A post office was established here in 1902 and called "Doric"; it was renamed the next month to "Balm".[4] The community was so named on account of their "balmy" air.[5] 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.[6]
Geography
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 12 miles (19 km) to the eastern outskirts of Tampa and southwest 28 miles (45 km) to Bradenton.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Balm CDP has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.3 km2), of which 10.0 square miles (26.0 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 1.03%, are water.[2]
As of the 2020 United States census,[8] Balm had a population of 6,541 and 1,592 households. The population density was 650.5 inhabitants per square mile (251.2/km2). 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.
Economy
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.[9] 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.[10] Other activities at the GCREC include hops research.[11]Tropical fish farming has also been a significant industry in the area.[12]
