Community Background Report

Naranja

County

Miami-Dade

Boundaries

North: S.W. 256 Street
South: S.W. 272 Street
West: S.W. 142 Avenue
East: S.W 137 Avenue

Community Type

Neighborhood

History

The story of Naranja began over 100 years ago in 1904. It was destined to become one of the “railroad towns” along Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad. Naranja (Spanish for orange) was so named because of the many orange groves in the area. Some records indicate that a major citrus canker epidemic in 1913 destroyed most of the crops (Naranja Neighborhood Service Center). In 1926, the unnamed hurricane ended what was becoming a major land boom in this tiny South Florida community, hurting the local economy. In 1935, another devastating hurricane of category 5 status claimed the lives of hundreds in the Florida Keys, and left the railroad in shambles. The original vision of Naranja as a railroad town was never materialized. Like many of the small towns and villages surrounding it, Naranja remained a small and calm agriculture-based community for the most part. That was the case until development started emerging south of Miami-Dade County during the 1960s and 1970s. New buildings, both residential and commercial, began to dot the area. All seemed well for the area, with most of the military from the nearby Homestead Air Force Base living within the community (Naranja Neighborhood Service Center). In 1992, once again the course of history for Naranja was changed by a hurricane. This time, Hurricane Andrew devastated most of the area. While the surrounding areas to the north and south of Naranja quickly rebounded, it would take twelve years for Naranja to rebuild (Odalis, 2006). According tothe community’s residents, Naranja’s transition is to be celebrated. Community leaders are optimistic that the area is now poised for new economic growth, and feel strongly that Naranja will play an important role in reshaping the future of South Miami-Dade County (Naranja Neighborhood Service Center).

Community Dynamics

Naranja has a population of 10,068, with a median age of 27.1 and a median household income of $32,513. Between 2015 and 2016, the population of Naranja grew from 9,392 to 10,068, a 7.2% increase, and its median household income grew from $29,149 to $32,513, an 11.5% increase.

The population of Naranja is 58.7% Hispanic, 33.4% Black, and 5.76% White. A non-English language is spoken by 58.1% of the population, and 79.9% are U.S. citizens. The most common foreign languages in Naranja are Spanish (4,349 speakers), French Creole (180 speakers), and Vietnamese (133 speakers).

The estimated median house or condominium value in 2016 was $154,250, and the homeownership rate was 31.7%. The economy of Naranja employs 4,000 people. Most people in Naranja commute by driving alone, and the average commute time is 32.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Naranja is 2 cars per household.

Business Landscape

Naranja has the William Chapman Elementary School and the Miami Douglas Macarthur South Senior High School within its boundaries. An expansion of the Naranja Lakes Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was proposed in 2014, which will increase the original CRA’s coverage from 1,338 acres to 2,669 acres.

Most employment in this area is based on services, maintenance, truck driving, construction and repair.

Transportation

Naranja’s population is considered a commuter community, with 45 percent of its workforce traveling out of Naranja to work. More than half of the working population drives 30 minutes or more to work. In response to the traffic problems that arose during past hurricane evacuations, as well as a growing population, Naranja has opened a new segment on the South Miami-Dade Busway. The extension to the bus-only lanes runs from Southwest 112th Avenue and Southwest 200th Street in Cutler Ridge to Southwest 264th Street in Naranja, and includes an additional five stops along the way, with nodes to the communities it crosses (Elysa Batista, Miami Herald 2005).