For Your Daily Dose of the Tropics

The old Lake County Courthouse in Tavares

Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, a newspaper and railroad magnate, founded Tavares in 1880. When registering the town survey, he named the place for one of his Portuguese ancestors. He put in a lot of effort and money to move the state capitol from Tallahassee to Tavares (primarily because of Tavares' location in the center of the state) but didn't succeed. Tavares is now a booming retirement-oriented suburb in the Orlando-Kissimmee Metroplitan Area.

The population of Tavares rose almost 44% between 2000 and 2010.

Wall mural welcoming folks to downtown Tavares

Fast Facts about Tavares, Florida

Tavares, Lake County, FL 32778

Latitude: 28.8017°N
Longitude: 81.7335°W
Incorporated: 1880
Elevation: 75'

Education:
High School or Higher: 77.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 14.1%
Graduate or Professional Degree: 4.3%
Median Resident Age: 52.5 Years
Cost of Living Index for Tavares: 91.2

2014 Estimates:
Median Household Income: $34,870
Median Home Value: $120,400
Population Density: 1,968 People per Square Mile
Major Industries:
Government, Health Care, Construction, Lodging & Food Services, Educational Services, Entertainment & Recreation, Finance & Insurance Services, Grocery Stores, Waste Management Services, Social Services, Automotive Parts & Services
Unemployed (March 2015): 6.2%

Population Demographics 2010

Total Population	13,951
Males	6,818
Females	7,133
Population by Age
Under 18	2,217
18 & over	11,734
20-24	696
25-34	1,368
35-49	2,079
50-64	2,642
65 & over	4,693

Population by Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino	1,083
Non Hispanic or Latino	12,868
Population by Race
White	11,766
African-American	1,420
Asian	237
Native American	51
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	7
Other	225
Two or more	245