Lafayette County, Florida
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, Florida | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Florida | |
 Florida's location in the U.S. | |
| Statistics | |
| Founded | December 23, 1853 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Mayo |
| Largest town | Mayo |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
548 sq mi (1,419 km²) 543 sq mi (1,406 km²) 4.5 sq mi (12 km²), 0.8% |
| Population - (2020) - Density |
8,226 16/sq mi (6/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website: www.lafayettecountyfl.net | |
| Named for: Marquis de Lafayette | |
History
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
Historic sites in Lafayette County include:
- The Hal W. Adams Bridge, built in 1947 across the Suwannee River 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Mayo. It was Florida's first suspension bridge.
- The (second) Old Lafayette County Courthouse, built in 1893-1894, now an inn.
- The current Lafayette County Courthouse, built in 1908.
Land
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
Parks in the county include Lafayette Blue Springs State Park and Troy Springs State Park, both accessible to the Suwannee River.
Counties nearby
- Suwannee County, Florida - east
- Gilchrist County, Florida - southeast
- Dixie County, Florida - south
- Taylor County, Florida - west
- Madison County, Florida - northwest
People
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
Incorporated
Unincorporated
Politics
Lafayette County is strongly Republican. It has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since 1984.
References
- ↑ "QuickFacts: Lafayette County, Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ↑ "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ↑ "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ↑ "S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ↑ "S1902: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ↑ "S1702: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ↑ "S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
Other websites
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Government websites/Constitutional offices
- Lafayette County Board of County Commissioners Archived 2004-12-04 at the Wayback Machine
- Lafayette County Supervisor of Elections Archived 2005-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
- Lafayette County Property Appraiser
- Lafayette County Sheriff's Office Archived 2005-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
- Lafayette County Tax Collector Archived 2004-12-04 at the Wayback Machine
Special districts
Judicial branch
- Lafayette County Clerk of Courts
- Public Defender, 3rd Judicial Circuit of Florida Archived 2004-12-08 at the Wayback Machine serving Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor Counties
- Office of the State Attorney, 3rd Judicial Circuit of Florida Archived 2004-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
- Circuit and County Court for the 3rd Judicial Circuit of Florida Archived 2006-03-18 at the Wayback Machine