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Lafayette County, Florida

Coordinates: 29°59′N 83°11′W / 29.99°N 83.18°W / 29.99; -83.18
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lafayette County
County
Lafayette County Courthouse
Lafayette County Courthouse
Map of Florida highlighting Lafayette County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°59′N 83°11′W / 29.99°N 83.18°W / 29.99; -83.18
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedDecember 23, 1853
Named forMarquis de Lafayette
SeatMayo
Largest townMayo
Area
 • Total
548 sq mi (1,420 km2)
 • Land543 sq mi (1,410 km2)
 • Water4.5 sq mi (12 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
8,226
 • Density16/sq mi (6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 3rd
Websitewww.lafayettecountyfl.net

Lafayette County is a county located in the north central portion of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,226,[1] making it the second-least populous county in Florida. The county seat is Mayo.[2] Lafayette County is a prohibition or partially dry county, allowing retail sales of beer.

History

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Lafayette County was created on December 23, 1856, from part of Madison County on the same day as Taylor County was also split off from Madison County. At the time it comprised all the area of present-day Lafayette and Dixie counties. The county was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who rendered assistance to the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War.[3] The famed Suwannee River forms the entire eastern boundary. The county courts first met at the home of Ariel Jones near Fayetteville. The county seat was New Troy until the court house burned down on New Year's Eve, 1892. It was moved to Mayo in 1893, and Mayo is currently Lafayette's only incorporated town. The moving of the courthouse was the end for New Troy. The Gainesville Sun states that houses were dismantled for their timber and bricks, hardwoods replaced the fields, steamboat traffic ended in 1899, and the ferry closed in 1917. In 1921 the lower part of the county was removed to create Dixie County.

Historic sites

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Historic sites in Lafayette County include:

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 548 square miles (1,420 km2), of which 543 square miles (1,410 km2) is land and 4.5 square miles (12 km2) (0.8%) is water.[4]

Adjacent counties

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18602,068—
18701,783−13.8%
18802,44136.9%
18903,68651.0%
19004,98735.3%
19106,71034.5%
19206,242−7.0%
19304,361−30.1%
19404,4051.0%
19503,440−21.9%
19602,889−16.0%
19702,8920.1%
19804,03539.5%
19905,57838.2%
20007,02225.9%
20108,87026.3%
20208,226−7.3%
2023 (est.)8,078[5]−1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2019[1]
Lafayette County racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Pop 2010[12] Pop 2020[13] % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 6,266 6,074 70.64% 73.84%
Black or African American (NH) 1,396 1,024 15.74% 12.45%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 20 16 0.23% 0.19%
Asian (NH) 13 10 0.15% 0.12%
Pacific Islander (NH) 2 1 0.02% 0.01%
Some Other Race (NH) 7 18 0.08% 0.22%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 90 145 1.01% 1.76%
Hispanic or Latino 1,076 938 12.13% 11.4%
Total 8,870 8,226 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,226 people, 2,315 households, and 1,655 families residing in the county.

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 7,022 people, 2,142 households and 1,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km2). There were 2,660 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (1.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.27% White, 14.37% Black or African American, 0.71% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.30% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 9.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In terms of ancestry, 41.1% were English, 8.0% were Irish, 7.1% were American, and 5.3% were German.

There were 2,142 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 34.00% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 148.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 157.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,651, and the median income for a family was $35,020. Males had a median income of $25,030 versus $22,007 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,087. About 12.90% of families and 17.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.70% of those under age 18 and 17.30% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

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A very rural and landlocked county, Lafayette historically supported the Democratic Party. It has voted Republican for decades now, and recently by wide margins.

United States presidential election results for Lafayette County, Florida[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 3,296 87.50% 441 11.71% 30 0.80%
2020 3,128 85.42% 510 13.93% 24 0.66%
2016 2,809 82.35% 518 15.19% 84 2.46%
2012 2,668 78.33% 687 20.17% 51 1.50%
2008 2,679 79.33% 642 19.01% 56 1.66%
2004 2,460 73.98% 845 25.41% 20 0.60%
2000 1,670 66.67% 789 31.50% 46 1.84%
1996 1,166 50.22% 829 35.70% 327 14.08%
1992 1,039 41.15% 867 34.34% 619 24.51%
1988 1,451 66.41% 722 33.04% 12 0.55%
1984 1,513 63.71% 862 36.29% 0 0.00%
1980 795 42.67% 1,034 55.50% 34 1.83%
1976 523 31.41% 1,126 67.63% 16 0.96%
1972 1,060 85.69% 173 13.99% 4 0.32%
1968 137 9.28% 215 14.56% 1,125 76.17%
1964 648 54.32% 545 45.68% 0 0.00%
1960 297 27.25% 793 72.75% 0 0.00%
1956 187 15.07% 1,054 84.93% 0 0.00%
1952 269 21.52% 981 78.48% 0 0.00%
1948 52 4.54% 975 85.15% 118 10.31%
1944 140 14.51% 825 85.49% 0 0.00%
1940 122 10.07% 1,090 89.93% 0 0.00%
1936 80 6.87% 1,084 93.13% 0 0.00%
1932 27 2.82% 929 97.18% 0 0.00%
1928 135 23.48% 435 75.65% 5 0.87%
1924 33 8.13% 358 88.18% 15 3.69%
1920 69 9.66% 618 86.55% 27 3.78%
1916 45 4.73% 849 89.27% 57 5.99%
1912 73 11.85% 473 76.79% 70 11.36%
1908 90 13.95% 487 75.50% 68 10.54%
1904 122 28.11% 275 63.36% 37 8.53%

Parks

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Parks in the county include Lafayette Blue Springs State Park and Troy Spring State Park, both accessible to the Suwannee River.

Library

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The Lafayette County Public Library is part of the Three Rivers Regional Library System, which also serves Gilchrist, Dixie, and Taylor counties.

Communities

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Town

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Census-designated place

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Other unincorporated communities

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[10][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. p. 178.
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  5. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  10. ^ https://www.census.gov/ [not specific enough to verify]
  11. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  12. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  13. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  15. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lafayette County, Florida.

Government links/Constitutional offices

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Special districts

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Judicial branch

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29°59′N 83°11′W / 29.99°N 83.18°W / 29.99; -83.18

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