Lafayette County is acounty located in thenorth central portion of thestate ofFlorida. As of the2020 census, the population was 8,226,[1] making it the second-least populous county in Florida. Thecounty seat isMayo.[2] Lafayette County is a prohibition or partiallydry county, allowing retail sales of beer.
Lafayette County was created on December 23, 1856, from part ofMadison County on the same day asTaylor County was also split off from Madison County. At the time it comprised all the area of present-day Lafayette andDixie counties. The county was named in honor of theMarquis de Lafayette, the French general who rendered assistance to theContinental Army in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[3] The famedSuwannee River forms the entire eastern boundary. The county courts first met at the home of Ariel Jones near Fayetteville. The county seat was New Troy until the court house burned down on New Year's Eve, 1892. It was moved to Mayo in 1893, and Mayo is currently Lafayette's only incorporated town. The moving of the courthouse was the end for New Troy. TheGainesville Sun states that houses were dismantled for their timber and bricks, hardwoods replaced the fields, steamboat traffic ended in 1899, and the ferry closed in 1917. In 1921 the lower part of the county was removed to createDixie County.
According to theU.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.[4]
Lafayette County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition 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 8,226, 2,727 households, and 1,891 families. The population density was 15.1 per square mile (5.8/km2). The median age was 44.3 years; 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.5% were between 18 and 24, 26.5% were between 25 and 44, 28.3% were between 45 and 64, and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 137.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 147.7 males age 18 and over.[19]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[21]
There were 2,727 households in the county, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.4% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]
There were 3,284 housing units, of which 17.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.9% were owner-occupied and 22.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.4%.[19]
The average household size was 3.1 and the average family size was 3.8.[22] The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 8.7% of the population.[23]
The 2016-2020 5-yearAmerican Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $51,734 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,662). The median family income was $53,625 (+/- $15,651).[24] Males had a median income of $37,939 (+/- $8,513) versus $25,085 (+/- $8,177) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $35,009 (+/- $11,623).[25] Approximately, 16.7% of families and 17.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.9% of those under the age of 18 and 19.5% of those ages 65 or over.[26][27]
As of thecensus[28] of 2000, there were 7,022 people, 2,142 households and 1,591 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km2). There were 2,660 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (1.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.27%White, 14.37%Black orAfrican American, 0.71%Native American, 0.13%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 4.30% fromother races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 9.14% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. In terms of ancestry, 41.1% wereEnglish, 8.0% wereIrish, 7.1% wereAmerican, and 5.3% wereGerman.
There were 2,142 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% weremarried couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 34.00% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 148.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 157.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,651, and the median income for a family was $35,020. Males had a median income of $25,030 versus $22,007 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,087. About 12.90% of families and 17.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.70% of those under age 18 and 17.30% of those age 65 or over.
A very rural and landlocked county, Lafayette historically supported the Democratic Party. It has voted Republican for decades now, and recently by wide margins. In the 2024 presidential election, it was the second-most Republican county in Florida.[29]
United States presidential election results for Lafayette County, Florida[30]
