The area was settled by varying cultures ofindigenous peoples for thousands of years before European contact. Within theTimucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve inJacksonville,archeologists excavated remains of some of the oldest pottery in the United States, dating to 2500 BCE. Prior toEuropean contact, the area was inhabited by theMocama, aTimucuan-speaking group who lived throughout the coastal areas of northern Florida.[7] At the time Europeans arrived, much of what is now Duval County was controlled by theSaturiwa, one of the region's most powerful tribes. The area that became Duval County was home to the 16th-centuryFrench colony ofFort Caroline and saw increased European settlement in the 18th century with the establishment ofCowford, later renamedJacksonville.
Duval County was created in 1822 fromSt. Johns County. It was named forWilliam Pope Duval,Governor ofFlorida Territory from 1822 to 1834.[8] When Duval County was created, it covered a massive area, from theSuwannee River on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east, north of a line from the mouth of the Suwannee River toJacksonville on theSt. Johns River.Alachua andNassau counties were created out of parts of Duval County in 1824.Clay County was created from part of Duval County in 1858. Part of St. Johns County south and east of the lower reaches of the St. Johns River was transferred to Duval County in the 1840s.[9]
On October 1, 1968, the government of Duval County was consolidated with the government of the city ofJacksonville. The Duval County cities ofAtlantic Beach,Jacksonville Beach, andNeptune Beach, and the town ofBaldwin are not included in the corporate limits of Jacksonville and maintain their own municipal governments. The city of Jacksonville provides all services that a county government would normally provide. The Mayor of Jacksonville serves as the chief administrator over all of Duval County.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 918.464 square miles (2,378.81 km2), of which 762.623 square miles (1,975.18 km2) is land and 155.841 square miles (403.63 km2) (17.0%) is water.[2] The topography is coastal plain; however there are some rolling hills.
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010–2020[3]
As of the first quarter of 2024, the median home value in Duval County was $367,550.[15]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s July 2024 estimates, Duval County had a population of approximately 1,055,159.[16]
As of the 2023American Community Survey, there are 428,020 estimated households in Duval County with an average of 2.36 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $69,436. Approximately 14.6% of the county's population lives at or below thepoverty line. Duval County has an estimated 63.3% employment rate, with 34.3% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 91.6% holding a high school diploma.[3]
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 may be of any race.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 995,567, with 399,759 households and 249,480 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 1,305.4 inhabitants per square mile (504.0/km2). The median age was 37.7 years, 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 15.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.9 males age 18 and over.[21]
97.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.7% lived in rural areas.[23]
Of the 399,759 households in the county, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.9% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]
There were 435,033 housing units at an average density of 570.4 per square mile (220.2/km2), of which 8.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 56.5% were owner-occupied and 43.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.[21]
As of the2010 census, there were 864,263 people, 342,450 households, and 218,254 families residing in the county.[24] The population density was 1,133.9 inhabitants per square mile (437.8/km2). There were 388,486 housing units at an average density of 509.7 per square mile (196.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 60.87%White, 29.51%African American, 0.39%Native American, 4.15%Asian, 0.09%Pacific Islander, 2.13% from some other races and 2.85% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.57% of the population.
Hispanic/Latino(2.5% Puerto Rican, 1.7% Mexican, 0.8% Cuban)
In 2010, 6.7% of the population considered themselves to be of only "American" ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity).
Of the 342,450 households 28.68% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.92% were married couples living together, 16.74% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.27% were non-families. 24.85% of households were one person and 8.05% (2.29% male and 5.76% female) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.04.
The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% 65 or older. The median age was 35.8 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median household income was $49,463 and the median family income was $60,114. Males had a median income of $42,752 versus $34,512 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,854. About 10.4% of families and 14.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those aged 65 or over.
As of the2000 census, there were 778,879 people, 303,747 households, and 201,688 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,007.0 inhabitants per square mile (388.8/km2). There were 329,778 housing units at an average density of 426.0 per square mile (164.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 65.80%White, 27.83%African American, 0.33%Native American, 2.71%Asian, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 1.31% from some other races and 1.96% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.10% of the population.
There were 303,747 households out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.50% weremarried couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.60% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.30% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,703, and the median income for a family was $47,689. Males had a median income of $32,954 versus $26,015 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $20,753. About 9.20% of families and 11.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.40% of those under age 18 and 11.60% of those age 65 or over.
Duval County is somewhat conservative for an urban county, and it began moving away from theDemocratic Party sooner than the majority of Florida counties. Despite the small Democratic plurality in registration, the county's Democrats are nowhere near as liberal as their counterparts in other large Florida counties, such asBroward andOrange. The county has only supported a Democrat for president three times since 1952, in1960,1976, and2020.
However, the Republican edge in Duval has lessened somewhat in recent years. It swung from a 16-point win forGeorge W. Bush in 2004 to only a three-point win forJohn McCain in 2008.Mitt Romney won an equally narrow margin in 2012 and in 2016,Donald Trump only won the county by fewer than 6,000 votes even as he narrowly carried Florida. In 2020,Joe Biden, despite losing statewide, broke the 44-year Democratic drought in Duval County, winning by less than four points. In 2024, the county reverted back to the GOP and Trump won it by less than 2 points.
In 2018,Andrew Gillum, despite losing the election, won Duval by four points, the first time a Democrat had won the county in a gubernatorial election sinceSteve Pajcic's losing bid in 1986. Four years later, however, Duval rebounded to vote forRon DeSantis by over 10 points. In the Senate elections,Bill Nelson only failed to carry the county in his first bid in 2000, andLawton Chiles andBob Graham carried the county in all three of their respective bids. In 2022,Ron DeSantis won the county in his reelection bid by 12 points.
United States presidential election results for Duval County, Florida
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