The Planning Commission produces demographic and economic data in raw form for use within the agency’s various projection models.  This data is available in printed publications for use by the public. The Planning Commission provides economic data assistance, as requested, to communities and other organizations in Hillsborough County. This support ranges from the provision of data, to the conduction of surveys, to the analysis of trends.

Population Estimates vs. Population Projections – What’s the difference?

Each year the Planning Commission prepares population and housing unit estimates for Unincorporated Hillsborough County and the cities of Plant City, Tampa, and Temple Terrace.

These estimates are prepared at the Census Tract level and then aggregated into the correct jurisdiction.  Analysis at the Census Tract level allows other agencies and the general public to identify geographic areas which are either adding or losing housing units and, concomitantly, adding or losing people.

Population Estimates (2018 Draft): Population_Estimates (2017-2018)

Revised Population Estimates Methodology

Absolute Change in Population by Census Tract : 2010 – 2016

Long Range Growth Forecast Socioeconomic Data : 2040

Quality of Life Survey

The Planning Commission conducted the annual Quality of Life Survey as a way to measure and track public perception of Hillsborough County’s quality of life from 2002-2016. For consistency, the Survey continued to use the eighteen factors originally identified by a focus group of residents in 2002.  It was the consensus of the group that these factors represent the quality of life in Hillsborough County.

Improving our resident’s quality of life is an underlying principle of all appointed or elected bodies and the county’s four comprehensive plans.  The Survey is one of many pieces of information considered by the Planning Commission during the state-mandated updates to the four jurisdictional comprehensive plans.

Quality of Life Survey Statistical Analysis : 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2011 — 2010 — 2009 — 2008

Demographic & Tract Maps

Census Tracts are small, relatively permanent subdivisions of a county or other places that are updated by local participants prior to each decennial.  Census tracts generally have a population size between 1,200 and 8,000 people, with an optimum size of 4,000 people.  A census tract usually covers a contiguous area; however, the spatial size of census tracts varies widely depending on the density of settlement.   Census tract boundaries generally follow visible and identifiable features.

Census Tract Numbers—Census tracts are identified with a number. It is similar to a zip-code where a number corresponds to a geographic area. Some census tracts codes have six numbers with a decimal point between the fourth and fifth number. For this reason,  a census tract number can be written as either 1457.02 or 145702; likewise, 002300 or 23.00.

Census Tract :  Hillsborough County — Plant City — Temple Terrace — Tampa