Gilchrist County, Florida | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofFlorida | |
| Coordinates:29°44′N82°48′W / 29.73°N 82.8°W /29.73; -82.8 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Founded | December 4, 1925 |
| Named after | Albert W. Gilchrist |
| Seat | Trenton |
| Largest city | Trenton |
| Area | |
• Total | 355 sq mi (920 km2) |
| • Land | 350 sq mi (910 km2) |
| • Water | 5.6 sq mi (15 km2) 1.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 17,864 |
• Estimate (2023[1]) | 19,587 |
| • Density | 51/sq mi (20/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | gilchrist |
Gilchrist County is acounty located in thenorth central part of theU.S. state ofFlorida. Organized in 1925 from the western part ofAlachua, it is the last county to be formed in the state. As of the2020 census, the population was 17,864.[2] Thecounty seat isTrenton.[3]
Gilchrist County is included in theGainesville, FloridaMetropolitan Statistical Area.
Gilchrist County was created in 1925, the last county organized in Florida. It was originally set to be namedMelon County due to watermelons being one of the main exports from the area; however, the death ofAlbert W. Gilchrist,Governor of Florida from 1909 to 1913, prompted its renaming to Gilchrist County instead.
It was formed by residents of what was then western Alachua County, as they believed they were not getting adequate representation on the county commission. With the poor roads of the time, they felt it took too long to get to the county seat of Gainesville. They disagreed about a proposed law that would require fencing in cattle in the rural area. They also believed that they would be better off by getting their own share of racetrack revenues, which the state distributed by county.[4]
Much of the county was farmland and timberland when formed, and it is largely rural. Several natural springs are adjacent to theSanta Fe River, includingGinnie Springs, Hart Springs, andGilchrist Blue Springs, the last of which became a Florida state park in 2017.[4]
Historic buildings in Gilchrist County include:
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 355 square miles (920 km2), of which 350 square miles (910 km2) is land and 5.6 square miles (15 km2) (1.6%) is water.[7] It is the fifth-smallest county in Florida by land area and fourth-smallest by total area.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 4,137 | — | |
| 1940 | 4,250 | 2.7% | |
| 1950 | 3,499 | −17.7% | |
| 1960 | 2,868 | −18.0% | |
| 1970 | 3,551 | 23.8% | |
| 1980 | 5,767 | 62.4% | |
| 1990 | 9,667 | 67.6% | |
| 2000 | 14,437 | 49.3% | |
| 2010 | 16,939 | 17.3% | |
| 2020 | 17,864 | 5.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 19,587 | [8] | 9.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11] 1990–2000[12] 2010–2019[2] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[13] | Pop 1990[14] | Pop 2000[15] | Pop 2010[16] | Pop 2020[17] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 5,352 | 8,656 | 12,812 | 14,882 | 14,827 | 92.80% | 89.54% | 88.74% | 87.86% | 83.00% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 344 | 811 | 996 | 884 | 788 | 5.96% | 8.39% | 6.90% | 5.22% | 4.41% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 8 | 30 | 50 | 63 | 62 | 0.14% | 0.31% | 0.35% | 0.37% | 0.35% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 4 | 18 | 22 | 59 | 56 | 0.07% | 0.19% | 0.15% | 0.35% | 0.31% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[18] | x[19] | 1 | 1 | 2 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 2 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 45 | 0.03% | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.07% | 0.25% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[20] | x[21] | 145 | 193 | 736 | x | x | 1.00% | 1.14% | 4.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 57 | 150 | 404 | 845 | 1,348 | 0.99% | 1.55% | 2.80% | 4.99% | 7.55% |
| Total | 5,767 | 9,667 | 14,437 | 16,939 | 17,864 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Non-Hispanic White 70–80% 80–90% >90% |
As of the2020 census, there were 17,864 people, 6,551 households, and 4,463 families residing in the county. The median age was 44.2 years, with 20.7% of residents under the age of 18 and 21.2% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.5 males age 18 and over.[22]
The racial makeup of the county was 84.9%White, 4.5%Black or African American, 0.4%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 3.3% from some other race, and 6.5% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.5% of the population.[23]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[24]
The 2020 census also reported 7,493 housing units, of which 12.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 84.4% were owner-occupied and 15.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.[22]
Among the 6,551 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.2% were married-couple households, 17.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[22]
As of thecensus[25] of 2000, there were 14,437 people, 5,021 households, and 3,715 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 inhabitants per square mile (16/km2). There were 5,906 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.52%White, 7.00%Black orAfrican American, 0.37%Native American, 0.17%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.69% fromother races, and 1.26% from two or more races. 2.80% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. In terms of ancestry, 16.9% wereEnglish, 13.9% wereIrish, 13.7% wereAmerican, and 11.4% wereGerman.
