CHARACTERISTICS OF MILK MARKETING AREAS II FLORIDA As indicated on page 3, the State was divided into five milk marketing areas corresponding with state and federal milk control areas in 1959. This section presents a description of the geographic size of each marketing area and population and income characteristics of each area. Land Area and Number of Counties.--lumber of counties in the five milk marketing areas varied from 11 to 20 (Table 13). The number of counties within various market boundaries does not indicate their relative size or land area comprised. Tampa Bay, with 7,640 square miles, is smallest in land area. Areas are progressively larger in Northeast, Central, Southeast and Northwest Florida. Northwest Florida is almost twice as large as Tampa Bay area. As will be shown, amount of land in a market area is of consequence principally as it affects population density which is important because of its influence on milk distribution costs. Many factors related to per capital consumption levels for dairy foocs are also affected by the size and concentration of market population. TABLE 13.--Florida Milk Marketing Areas: Counties included, Land Area and Population Density, 1959 : :Land Area Milk Marketing : lumber of : Population Area : Counties : Square : Percent of : Density .Miles Total Northwest 20 14,312 26.4 41.8 Northeast 14 8,866 16.3 80.1 Central 11 10,797 19.9 83.7 Tampa Bay 11 7,640 14.1 141.2 Southeast 11 12,647 23.3 131.2 Florida 67 54,262 100.0 91.3 persons per square mile. -25-