Jefferson County is a county located in the Big Bend region in the northern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,510. Its county seat is Monticello.
Jefferson County is part of the Tallahassee, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area but is the 3rd most rural county in Florida. There are no traffic signals within the entire county.
History
In the mid to late 18th century, a group of Native Americans from Chiaha chiefdom settled in what is now Jefferson County. This group would eventually become an element of the Mikasuki speaking Seminole.
Jefferson County was created in 1827. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, who had died the year before the county's establishment.
Forts of Jefferson County
Fort Roger Jones (1839), Aucilla (Ocilla Ferry), north of US 90. Fort Noel (1839–1842), south of Lamont on the Aucilla River, northwest of Fort Pleasant in Taylor County. Also known as Fort Number Three (M). Camp Carter (1838), near Waukeenah. Fort Welaunee (1838), a settlers' fort on the Welaunee Plantation near Wacissa. Fort Gamble (1839–1843) was later established here. Fort Aucilla (1843), south-east of Fort Gamble, southwest of Lamont, between the Aucilla and Wacissa Rivers. Also spelled Ocilla. Fort Wacissa (1838), a settlers' fort located south of Wacissa on the Wacissa River, west of Cabbage Grove.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (6.0%) is water.
Jefferson County is the only county in Florida which borders both the state of Georgia and the Gulf of Mexico.
Adjacent counties
Thomas County, Georgia - north
Brooks County, Georgia - northeast
Madison County - east
Taylor County - southeast
Wakulla County - southwest
Leon County - west
National protected area
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Water Bodies
Aucilla River
Lake Miccosukee
Wacissa River
Gulf of Mexico
Demographics
2020 census
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.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,510 people, 5,770 households, and 3,761 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 14,761 people, 5,646 households, and 3,798 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 5,251 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 60.4% White, 36.2% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.50% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 3.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,646 households, out of which 26.9% had individuals under the age of 18 living with them, 47.30% were married couples living together, 15.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 18.6% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 32.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.00 males age 18 and over.
The following income information is from the 2000 census. The median income for a household in the county was $32,998, and the median income for a family was $40,407. Males had a median income of $26,271 versus $25,748 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,006. About 13.30% of families and 17.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.70% of those under age 18 and 17.00% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
Jefferson County was one of only a handful of counties in the Florida Panhandle that usually favored the Democratic Party; in recent elections it is trending toward the Republicans. In 2008, Barack Obama won it by a smaller margin than John Kerry had in the 2004 presidential race, one of the few non-Ozark, non-Appalachian, or non-Arizona counties to do so.
In 2016 it flipped and Donald Trump won the county. In 2018, it voted for both the winning Republican candidates in the governor's race (Ron DeSantis) and the Senate race (Rick Scott).