Wilton Manors, Florida

Wilton Manors is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 12,879. Wilton Manors is part of the South Florida metropolitan area, which is home to 5,463,857 people. It is also a home to a large population of ethnic minorities, such as African Americans, Haitians, Cubans, and Filipinos.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz is Wilton Manors' congresswoman.

History and Culture
Wilton Manors, the "Island City", was incorporated in 1947. It is bordered on the north by the North Fork of the Middle River and the City of Oakland Park; to the south, the boundaries include the South Fork of the Middle River and the City of Fort Lauderdale; the eastern terminus of the city limits extend to near Federal Highway (US 1); and the western most boundary reaches Interstate 95.

Over recent years, Wilton Manors has experienced tremendous economic revitalization. Both commercial and residential property values continue to increase giving proof to the Island City's economic rejuvenation. Along Wilton Drive, the City's "Arts and Entertainment" District features an array of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues situated along a pedestrian-friendly corridor.

Wilton Manors is home to several recreational facilities, including Colohatchee Nature Park, a 9.3 acre recreational facility complete with a boardwalk for nature observation, a dog park, and a boat ramp for watercraft entry.

Areas throughout the City continue to gentrify and revitalize, making Wilton Manors one of South Florida's most attractive communities in which to live and work.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,697 people, 5,876 households, and 2,467 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,535.3/mi² (2,527.0/km² ). There were 6,321 housing units at an average density of 3,253.5/mi² (1,258.0/km² ). The racial makeup of the city was 79.22% White (72.1% were Non-Hispanic White,) 13.18% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.61% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from other races, and 3.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.67% of the population.

There were 5,876 households out of which 18.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.0% were non-families. 40.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the city the population was spread out with 16.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 123.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,366, and the median income for a family was $43,346. Males had a median income of $31,857 versus $26,522 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,770. About 10.7% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

'''Wilton Manors is known as a gay village, although its population is extremely diverse. It ranks 3rd in the U.S. for its percentage of gays as a proportion of total population. The Fort Lauderdale area ranks 4th in metro areas (per capita). Neighboring Oakland Park is ranked sixth on the list. Wilton Manors has approximately 1270% more gay men per capita than the national average.'''

As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 78.52% of the population, while Spanish was at 9.37%, French Creole at 7.13%, French at 2.31%, Italian at 1.22%, as well as Portuguese being at 0.68%, German being 0.55%, and Polish as a mother tongue of 0.17% of all residents.

As of 2000, Wilton Manors was the 133rd most Cuban-populated area in the US (tied with Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey) at 1.58% of the population, while it had the twenty-seventh highest percentage of Haitians in the US, (tied with North Lauderdale and Florida City) at 6.7% of all residents.