Hillcrest Heights, Florida
Encyclopedia
Hillcrest Heights is a town in Polk County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 266 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 280. It is part of the Lakeland
–Winter Haven
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
, Babe Ruth
and William Jennings Bryan
.
In 1923, the Village of Hillcrest Heights was incorporated. A year later, the town's dirt roads were all paved.
and east of Crooked Lake. The town is approximately nine miles south of Lake Wales
and five miles (8 km) north of Frostproof
. Hillcrest Heights is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain
with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all land.
Hillcrest Heights is located in the humid subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification
: Cfa).
of Babson Park, with a population of over 1,000 are also fearful of the Frostproof annexations, and the Babson Park Visioning Group is considering either incorporating the CDP or asking for annexation by Hillcrest Heights.
of 2000, there were 266 people, 99 households, and 75 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,640.3 inhabitants per square mile (641.9/km²). There were 138 housing units at an average density of 851.0 per square mile (333.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.62% White, 1.88% African American, 0.75% Asian, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.
There were 99 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples
living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $60,556, and the median income for a family was $62,143. Males had a median income of $40,833 versus $33,125 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,802. About 2.9% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 5.7% of those sixty five or over.
/St. Pete television market, the 13th largest in the country and part of the local Lakeland/Winter Haven radio market, which is the 94th largest in the country.
system.
Warner University is a few miles west of town.
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 266 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 280. It is part of the Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
–Winter Haven
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
In 1917, the Lakeside Club was built on the south shore of Crooked Lake. A year later, this club burnt to the ground and was rebuilt and named the Hillcrest Lodge. This lodge was well known and many celebrities stayed there including Bobby JonesBobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
, Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
and William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
.
In 1923, the Village of Hillcrest Heights was incorporated. A year later, the town's dirt roads were all paved.
Geography and Climate
Hillcrest Heights is located just south of Babson ParkBabson Park, Florida
Babson Park is a census-designated place in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,182 at the 2000 census. It is also the home of Webber International University....
and east of Crooked Lake. The town is approximately nine miles south of Lake Wales
Lake Wales, Florida
Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,194 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 11,802 . It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and five miles (8 km) north of Frostproof
Frostproof, Florida
Frostproof is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The city is located in southern Polk County on the Lake Wales Ridge. The population was 2,975 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,954...
. Hillcrest Heights is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all land.
Hillcrest Heights is located in the humid subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
: Cfa).
Government
Hillcrest Heights has a town council made up of five members including a mayor and vice mayor. The town does not have a city manager and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the town. Police services are contracted through the Polk County Sheriffs Office Department. The town's annual operating budget is less than $100,000. In the most recent 2009 elections, only the incumbent commissioners qualified and were elected by default.Annexations
Although the town is only 107 acre (0.43301402 km²), the residents and government of Hillcrest Heights have been aggressive in keeping the status quo in the town. Because of encroaching annexations by the City of Frostproof, the town is exploring the possibility of annexing Crooked Lake and nearby shores which would increase the size of the town to 6.7 miles (10.8 km). Although the annexation would not increase the population of Hillcrest Heights, it would help stop development of nearby areas. Many residents of adjacent census-designated place(CDP)Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
of Babson Park, with a population of over 1,000 are also fearful of the Frostproof annexations, and the Babson Park Visioning Group is considering either incorporating the CDP or asking for annexation by Hillcrest Heights.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 266 people, 99 households, and 75 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,640.3 inhabitants per square mile (641.9/km²). There were 138 housing units at an average density of 851.0 per square mile (333.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.62% White, 1.88% African American, 0.75% Asian, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.
There were 99 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $60,556, and the median income for a family was $62,143. Males had a median income of $40,833 versus $33,125 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $20,802. About 2.9% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 5.7% of those sixty five or over.
Media
Hillcrest Heights is part of the TampaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
/St. Pete television market, the 13th largest in the country and part of the local Lakeland/Winter Haven radio market, which is the 94th largest in the country.
Transportation
- State Road 17 - The Scenic Highway going through the center of town, leading northward to Highland ParkHighland Park, FloridaHighland Park is a village in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 244 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 258...
and Lake WalesLake Wales, FloridaLake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,194 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 11,802 . It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and southward to FrostproofFrostproof, FloridaFrostproof is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The city is located in southern Polk County on the Lake Wales Ridge. The population was 2,975 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,954...
. - US 27U.S. Route 27U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
- A divided highway six miles (10 km) west of town.
Education
There are no public schools in Hillcrest Heights. Generally students will go to elementary school at nearby Babson Park Elementary, and then go on to Frostproof Middle/High School or take advantage of the Lake Wales charter schoolCharter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
system.
Warner University is a few miles west of town.