Gadsden County, Florida

History

Gadsden County was created in 1823. It was named for James Gadsden of South Carolina, who served as Andrew Jackson's aide-de-camp in Florida in 1818. Gadsden County is historically known for its tobacco crop which is obsolete today.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 529 sqmi, of which 516 sqmi is land and 12 sqmi (2.3%) is water.

Gadsden County is part of the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gadsden County is in the Eastern Time Zone. Its western border with Jackson County forms the boundary in this area between the Eastern and Central Time Zones.

Adjacent counties

• Decatur County, Georgia - north
• Seminole County, Georgia - north
• Grady County, Georgia - northeast
• Leon County, Florida - east
• Liberty County, Florida - southwest
• Calhoun County, Florida - southwest (CST)
• Jackson County, Florida - northwest (CST)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 43,826, 16,806 households, and 11,239 families. The median age was 43.4 years, with 21.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 20.0% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.7 males age 18 and over.

The population density was 84.9 per square mile (32.8/km), and there were 18,929 housing units at an average density of 36.7 per square mile (14.2/km).

The racial makeup of the county was 34.1% White, 53.5% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian,

19.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 80.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 16,806 households in the county, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.8% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Of those housing units, 11.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.6% were owner-occupied and 27.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.6%.

Racial and ethnic composition

Black or African American Non-Hispanic White Gadsden County is unique in Florida in that it is the state's only county with an African American majority population.

[[American Community Survey]] (2016–2020) estimates

The 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-year estimates show that the average household size was 2.4, the average family size was 3.0, and 13.8% of the population had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-year estimates show that the median household income was $41,135 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,461). The median family income was $50,020 (+/- $3,429). Males had a median income of $32,760 (+/- $2,256) versus $27,905 (+/- $1,732) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $29,793 (+/- $1,393).

Approximately, 15.2% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 46,389 people living in the county. 56.0% were Black or African American, 35.9% White, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 5.9% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 9.5% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 45,087 people, 15,867 households, and 11,424 families living in the county. The population density was 87 PD/sqmi. There were 17,703 housing units at an average density of 34 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 57.14% Black or African American, 38.70% White, 0.23% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.76% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 6.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,867 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.50% were married couples living together, 22.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.40% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,248, and the median income for a family was $36,238. Males had a median income of $27,159 versus $21,721 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,499. About 16.40% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.50% of those under age 18 and 16.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Rosenwald schools were established in Gadsden County.

The Gadsden County School District, the only school district, operates public schools.

Gadsden County is home to one public high school, Gadsden County High School (formerly East Gadsden High School), formed in 2017 by the merger of East Gadsden High and the high school portion of West Gadsden High School; the West Gadsden High building was converted to West Gadsden Middle. West Gadsden was formed by the merger of the former Chattahoochee High and Greensboro High and was located on the western outskirts of Quincy near Greensboro. East Gadsden, formed by the merger of James A. Shanks High and Havana Northside High, was located on Hwy. 90 east of Quincy.

Robert F. Munroe Day School and Tallavanna Christian School are private schools in the county that were founded as segregation academies.

Libraries

The Gadsden County Public Library System has 3 branches.

• William A. McGill Library
• Havana Branch
• Chattahoochee Branch

Politics

Gadsden is the strongest Democratic county in Florida, giving Democrats higher margins than even in highly populated urban counties like Broward, despite having a population of 43,826. No Democratic gubernatorial or presidential candidate has received less than 60% of the vote in the county since 1992, even for those who lost in landslides statewide.

In the 2022 gubernatorial election, it was one of only five counties in the state to vote for Democratic nominee Charlie Crist over incumbent Republican governor Ron DeSantis, and it was the only one to give Crist more than 60% of the vote. Crist lost statewide by 19.4%. Similarly, in the 2024 presidential election it was the only county to give Kamala Harris over 60% of the vote, and one of only six counties won by Harris. Harris lost statewide by 13%.

According to the secretary of state's office, Democrats maintain a massive majority of registered voters in Gadsden County. As of May 23, 2022, the county has the highest percentage of registered Democrats of all counties in Florida. The last Republican to win a majority in the county was Richard Nixon in his landslide 1972 victory. As a measure of how strongly Democratic the county is, Gadsden was the solitary Florida county to vote against Reagan in 1984 and George Bush in 1988, even as both won in statewide landslides.

