Margate is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 53,284. Margate is part of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people in 2015. Margate was founded in the 1950s, when much of it was still either part of the Everglades or farmland. It became a town in 1955, when land development became prominent due to an influx of people moving to Margate. In 1961, it was officially incorporated as a city. The name Margate is a portmanteau of the first three letters of the founder's last name, Jack Marqusee, and the first four letters of gateway, since it was considered a "gateway" to western Broward County. The city has a waterpark called Calypso Cove and two golf courses: The Carolina Golf Club and the Oriole Golf and Tennis Club.
Geography
Margate is located at., and it is seven and one-half miles from the Atlantic Ocean. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Demographics
As of 2010, there were 24,863 households, with 13.6% being vacant. In 2000, there were 22,714 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95. In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $38,722, and the median income for a family was $48,254. Males had a median income of $35,630 versus $26,624 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,308. About 5.5% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over. As of 2000, 75.9% of residents speak English as their first language, 13.8% speak Spanish, 2.85% French Creole, 1.69% French, and 1.20% Italian. As of 2000, Margate was the sixty-sixth most Colombian-populated area in the US at 2.22% of residents. It was also the forty-ninth most Haitian-populated area at 3.2% and forty-third most Jamaican-populated area at 3% of the population.
Arin Hanson, an Internet personality, animator, voice actor, and musician known by his pseudonym Egoraptor and for being one-half of the Let's Play duo Game Grumps and one-third of the musical-comedy group Starbomb. Although he did not live there long, Hanson was born in Margate Hospital.
Brandon Knight, who played basketball as a child in Margate's recreation league at Firefighter's Park and is now a point guard with the NBA Phoenix Suns. For the past three years, he has returned to Margate, where he gives free backpacks stuffed with school supplies to children before the start of the school year.
Kaye Stevens, a singer and actress who lived in Margate for more than 45 years. Many residents referred to Stevens as the "First Lady of Margate", because every time she appeared on game shows, she would place a sign next to her nameplate that read "Hello Margate". She promoted Margate as "a great place to live and raise a family."
