Overview
Jupiter
is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census,
the town had a total population of 39,328. As of 2004, the population
recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 46,752.
The area where the town now sits was originally named for the Hobe
indian tribe which lived at the mouth of the Loxahatchee River. A
mapmaker misunderstood the Indian name 'Hobe' and recorded it as 'Jove'.
Subsequent mapmakers further misunderstood this to be the Latin
translation of the god Jupiter, and they anglicized the name from Jove
to 'Jupiter.' The Roman god Jupiter (or Zeus in the Greek mythology) is
the chief Roman god, husband of Juno, and god of light, of the sky and
weather, and of the state and its welfare and its laws. It is the only
town in America to have such a name. It inspired a neighboring village
to name itself "Juno Beach".
The most notable landmark is the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, completed in
1860. Made of brick, it was painted red in 1910 due to discoloration
caused by humidity. The lighthouse is often used as the symbol for
Jupiter.
Jupiter is the home to the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals
spring training facilities as well as one of their respective Class A
Minor League Baseball affiliates, the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach
Cardinals. They share the use of the Roger Dean Stadium complex. Both
minor league squads compete in the Florida State League.
William P. Gwinn Airport is located in Jupiter.
Jupiter is home to Florida Atlantic University's MacArthur Campus. This
northern campus of FAU is also the location of the Harriet L. Wilkes
Honors College.
The Scripps Research Institute is currently in the process of developing
a sister facility at the MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic
University. Scripps Florida now operates with approximately 160
scientists, technicians, and administrative staff at a 40,000
square-foot lab facility. Upon completion Scripps will operate out of a
364,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art biomedical research facility
focusing on basic biomedical science, drug discovery, and technology
development.
Demographics
There are 16,945 households out of which 26.6% have children under the
age of 18 living with them, 55.8% are married couples living together,
8.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% are
non-families. 25.8% of all households are made up of individuals and
10.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The
average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 2.75.
In the town the population is spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18,
5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.9%
who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every
100 females there are 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over,
there are 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $54,945, and the median
income for a family is $64,873. Males have a median income of $44,883
versus $33,514 for females. The per capita income for the town is
$35,088. 4.8% of the population and 3.0% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.7% of those under the age
of 18 and 4.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Jupiter is now home to many transplanted Northerners who can afford
expensive, luxurious vacation homes. Most "snowbirds" are from the New
York City metropolitan area (including Connecticut and New Jersey) and
the Boston area in Massachusetts.