In the late 1850s, there was a violent feud between the local Durden family and another anti-Durden group. This feud escalated and there was a breakdown of the law, with roaming gangs and a "pitched battle" at the courthouse square inBlountstown. The violence got so bad that the county judge had to call in aid from the Fifth Florida Militia Regiment, which deployed 150 militiamen to breakup the outlaw bands.[6]
The relative lawlessness continued during theAmerican Civil War when armed gangs gathered in the country side and avoided conscription by the Confederacy. These groups were in contact with and armed by theFederal blockade and even concocted a plan to kidnap the ConfederateGovernor Milton. Milton caught word of the plot and avoided capture.[7]
The county was later expanded to the north with territory fromJackson andWashington counties. In 1913, part of Calhoun County was transferred to the newBay County. In 1925, the southern part of Calhoun County was separated as the newGulf County, which included the territory that had formed the original Calhoun County.[8]
In 1930, a federal employee shot the County Sheriff over a dispute of unknown origin.[9]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 574 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 567 square miles (1,470 km2) is land and 7.0 square miles (18 km2) (1.2%) is water.[10] The county is bounded on the east by theApalachicola River and is bisected by theChipola River, site ofLook and Tremble.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 13,648. The median age was 42.8 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 122.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 127.9 males age 18 and over.[22][23]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[24]
There were 4,784 households in the county, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.1% were married-couple households, 20.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[22]
There were 5,628 housing units, of which 15.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.6% were owner-occupied and 21.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.[22]
There were 4,468 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% weremarried couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.20% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 31.50% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 117.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,575, and the median income for a family was $32,848. Males had a median income of $26,681 versus $21,176 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $12,379. About 14.80% of families and 20.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.60% of those under age 18 and 20.40% of those age 65 or over.
According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans hold a narrow majority among registered voters in Calhoun County as of 2022. However, Democrats held a sizable majority of registered voters as recently as 2017.
Calhoun County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of March 31, 2022[26]
Like most of the Florida Panhandle, Calhoun County votes heavily Republican inpresidential andcongressional races yet still occasionally supportsconservative Democrats in local and state contests.
United States presidential election results for Calhoun County, Florida[27]
Along with the six branches within theCalhoun County Public Library System, Calhoun County is also a part of thePanhandle Public Library Cooperative System. PPLCS also includesHolmes andJackson counties. Branches are located in the following communities and offer public computers with internet access, free wi-fi, programming for all ages, downloadable e-books and e-audiobooks, and numerous online databases and resources.
^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.[19]
^Williams, David."Southern Unionism".www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com. Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech. RetrievedJune 19, 2023.
^"Florida Geographic Names". U.S.G.S. Topographic Division, Office of Research & Technical Standards, National Center. September 23, 1981 – via Google Books.
