Gadsden County, Florida

Gadsden County, Florida

Gadsden County Courthouse

Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Gadsden County
Location in the state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.
Founded June 24, 1832
Named for James Gadsden
Seat Quincy
Largest city Quincy
Area
 • Total 529 sq mi (1,370 km2)
 • Land 516 sq mi (1,336 km2)
 • Water 12 sq mi (31 km2), 2.3%
Population (est.)
 • (2015) 46,036
 • Density 90/sq mi (35/km²)
Congressional district 2nd
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.gadsdengov.net

Gadsden County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 46,389.[1] Its county seat is Quincy.[2]

Gadsden County is included in the Tallahassee, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Gadsden County is the only predominantly African-American county in Florida. Gadsden County is home to two high schools - West Gadsden High School (merged from the former Chattahoochee High and Greensboro High) located on the western outskirts of Quincy near Greensboro, and East Gadsden High School (merged from the former James A. Shanks High and Havana Northside High) located on Hwy. 90 east of Quincy.

History

Gadsden County was created in 1823.[3] It was named for James Gadsden[4] of South Carolina, who served as Andrew Jackson's aide-de-camp in Florida in 1818. Gadsden County is historically known for its tobacco crop which is obsolete today.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 529 square miles (1,370 km2), of which 516 square miles (1,340 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.3%) is water.[5]

Gadsden County is part of the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gadsden County is in the Eastern Time Zone. Its western border with Jackson County forms the boundary in this area between the Eastern and Central Time Zones.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18405,992—
18508,78446.6%
18609,3967.0%
18709,8024.3%
188012,16924.1%
189011,894−2.3%
190015,29428.6%
191022,19845.1%
192023,5396.0%
193029,89027.0%
194031,4505.2%
195036,45715.9%
196041,98915.2%
197039,184−6.7%
198041,5656.1%
199041,105−1.1%
200045,0879.7%
201046,3892.9%
Est. 201546,036[6]−0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2015[1]

Gadsden County is unique in Florida in that it is the state's only county with an African American majority population. As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 46,389 people residing in the county. 56.0% were Black or African American, 35.9% White, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 5.9% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 9.5% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 45,087 people, 15,867 households, and 11,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 17,703 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 57.14% Black or African American, 38.70% White, 0.23% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.76% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 6.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,867 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.50% were married couples living together, 22.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,248, and the median income for a family was $36,238. Males had a median income of $27,159 versus $21,721 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,499. About 16.40% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.50% of those under age 18 and 16.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Level of Education
Level Gadsden Co. Florida U.S.
College/Associate Degree 21.9% 28.8% 27.4%
Bachelor's Degree 8.0% 14.3% 15.5%
Master's or Ph. D. 4.9% 8.1% 8.9%
Total 34.8% 51.2% 51.8%

Libraries

The Gadsden County Public Library System has 3 branches.

Politics

Voter Registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Democrats maintain a massive majority of registered voters in Gadsden County. As of September 30, 2015, the county has the second-highest percentage of registered Democrats of all counties in Florida (only in Liberty County do Democrats have a higher percentage of registered voters countywide).

Gadsden County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2015[12]
Political Party Total Voters Percentage
  Democratic 22,279 76.95%
  Republican 4,084 14.11%
  Independent 2,249 7.77%
  Third Parties 339 1.17%
Total 28,951 100.00%

Statewide Elections

Previous Presidential Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2012 29.43% 6,630 70.01% 15,770 0.55% 125
2008 30.22% 6,811 69.14% 15,582 0.64% 145
2004 29.80% 6,253 69.72% 14,629 0.49% 102
2000 32.38% 4,770 66.09% 9,736 1.53% 225
1996 26.87% 3,813 66.27% 9,405 6.87% 975
1992 27.63% 3,975 58.93% 8,478 13.44% 1,933
Previous Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2014 27.27% 4,798 70.62% 12,425 2.11% 371
2010 25.90% 4,324 72.27% 12,067 1.83% 307
2006 32.45% 4,557 66.25% 9,303 1.29% 182
2002 25.83% 3,948 73.46% 11,228 0.71% 109
1998 35.66% 4,028 64.34% 7,269 0.00% 0
1994 30.63% 3,422 69.37% 7,751 0.00% 0

Transportation

Airports

Major Roads

Railroads

Gadsden County has at least four existing railroad lines, three of which are owned by CSX. The first two CSX lines being P&A Subdivision, a line formerly owned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and the other is the Tallahassee Subdivision, a former Seaboard Air Line Railroad line. These two lines meet in Chatahoochee and served Amtrak's Sunset Limited until it was truncated to New Orleans in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. A third line is the Apalachicola Northern Railroad, a line that spans as far south as Port St. Joe. The line enters from Liberty County, then crosses SR 12 in Greensboro, runs under I-10, follows CR 268 in Hardaway, and then turns west into Chatahoochee. The fourth line is the third CSX Line, the Bainbridge Subdivision, which runs along the west side of US 27 from Leon County by way of a bridge over the Ochlockonee River to the Georgia State Line. While some spurs still exist, other lines within the county were abandoned.

Communities

Cities

Towns

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ Publications of the Florida Historical Society. Florida Historical Society. 1908. p. 31.
  4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 133.
  5. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  11. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  12. ↑ http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-monthly-reports/voter-registration-current-by-county/

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gadsden County, Florida.

Government links/Constitutional offices

Special districts

Judicial branch

Tourism links

 Jackson County Decatur County, Georgia and Seminole County, Georgia Grady County, Georgia
Leon County
   Gadsden County, Florida  
Calhoun County and Liberty County

Coordinates: 30°35′N 84°37′W / 30.58°N 84.61°W / 30.58; -84.61

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