There were 5,021 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 21.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under the age of 18, 14.20% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,328, and the median income for a family was $34,485. Males had a median income of $27,359 versus $21,946 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,985. About 10.90% of families and 14.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.
TheTrenton State Farmer's Market is located onState Road 47, north of Trenton.[26]
According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans maintain a majority of registered voters in Gilchrist County.
| Gilchrist County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2024[27] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Party | Total Voters | Percentage | |||
| Republican | 8,936 | 67.85% | |||
| Democratic | 2,019 | 15.33% | |||
| other party affiliation | 344 | 2.61% | |||
| no party affiliation | 1,871 | 14.21% | |||
| Total | 13,170 | 100.00% | |||
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1928 | 125 | 22.73% | 392 | 71.27% | 33 | 6.00% |
| 1932 | 57 | 6.54% | 814 | 93.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 56 | 6.28% | 836 | 93.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 88 | 8.01% | 1,011 | 91.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 81 | 8.59% | 862 | 91.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 46 | 4.34% | 884 | 83.32% | 131 | 12.35% |
| 1952 | 195 | 16.43% | 992 | 83.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 137 | 12.90% | 925 | 87.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 277 | 24.93% | 834 | 75.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 540 | 43.17% | 711 | 56.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 183 | 12.12% | 208 | 13.77% | 1,119 | 74.11% |
| 1972 | 1,306 | 83.45% | 247 | 15.78% | 12 | 0.77% |
| 1976 | 528 | 22.43% | 1,807 | 76.76% | 19 | 0.81% |
| 1980 | 1,093 | 39.13% | 1,627 | 58.25% | 73 | 2.61% |
| 1984 | 2,056 | 66.15% | 1,051 | 33.82% | 1 | 0.03% |
| 1988 | 1,855 | 61.59% | 1,137 | 37.75% | 20 | 0.66% |
| 1992 | 1,395 | 34.73% | 1,511 | 37.62% | 1,111 | 27.66% |
| 1996 | 1,939 | 40.44% | 1,985 | 41.40% | 871 | 18.16% |
| 2000 | 3,300 | 61.17% | 1,910 | 35.40% | 185 | 3.43% |
| 2004 | 4,936 | 70.36% | 2,017 | 28.75% | 62 | 0.88% |
| 2008 | 5,656 | 72.34% | 1,996 | 25.53% | 167 | 2.14% |
| 2012 | 5,917 | 74.55% | 1,885 | 23.75% | 135 | 1.70% |
| 2016 | 6,740 | 79.56% | 1,458 | 17.21% | 274 | 3.23% |
| 2020 | 7,895 | 81.37% | 1,700 | 17.52% | 107 | 1.10% |
| 2024 | 8,931 | 83.27% | 1,662 | 15.50% | 132 | 1.23% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 86.50%6,806 | 12.92%1,017 | 0.58%45 |
| 2018 | 81.12%5,975 | 17.40%1,282 | 1.48%109 |
| 2014 | 69.24%4,129 | 24.90%1,485 | 5.86%349 |
| 2010 | 61.71%3,321 | 33.39%1,797 | 4.90%264 |
| 2006 | 59.59%3,160 | 35.94%1,906 | 4.47%237 |
| 2002 | 60.34%3,060 | 38.06%1,930 | 1.60%81 |
| 1998 | 59.83%2,097 | 40.17%1,408 | |
| 1994 | 53.05%1,922 | 46.95%1,701 |
The Gilchrist County Public library is part of the Three Rivers Regional Library System, which also servesDixie,Lafayette, andTaylor counties.
Gilchrist County has only three abandoned railroad lines.Seaboard Air Line Railroad'sWannee Subdivision and two formerAtlantic Coast Line Railroad lines. TheThomasville-Dunnellon Line and theJacksonville-Wilcox Line. The latter of these two lines are currently part of theNature Coast State Trail. An extension of the trail along the former Jacksonville-Wilcox line was added toward Newberry in Alachua County.
Places adjacent to Gilchrist County, Florida | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofGilchrist County, Florida,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Topics |  Map of North Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Counties | ||
| Major cities | ||
| Cities and towns 50k–100k | ||
| Cities and towns 10k–40k | ||
| Metro areas | ||
| Regions | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