Statewide elections

County commissioners

• Eric Hinson (District 1)
• Anthony Viegbesie, PhD (District 2)
• Kimblin NeSmith, J.D. (District 3)
• Brenda Holt (District 4)
• Ronterious Green (District 5) Local elected officials
• Sheriff: Morris A. Young
• Supervisor of Elections: Shirley Green Knight
• Tax Collector: W. Dale Summerford
• Property Appraiser: Reginald Cunningham
• Superintendent of Schools: Elijah Key

Transportation

Airports

• Quincy Municipal Airport

Major roads

• is the main west-to-east interstate highway in the county, and serves as the unofficial dividing line between northern and southern Gadsden County. It contains four interchanges within the county; CR 270A (Exit 166), SR 12 (Exit 174), SR 267 (Exit 181), and US 90 (Exit 192).
• as the main west-to-east highway in the county prior to the construction of I-10 in the late 1960s. It runs from the Victory Bridge in Chattahoochee in the northwest, and then southeast through Gretna, Douglas City, and Quincy before finally leaving the county east of Midway into Leon County.
• is the sole south-to-north U.S. highway running through the northeastern part of the county.
• is a west-to-east state highway running from Liberty County in the southwest to Havana in the northeast. It also contains a county extension into Leon County.

• is a short south to north road connecting US 27 to SR 12 in Havana, with a county extension northwest to Georgia State Route 309 at the Georgia State Line.

Railroads

Gadsden County has at least four existing railroad lines, three of which are owned by CSX. The first two CSX lines being P&A Subdivision, a line formerly owned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and the other is the Tallahassee Subdivision, a former Seaboard Air Line Railroad line. These two lines meet in Chatahoochee and served Amtrak's Sunset Limited until it was truncated to New Orleans in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. A third line is the Apalachicola Northern Railroad, a line that spans as far south as Port St. Joe. The line enters from Liberty County, then crosses SR 12 in Greensboro, runs under I-10, follows CR 268 in Hardaway, and then turns west into Chatahoochee. The fourth line is the third CSX Line, the Bainbridge Subdivision, which runs along the west side of US 27 from Leon County by way of a bridge over the Ochlockonee River to the Georgia State Line. While some spurs still exist, other lines within the county were abandoned.

Public transportation

Public Transportation is provided by Big Bend Transit, which operates 3 bus routes in the county.

Communities

Cities

• Chattahoochee
• Gretna
• Midway
• Quincy

Towns

• Havana
• Greensboro

Unincorporated areas

• Concord
• Dogtown
• Hinson
• Jamieson
• Lake Tallavana
• Mount Pleasant
• Oak Grove
• Reston
• St. Hebron
• St. John
• Scotland
• Scottown
• Wetumpka

Gallery

File:Gadsden County Board of Commissioners.jpg|Gadsden County Board of Commissioners File:Gadsden County Sheriff's Office.jpg|Gadsden County Sheriff's Office File:Gadsden County Emergency Medical Services, Gadsden County Fire Services.jpg|Gadsden County Emergency Medical Services and Gadsden County Fire Services

References

References

1. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/gadsdencountyflorida/
2. "Gadsden County, Florida".
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
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5. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
6. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
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8. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790". [[US Census Bureau]].
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
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12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
14. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
15. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Gadsden County, Florida".
16. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Gadsden County, Florida".
17. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Gadsden County, Florida".
18. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
19. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
20. not an option in the 1980 Census
21. not an option in the 1990 Census
22. "US Census Bureau, Table S1101: Households and Families".
23. "US Census Bureau, Table S1501: Educational Attainment".
24. "US Census Bureau, Table S1903: Median Income in the Past 12 Months (In 2020 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)".
25. "US Census Bureau, Table S2001: Earnings in the Past 12 Months (In 2020 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)".
26. "US Census Bureau, Table S1701: Poverty Status in the Past".
27. "US Census Bureau, Table S1702: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families".
28. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
29. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Gadsden County, FL". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
30. (March 3, 2017). "SCHOOL MERGERS NOT POPULAR AT WEST GADSDEN". [[Havana Herald]].
31. Jiwanmall, Stephen. (April 4, 2017). "Gadsden County Schools to Consolidate in 2017-18". [[WTXL]].
32. Glenda Alice Rabby, ''The Pain and the Promise: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Tallahassee, Florida'', Athens, Ga., University of Georgia Press, 1999, {{ISBN. 082032051X, p. 255.
33. (September 8, 2020). "Florida's political geography: Why races in this swing state are always so close".
34. Sullivan, Robert David; [http://www.americamagazine.org/content/unconventional-wisdom/how-red-and-blue-map-evolved-over-past-century ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’]; ''America Magazine'' in ''The National Catholic Review''; June 29, 2016
35. David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/datagraph.php?year=1984&fips=12&f=1&off=0&elect=0 1984 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – Florida by County]
36. "Voter Registration - Current by County - Division of Elections - Florida Department of State".
37. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
38. "Gadsden County Supervisor of Elections > Elected Officials > Federal,State,Local-Officials".
39. "Big Bend Transit {{!}} COORDINATED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM OF GADSDEN COUNTY".