Alternative Text Description for Year Built by Decade

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the distribution of buildings across Florida organized by the decade in which they were originally constructed, spanning from before 1700 through 2029. The map reveals temporal patterns of development and growth across the state by showing when structures were first built. The overwhelming majority of visible development on the map represents construction from the mid-20th century onward, particularly from 1950 through 2019, shown predominantly in yellow and lime green colors.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, from the panhandle region in the northwest (including Pensacola and Tallahassee) extending southward through the peninsula to Miami and the Florida Keys. Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville on the northeast coast, Orlando in central Florida, Tampa and Petersburg on the west coast, and Miami in the southeast. The western border shows portions of Alabama (including Dothan and Albany) and Georgia (including Valdosta). The Gulf of America forms the western and southwestern boundary of Florida, while the Atlantic Ocean borders the east coast. The map also shows Palm Coast, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Cape Coral, and Cedar Springs among other communities throughout the state.

KEY INSIGHTS

The map reveals that Florida experienced its most intensive building development in the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st century. Development patterns show strong concentrations along both coasts, particularly around major metropolitan areas including the Miami-Fort Lauderdale corridor in the southeast, the Tampa-Petersburg area on the west coast, the Orlando region in central Florida, and Jacksonville in the northeast. The panhandle region shows more dispersed development with notable concentration near Pensacola and Tallahassee. Inland areas and the interior of the peninsula show significantly less development density compared to coastal regions. Very few structures from before 1900 are visible at this map scale, indicating either limited historical construction or the replacement of older structures over time. The vast interior of the state, particularly in north-central Florida, shows sparse development with large gaps between populated areas.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Year Built by Decade Layer

This thematic layer displays building construction dates organized into eight chronological categories spanning over three centuries of Florida's development history.

Pre-1700 Buildings (red)

Appearance:

Red colored polygons

Distribution:

Extremely sparse throughout the state; virtually imperceptible at this map scale

Notable locations:

No concentrations visible at this scale

Spatial patterns:

No discernible pattern due to rarity of these structures

1700-1799 Buildings (orange-red)

Appearance:

Orange-red colored polygons

Distribution:

Extremely limited presence across Florida

Notable locations:

No visible concentrations at this map scale

Spatial patterns:

Too sparse to identify spatial relationships

1800-1899 Buildings (orange)

Appearance:

Orange colored polygons

Distribution:

Minimal presence throughout the state

Notable locations:

Scattered individual parcels with no major concentrations visible

Spatial patterns:

Too limited to determine meaningful patterns

1900-1949 Buildings (bright yellow)

Appearance:

Bright yellow colored polygons

Distribution:

Scattered throughout Florida with some visibility in urban cores

Notable locations:

Small concentrations visible in historic downtown areas of major cities including Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Pensacola

Spatial patterns:

Tends to appear in older city centers and established communities; represents early 20th century urban development

1950-1999 Buildings (light lime yellow)

Appearance:

Light lime yellow colored polygons

Distribution:

Widespread throughout Florida, representing the most visible construction period

Notable locations:

Dominant throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties; extensive coverage around Tampa, Petersburg, Orlando, Jacksonville, and coastal communities statewide

Spatial patterns:

Shows post-World War II suburban expansion radiating from urban centers; follows major transportation corridors; concentrated along both Atlantic and Gulf coasts

2000-2009 Buildings (lime green)

Appearance:

Lime green colored polygons

Distribution:

Extensive throughout the state, second most prevalent decade visible

Notable locations:

Heavy concentrations in southwest Florida including Cape Coral and Naples areas; significant presence in the Orlando metropolitan area; substantial development along both coasts

Spatial patterns:

Fills in gaps between earlier development; extends suburban boundaries outward; shows continued coastal development pressure

2010-2019 Buildings (medium green)

Appearance:

Medium green colored polygons

Distribution:

Scattered throughout developed areas with notable concentrations in growth regions

Notable locations:

Visible clusters near Orlando, in southwest Florida, and in the greater Miami area

Spatial patterns:

Represents infill development within existing urban areas and continued expansion in high-growth regions

2020-2029 Buildings (dark green)

Appearance:

Dark green colored polygons

Distribution:

Minimal presence across the state

Notable locations:

Sparse individual parcels scattered throughout developed regions

Spatial patterns:

Too recent and limited to establish clear patterns; represents the most recent construction activity

Overlapping Patterns

Urban centers display layered development with older construction cores (yellow from 1900-1949) surrounded by post-war expansion (light lime from 1950-1999) and subsequent suburban growth (lime green from 2000-2009). Coastal areas show concentrated development from multiple decades reflecting Florida's continuous population growth and coastal migration patterns throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents the original year that structures were built, not renovation or modification dates. The data is derived from parcel records that have been dissolved by decade, meaning individual parcels are grouped into their respective construction period categories. The map focuses exclusively on the "Actual Year Built" attribute rather than "Effective Year Built," which would reflect renovation dates. At this statewide scale, individual small parcels are difficult to distinguish, and the map is most useful for understanding broad temporal and geographic development patterns rather than identifying specific properties. Areas appearing as white or gray represent either undeveloped land, water bodies, or areas where year-built data is not available in the parcel records.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data originates from parcel records maintained for properties throughout the State of Florida, with year-built information typically derived from county property appraiser records. The dataset has been processed to dissolve individual parcels into grouped polygons representing each decade of construction. Data source layer name: YB_DECADES_2024

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was applied; this map displays all available year-built decade data for the entire state.

Scale Information:

This map displays Florida at a statewide extent, showing broad regional patterns of development across decades. At this scale, individual properties are generally not distinguishable except where larger parcels exist, and the map is most appropriate for understanding regional growth patterns and temporal development trends rather than parcel-level analysis.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The dataset name indicates this represents 2024 data (YB_DECADES_2024), meaning it reflects parcel year-built information current as of 2024. The temporal span of the data itself ranges from before 1700 through 2029, with the inclusion of 2020-2029 suggesting some structures may already have recorded future construction completion dates or the decade category accommodates buildings currently under construction.

Limitations:

Year-built data accuracy depends on county property appraiser records, which may contain errors or omissions. Historic structures may have incomplete records, and the pre-1900 categories are particularly sparse. Some parcels may lack year-built information entirely and would not appear on this map. The data represents when structures were originally built, not their current condition or whether they still exist. Undeveloped parcels and parcels without structures do not appear in this dataset.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the complete geographic extent of Florida from its northern border with Georgia and Alabama southward through the entire peninsula to the Florida Keys, and includes portions of neighboring states for geographic context. The Gulf of America is visible along the western and southern coasts, and the Atlantic Ocean appears along the eastern coast.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.