Balm, Florida

A post office was established here in 1902 and called "Doric"; it was renamed the next month to "Balm".{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp | title=Post Offices| publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | accessdate=5 January 2017}} The community was so named on account of their "balmy" air.{{cite book| last1=Moyer| first1=Armond| last2=Moyer| first2=Winifred| title=The Origins of Unusual Place-Names| url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89058322223;view=1up;seq=14| year=1958| publisher=Keystone Pub. Associates| page=10}} Prior to 1902, the Seaboard Air Line Railway established Balm as a flag stop. The railroad built a one-room station and water tank. This made Balm a focal point, and a small community including a blacksmith, sawmills, a teacher, and a general store sprang up by 1911. In 1937, electricity arrived, soon followed by a community telephone, set up in a barn for all to use. By 1945 the area had a population of over a thousand.{{cite web| title=Hillsborough County Historic Resources Survey Report| url=http://www.hillsborough.communityatlas.usf.edu/upload/documents/HILLSBOROUGH_COUNTY_Historic_Resources_Excerpts_Balm.pdf| accessdate=5 January 2017| date=October 1, 1998}}

Balm is located in southern Hillsborough County, bordered by Riverview to the north, Apollo Beach to the west, Sun City Center to the southwest, and Wimauma to the south. U.S. Route 301 forms the western border of the Balm CDP, and leads north {{convert|12|mi}} to the eastern outskirts of Tampa and southwest {{convert|28|mi}} to Bradenton.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Balm CDP has a total area of {{convert|26.3|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|26.0|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.3|sqkm|order=flip|1}}, or 1.03%, are water.

{{US Census population

|2020= 6541

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census,{{cite web |title=QuickFacts - Balm CDP, Florida |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/balmcdpflorida/PST045222 |website=www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=11 July 2023}} Balm had a population of 6,541 and 1,592 households. The population density was {{convert|650.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3.17 persons per household.

The racial makeup of the city was 39.6% white, 36.1% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaskan native, 1.5% Asian, 8.6% two or more races, and 19.6% Hispanic or Latino.

By age, the population was split with 8.4% under 5 years old, 27.9% under 18 years old, and 8.4% 65 years and older. 54.4% of the population were female born persons.

There was an owner-occupied housing unit rate of 89.8%. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $237,800. The median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage was $1,723 and -without a mortgage was $547. The median gross rent was $1,824. 99.4% of households had a computer and 97.3% of households had a broadband internet subscription. The median household income was $96,406. There was a per capita income of $29,638. 7.2% of the population lived below the poverty threshold.

91.4% of the population 25 years and older were high school graduates or higher and 26.9% of that same population had a Bachelor's degree or higher.

Originally a rail stop and logging town, the economy is mostly agricultural, particularly citrus. The University of Florida's Tomato Breeding Program is located in Balm.{{cite web| title=Univ. of Florida/IFAS Tomato Breeding Program| url=http://tombreeding.ifas.ufl.edu/| accessdate=5 January 2017}} In 2005, the Bradenton REC was merged with the Dover REC to become the Gulf Coast Research and Experiment Center, which was relocated to Balm.{{cite web| title=IFAS News| url=http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2016/10/florida-ag-expo-to-highlight-emerging-crops-ways-to-battle-new-pests/| publisher=University of Florida| accessdate=5 January 2017}} Other activities at the GCREC include hops research.{{cite web| title=UF/IFAS to hop into hops varieties for microbreweries| url=http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2016/02/ufifas-to-hop-into-hops-varieties-for-microbreweries/| publisher=University of Florida| accessdate=5 January 2017| date=23 February 2016}} Tropical fish farming has also been a significant industry in the area.{{cite news| last1=Wang| first1=Stephanie| title=Widow selling tropical fish farms, more at auction| url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/widow-selling-tropical-fish-farms-more-at-auction/1174260| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619060556/http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/widow-selling-tropical-fish-farms-more-at-auction/1174260| url-status=dead| archive-date=June 19, 2011| accessdate=5 January 2017| publisher=Tampa Bay Times| date=9 June 2011}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://florida.hometownlocator.com/FL/Hillsborough/Balm.cfm Balm community and surrounding area profile]
• http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/fl/balm.html

{{Hillsborough County, Florida}}

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Category:Census-designated places in Hillsborough County, Florida

Category:Census-designated places in Florida

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