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Venice – city on the Gulf

Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The city includes what locals call “Venice Island,” a portion of the mainland that is accessed via bridges over the Intracoastal Waterway. The city is located south of Nokomis and north of Englewood. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,746. It is noted for its large snowbird population and was voted as a top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns by Coastal Living.Venice is part of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area.

Demographics

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43.1 km2), of which 15.3 square miles (39.5 km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.5 km2), or 8.19%, is water. The climate of Venice is Humid Subtropical, bordering very closely on a Tropical Savanna climate and features pronounced wet and dry seasons.

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1930 309 —
1940 507 64.1%
1950 727 43.4%
1960 3,444 373.7%
1970 6,648 93.0%
1980 12,153 82.8%
1990 16,922 39.2%
2000 17,764 5.0%
2010 20,748 16.8%
Est. 2018 23,376 [4] 12.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

Caspersen Beach Park has hiking trails and a rocky beach

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,764 people, 9,680 households, and 5,362 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,948.8 inhabitants per square mile (752.1/km²). There were 13,516 housing units at an average density of 1,482.8 per square mile (572.2/km²).

The average household size was 1.76 and the average family size was 2.25. In the city, the population was spread out with 6.9% under the age of 18, 2.3% from 18 to 24, 10.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 57.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 69 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,536, and the median income for a family was $46,898. Males had a median income of $35,271 versus $26,132 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,220. Arts and culture[edit]

Annual cultural events

Venice Avenue

The Venice Jetty

Venice has been listed in several publications as being the “Shark’s Tooth Capital of the World”. It hosts the Shark’s Tooth Festival every year to celebrate the abundance of fossilized shark’s teeth that can be found on its coastal shores.

Museums and other points of interest

The following structures and areas are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Theatre and music

  • Venice Theatre – The Venice Theatre is the largest per-capita community theater in the United States with an operating budget of almost three million dollars.
  • Venice Symphony