Lafayette County, Florida

county in Florida, United States

Lafayette County is a county in the state of Florida. As of 2020, 8,226 people lived there.[1] It is the second least populated county in the state. Its county seat is Mayo, Florida. Lafayette County is a prohibition county, meaning alcohol is illegal there.[2]

Lafayette 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
 • Total548 sq mi (1,420 km2)
 • Land543 sq mi (1,410 km2)
 • Water4.5 sq mi (12 km2)  0.8%
Population
 • Total8,226
 • Density16/sq mi (6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Websitewww.lafayettecountyfl.net

History

change

Lafayette County was created December 23, 1856 from part of Madison County, and included at the time what is now both Lafayette and Dixie Counties. Lafayette County was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French citizen who rendered assistance to the colonies during the American Revolutionary War. The Suwannee River forms the entire eastern border. The county courts first met at the home of Ariel Jones near Fayetteville. The county seat was New Troy until the court house there burned down in 1892. It was then moved to Mayo in 1893, and Mayo is currently Lafayette's only incorporated town. New Troy is now a ghost town. In 1921 the lower part of the county was carved off to create Dixie County.

Historic sites

change

Historic sites in Lafayette County include:

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.[3]

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

Counties nearby

change

People

change

At the 2020 census, 8,226 people lived in the county. There were 2,727 households and 1,537 people who did not live in households. The population density was 15.1 people per square mile (5.8/km²). The median age was 44.3 years (42.4 for males, 47.7 for females).

Of the total population, 17.1% were under 18 years old, 62.3% were 18 to 64, and 20.6% were 65 or over. Males made up 57.9% and females made up 42.1% of the people. The population was 73.8% White (non-Latino), 12.4% Black (non-Latino), 11.4% Hispanic or Latino, and 1.8% Two or more races (non-Latino). Less than 1% of the people were from other races.

Of the 2,727 households, 1,891 (69.3%) were families, 782 (28.7%) had children under 18, 1,455 (53.4%) had a married couple, and 694 (25.4%) had one person living alone. The average household size was 2.5 people. There were 3,284 housing units, and 83.0% had people living in them all year. Of these households, 77.9% were owner-occupied, while 22.1% were renters.[4][5]

As of 2022, the median (middle) yearly income for a household was about $57,852, and the median income for a family was about $59,633.[6] The per capita income was about $20,073.[7] About 17.7% of families[8] and 19.3% of all people in Lafayette County lived below the poverty line. This includes 25.3% of children under 18 years old and 18.1% of people over 65 years old.[9]

Municipalities

change

Incorporated

change

Unincorporated

change

Politics

change

Lafayette County is strongly Republican. [source?] It has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since 1984.

United States presidential election results for Lafayette County, Florida[10]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
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%

References

change
  1. 1.0 1.1 "QuickFacts: Lafayette County, Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  4. "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  5. "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  6. "S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  7. "S1902: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  8. "S1702: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  9. "S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  10. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-06-15.

Other websites

change

Government websites/Constitutional offices

change

Special districts

change

Judicial branch

change

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