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Jackson County, Florida

Coordinates: 30°48′N 85°13′W / 30.80°N 85.21°W / 30.80; -85.21
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jackson County
County
Jackson County Courthouse
Jackson County Courthouse
Official seal of Jackson County
Map of Florida highlighting Jackson County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°48′N 85°13′W / 30.8°N 85.21°W / 30.8; -85.21
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedAugust 12, 1822
Named forAndrew Jackson
SeatMarianna
Largest cityMarianna
Area
 • Total955 sq mi (2,470 km2)
 • Land918 sq mi (2,380 km2)
 • Water37 sq mi (100 km2)  3.9%
Population
 • Total47,319
 • Density52.6/sq mi (20.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Websitewww.jacksoncountyfl.net

Jackson County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. The population as of the 2020 census was 47,319.[1] Its county seat is Marianna, Florida.[2]

Jackson County was created by the Florida Territorial Council in 1822 by splitting from Escambia County, making it the third county in the Territory. The county was named for Andrew Jackson, who had served as Florida's first military governor for six months in 1821. Jackson County originally spread from the Choctawhatchee River on the west to the Suwannee River on the east. The county had been shrunk close to its current boundaries by 1840 through the creation of new counties from its original land. Small changes to the county border continued through most of the 19th century, however.[3][4][5]

There were no towns in Jackson County when it was formed. The first county court met at what was called "Robinson's Big Spring" (later called Blue Springs) in 1822 and then at the "Big Spring of the Choctawhatchee" in 1823. The following year the county court met at "Chipola Settlement" which is also known as Waddell's Mill Pond.

Marianna became the county seat, but not without controversy. It was founded by Robert Beveridge, a native of Scotland, in September 1827. The first town established in Jackson County was Webbville in January 1827. Webbville, a community of land squatters, was located 9 miles (14 km) northwest of present day Marianna and was named the county seat. Webbville thrived until 1828 when Beveridge and other Marianna settlers went to Tallahassee and enticed the Florida Legislature with free land, construction of a courthouse, a public square and $500 to purchase a quarter section of land to be sold at public auction as a way to finance the new government, if the county seat was moved to Marianna.

Beveridge and his supporters succeeded and Marianna became the county seat of the county justice and civil authority, even though it was never officially named the county seat. Marianna began to grow and prosper when the county government moved into the new courthouse in 1829. Webbville's important citizens moved to Marianna and the L&N Railroad decided to bypass the town.

From 1869-71, Jackson County was the center of a low-level guerrilla war known as the Jackson County War. Ku Klux Klan members, including Confederate Army veterans, assassinated over 150 Republican Party officials and important African-Americans as part of a successful campaign to retain conservative white Democratic power.[6]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 955 square miles (2,470 km2), of which 918 square miles (2,380 km2) is land and 37 square miles (96 km2) (3.9%) is water.[7] Jackson County is the only county in Florida that borders both Georgia and Alabama. Jackson County is in the Central Standard Time Zone. Its eastern border with Gadsden County forms the boundary in this area between the Central Standard and Eastern Standard Time Zones.

Counties nearby

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Demographics

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At the 2020 census, 47,319 people lived in the county. There were 17,083 households and 6,512 people who did not live in households. The population density was 51.5 people per square mile (19.9/km²). The median age was 42.9 years (40.8 for males, 46.0 for females).

Of the total population, 19.1% were under 18 years old, 60.6% were 18 to 64, and 20.2% were 65 or over. Males made up 54.4% and females made up 45.6% of the people. The population was 64.7% White (non-Latino), 25.4% Black (non-Latino), 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, and 3.8% Two or more races (non-Latino). Other races each make up less than 1% of the population.

Of the 17,083 households, 11,179 (65.4%) were families, 4,913 (28.8%) had children under 18, 7,417 (43.4%) had a married couple, and 5,123 (30.0%) had one person living alone. The average household size was 2.4 people. There were 19,882 housing units, and 85.9% had people living in them all year. Of these households, 72.4% were owner-occupied, while 27.6% were renters.[8][9]

As of 2022, the median (middle) income for a household was about $46,144, and the median income for a family was about $58,273.[10] The per capita income was about $23,210.[11] About 13.7% of families[12] and 19.2% of all people in Jackson County lived below the poverty line. This includes 31.2% of children under 18 years old and 9.7% of people over 65 years old.[13]

Cities and towns

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Incorporated

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Unincorporated

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Politics

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Jackson County is mainly Republican.

United States presidential election results for Jackson County, Florida[14]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 15,488 68.97% 6,766 30.13% 202 0.90%
2016 14,257 67.38% 6,397 30.23% 505 2.39%
2012 13,418 64.00% 7,342 35.02% 207 0.99%
2008 13,717 63.47% 7,671 35.49% 225 1.04%
2004 12,122 61.20% 7,555 38.14% 130 0.66%
2000 9,139 56.06% 6,870 42.14% 294 1.80%
1996 7,189 46.34% 6,667 42.98% 1,657 10.68%
1992 6,725 45.82% 5,482 37.35% 2,469 16.82%
1988 8,405 62.20% 5,008 37.06% 100 0.74%
1984 9,091 64.70% 4,960 35.30% 0 0.00%
1980 6,348 44.76% 7,567 53.36% 266 1.88%
1976 4,795 37.90% 7,687 60.76% 170 1.34%
1972 8,904 79.99% 2,220 19.94% 8 0.07%
1968 1,236 10.02% 2,472 20.05% 8,622 69.93%
1964 7,064 61.69% 4,386 38.31% 0 0.00%
1960 2,851 32.23% 5,994 67.77% 0 0.00%
1956 2,543 29.86% 5,973 70.14% 0 0.00%
1952 2,398 29.53% 5,722 70.47% 0 0.00%
1948 648 11.27% 3,169 55.11% 1,933 33.62%
1944 951 17.03% 4,633 82.97% 0 0.00%
1940 866 13.38% 5,607 86.62% 0 0.00%
1936 351 8.54% 3,757 91.46% 0 0.00%
1932 599 11.03% 4,832 88.97% 0 0.00%
1928 1,398 35.43% 2,516 63.76% 32 0.81%
1924 320 14.59% 1,771 80.76% 102 4.65%
1920 508 16.37% 2,443 78.70% 153 4.93%
1916 410 16.53% 1,975 79.60% 96 3.87%
1912 163 9.61% 1,205 71.01% 329 19.39%
1908 353 20.90% 1,122 66.43% 214 12.67%
1904 354 20.47% 1,186 68.59% 189 10.93%

Jackson County is governed by a five-member board of county commissioners.[15]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "QuickFacts: Jackson County, Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. Jackson County Information Archived 2011-05-15 at the Wayback Machine - accessed February 10, 2008
  4. Encyclopedia Americana - Jackson, Andrew Archived 2008-02-10 at the Wayback Machine - accessed February 10, 2008
  5. Fernald, Edward A. (1981) Atlas of Florida. The Florida State University Foundation, Inc. ISBN 0-9606708-0-7
  6. Weitz, Seth. "Defending the Old South: The Myth of the Lost Cause and Political Immorality in Florida, 1885-1968." In The Historian, Vol. 71, No. 1 (Spring 2009), pg. 83.
  7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  9. "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  10. "S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  11. "S1902: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  12. "S1702: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  13. "S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  15. "Jackson County Commissioners". Jackson County, Florida. 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.

Other websites

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Government links/Constitutional offices

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Special districts

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Judicial branch

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30°48′N 85°13′W / 30.80°N 85.21°W / 30.80; -85.21