Miami Lakes, Florida

Miami Lakes is an incorporated town in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is part of the busy Miami metropolitan area in South Florida. The town grew over time and, as of the 2020 census, was home to 30,467 people. Miami Lakes offers many places for families and residents to enjoy, with parks, schools, and community activities that make it a nice place to live. It is close to the excitement of Miami but still feels like a peaceful community.

History

Miami Lakes started in 1962 when the Graham family began building on land that used to be their dairy farm. They planned it to be a place where people could walk to shops and parks, with curved streets and many lakes, different from the square grids around it.

In December 2000, Miami Lakes officially became a town, the 31st in Miami-Dade County. It has over 1,100 businesses and was designed with a plan that could grow for many years to come.

Geography

Miami Lakes is a town located 15 miles northwest of downtown Miami. It is surrounded by Hialeah to the south and west, Miami Gardens to the east, and Country Club to the north.

The town covers an area of 6.5 square miles, with most of it being land and a small part being water. Miami Lakes has a tropical climate, much like the Caribbean, and is one of the few places in the 48 contiguous states with this type of weather.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Miami Lakes had a population of 30,467. The median age was 43.1 years. About 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.7% were 65 years or older. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males.

All residents lived in urban areas.

There were 11,238 households, with 32.2% having children under 18. About 51.1% were married couples, 14.1% had a male householder without a spouse, and 26.4% had a female householder without a spouse. Around 21.0% of households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 12,090 housing units, with 7.0% vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%, and the rental vacancy rate was 13.4%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 29,361 people, 9,533 households, and 7,050 families living in the town.

2000 census

In 2000, 37.7% of households had children under 18. About 58.6% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder without a husband, and 25.9% were non-families. Around 20.8% of households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.75, and the average family size was 3.21.

In 2000, 25.1% of the population was under 18, 7.2% was from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% was 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males.

As of 2000, 72.41% of people spoke Spanish at home, while 24.65% spoke only English. Small amounts spoke Portuguese and Urdu.

Income and poverty

From 2009 to 2013, the median income for a household was $63,754 and for a family was $68,431. Males earned $45,759 on average, while females earned $31,656. The per capita income was $28,867. About 3.8% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under 18 and 5.2% of those 65 or older.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1980	9,809	—
1990	12,750	30.0%
2000	22,676	77.9%
2010	29,361	29.5%
2020	30,467	3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

**Miami Lakes, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	6,362	4,227	3,286	28.06%	14.40%	10.79%
Black or African American alone (NH)	530	718	647	2.34%	2.45%	2.12%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	20	4	4	0.09%	0.01%	0.01%
Asian alone (NH)	480	407	469	2.12%	1.39%	1.54%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	6	2	3	0.03%	0.01%	0.01%
Other Race alone (NH)	20	31	129	0.09%	0.11%	0.42%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	175	146	293	0.77%	0.50%	0.96%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	15,083	23,826	25,636	66.52%	81.15%	84.14%
Total	22,676	29,361	30,467	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Government

Since 2000, Miami Lakes has used a council-manager style of government. This means that elected leaders work together with a town manager who helps run the town.

The mayor is chosen by all voters for a four-year term and leads the town council meetings. The council has the mayor and six other members who help make rules for the town. In 2013, the town opened a new town hall on Main Street. The town's police services are provided by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, and fire services are handled by the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Economy

Miami Lakes is home to many important companies. One of the biggest banks in the United States, BankUnited, N.A., has its main office there. Other companies based in Miami Lakes include Potamkin Auto Group, The Graham Companies, Fine Art Lamps, Pacer, New Generation Computing, and many more. These businesses help make Miami Lakes a busy and growing place.

Education

Miami Lakes has many schools to help children learn. The schools are run by Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Younger children go to K–8 schools like Bob Graham Education Center and Miami Lakes K-8 Center. Older children attend middle school at Miami Lakes Middle School and high school at Barbara Goleman Senior High School or Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School. There is also a special school called Miami Lakes Educational Center and a private school named Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School.

Parks and recreation

Miami Lakes has over 100 parks, mini parks, playgrounds, and walking paths. Some popular parks include Miami Lakes Optimist Park, Veterans Park, and Royal Oaks Park. These spaces are great for families and children to enjoy the outdoors.

Transportation

Miami Lakes has several bus routes that help people get around, including routes 37, 54, and 75. These buses are part of the Miami-Dade metrobus system.

Cultural institutions

Miami Lakes has a special indoor veterans memorial at the Royal Oaks Park Community Center. This memorial includes a large mural with military scenes, wood carvings, stained glass, and glass mosaics made from local tree leaves. It also shows the seals of each U.S. military branch. The memorial opened on Memorial Day in 2011. Another veterans artwork was shown in front of Miami Lakes Town Hall in 2014.

The town has public libraries, places of worship like Elevate Church and Hope at Miami Lakes Methodist Church, and a local theater group called Main Street Players. Miami Lakes holds many fun events each year, such as a Fourth of July concert and fireworks, a Halloween event, an Easter egg hunt, and a long-running Veterans Day Parade.

Sports

Miami Lakes has teams and clubs that love to play sports. One of them is called the Miami Lakes Bandits, and another is the Miami Lakes United Soccer Club, where kids can enjoy playing soccer together.

Media

The Miami Laker is the newspaper for the town of Miami Lakes and nearby places in northwest Miami-Dade County.

Notable people

Miami Lakes is home to many famous people from different fields. Some well-known individuals from the town include Humberto Brenes, a professional poker player from Costa Rica, and Don Shula, a famous American football player and coach. Others include Harry Wayne Casey, a musician and singer, and Bob Graham, a lawyer and politician. The town has also been home to Adrian Cárdenas, a baseball player, and Sara Sidner, a TV reporter.