded from Jacksonville Beach and incorporated as its own municipality in 1931, following a tax revolt. The comparatively few residents of the area were largely cut off from Jacksonville Beach city services such as police, fire, garbage collection, and road developments, though they paid taxes in equal share. The first mayor was O. O. McCollum, and the government met in Wheeler's old train station until a new town hall was completed in 1935.^[1]

Geography

Neptune Beach is located at 30°19′00″N 81°24′11″W / 30.316641°N 81.403081°W / 30.316641; -81.403081 (30.316641, –81.403081).^[4]

Neptune Beach is one of several towns on San Pablo Island, which stretches through two counties (Duval and St. Johns) and extends from Naval Station Mayport at its northern tip to Vilano Beach in the south, across from St. Augustine.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Neptune Beach has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.7 km²), of which 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) is land and 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) (65.96%) is water.

Transportation

Major highways

SR A1A
SR 10

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1940	1,363	—
1950	1,767	29.6%
1960	2,868	62.3%
1970	4,281	49.3%
1980	5,248	22.6%
1990	6,816	29.9%
2000	7,270	6.7%
2010	7,037	−3.2%
2020	7,217	2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census^[5]

2010 and 2020 census

**Neptune Beach racial composition**
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race	Pop 2010^[6]	Pop 2020^[7]	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	6,464	6,302	91.86%	87.32%
Black or African American (NH)	84	73	1.19%	1.01%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	23	19	0.33%	0.26%
Asian (NH)	58	85	0.82%	1.18%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	1	7	0.01%	0.10%
Some other race (NH)	14	29	0.20%	0.40%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)	115	320	1.63%	4.43%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	278	382	3.95%	5.29%
Total	7,037	7,217

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,217 people, 3,143 households, and 1,943 families residing in the city.^[8]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 7,037 people, 3,398 households, and 1,528 families residing in the city.^[9]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,270 people, 3,282 households, and 1,857 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,968.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,146.3/km²). There were 3,472 housing units at an average density of 1,417.9 per square mile (547.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.08% White, 0.73% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.09% of the population.

In 2000, there were 3,282 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.85.

In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $53,576, and the median income for a family was $65,684. Males had a median income of $43,431 versus $30,264 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,525. About 1.9% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.