Broward County Now a Minority-Majority Community: 2020 Census Data and Redistricting

Broward County is now a minority-majority community, which means that minorities including Blacks and Hispanics make up the majority of the county’s population.

According to recently released Census 2020 data, the population in Broward County increased 11.2% from 2010 to 2020, with the greatest increase being in the Hispanic population (38.9%), Blacks had the second greatest increase (15.1%), and the greatest decrease in the White alone population (-15.3%)

The data is being analyzed by experts at Florida International University (FIU) to update the county’s district maps. These district maps are used to determine which county commissioner will represent an area, as well as accurately represent the diversity of the county.

Currently the county has nine districts, each represented by a commissioner. Pompano Beach is split into two districts: District 2 which is represented by Commissioner Mark Bogen and District 4 which is represented by Commissioner and former Pompano Beach mayor Lamar Fisher. According to FIU expert Dario Moreno, each district is expected to have 215,000 persons based on the county’s population.

Aside from an increase in the Hispanic population, foreign-born Caribbeans attribute to much of Broward County’s growth. According to the data, 14.6% of Broward County residents are Caribbean born, with 82% of that population being from Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. At a Sept. 30 community meeting held at the E. Pat Larkins Community Center, 520 NW 3rd Ave, Pompano Beach, residents, and county commissioners chimed in.

Mayor Steve Gellar suggested that there could be a Caribbean seat to accurately represent the County’s diversity. One resident said that she believes that Caribbean Americans, although Black, don’t have an interest in fighting for some of the same community issues that African Americans fight for, and did not approve of that idea.

Another resident wanted the experts to create a district that allows commissioners to pay more attention to Deerfield Beach.

“Deerfield Beach is always the forgotten child. If it were up to me, I would like districts that reflect Deerfield Beach,” one community member said.

The new districts are expected to be approved by December 2021. Residents can still submit their ideas for new district maps at www.broward.org/redistricting. There will be another community meeting held virtually on Zoom on October 30 at 10 a.m.