Tampa Bay

Clearwater, Gulfport, Largo, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Seminole, Springhill, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Brandon, Sun City Center, Tampa, Lakeland

Tampa Bay / Pinellas County, (St. Petersburg and Clearwater) consists of 30,000 persons living in 13,000 Jewish households as of 1994. Of these 30,000 persons, 25,000 are Jewish.

7% of Jewish households are in residence for 3-7 months of the year. Thus, of the 30,000 persons in Jewish households, about 1,700 are part-year residents.

The population in Jewish households increased from 21,000 persons in 1980. 51% of the Jewish population live in Clearwater; 44%, in St. Petersburg; and 5%, in Tarpon Springs.

28% (8,400 persons) of the population are age 65 and over, including 13% (4,000 persons) who are age 75 and over. The 28% makes Pinellas County the tenth oldest of 50 American Jewish communities. 16% (4,700 persons) are age 17 and under.

Of the 13,000 Jewish households, 25% contain children age 0-17; 24%, a single person living alone, and 40%, a married couple with no children living at home.

The median household income is $52,000 (in 2004 dollars).

3% of households are Orthodox, 23% are Conservative, 39% are Reform, and 36% are Just Jewish. 32% of Jews never attend synagogue services and 28% attend once per month or more. 29% of married couples are intermarried.

40% of households are synagogue members, 91% of whom are members of a synagogue located in Pinellas County. Of those who are synagogue members, 2% are members of an Orthodox synagogue; 33%, a Conservative synagogue; and 64%, a Reform synagogue.

11% of households are members of one of the two Jewish Community Centers (JCCs). 27% of households participated in a JCC activity in the past year. 36% of households are members of some Jewish organization, such as B’nai B’rith or Hadassah.

35% of households have visited Israel, 15% on a trip with a Jewish organization or synagogue.

22% of Jewish adults experienced anti-Semitism in Pinellas County in the past year. 55% of Jewish adults perceive a great deal or a moderate amount of anti-Semitism in Pinellas County.

65% of households donated to a Jewish charity in the past year; 74%, to a non-Jewish charity; and 33% to the Jewish Federation of Pinellas County. The average donation to the local Jewish Federation in the past year was $92.

Source: Sheskin, Ira M. The Jewish Community Study of Pinellas County (1994) (Clearwater, Florida: The Jewish Federation of Pinellas County).