Hamilton County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the north central portion of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,004, down from 14,799 at the 2010 census. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...

History

Hamilton County was created in 1827 from portions of Jefferson County. It was named for Alexander Hamilton, first

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water. It is the only county in Florida entirely north of

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

Adjacent counties

Echols County, Georgia Echols County is a County (United States), county located in the Southeast Georgia, southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 3,697. The county sea ...

- north * Columbia County - east * Suwannee County - south * Madison County - west *

Lowndes County, Georgia Lowndes County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census the population was 118,251. The county seat is Valdosta. The county was created December 23, 1825. Lowndes County is included ...

- northwest

Major Highway

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...

U.S. Route 129 U.S. Route 129 (US 129) is an auxiliary route of US 29, which it intersects in Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for from an intersection with US 19/ US 27 ALT/ US 98 in Chiefland, Florida, to an interchang ...

* State Road 6 * State Road 100 * State Road 136 * State Road 143

Politics

Voter Registration

According to the Secretary of State's Office, as of September 30, 2022 Republicans hold a plurality of registered voters in Hamilton County for the first time in over a century. The county has radically shifted from being a Democratic stronghold to becoming a Republican one during the 21st century. , - ! colspan = 2 , Political Party ! Total Voters ! Percentage , - , ,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, align = center , 3,305 , align = center , 42.25% , - , , Democratic , align = center , 3,298 , align = center , 42.16% , - , , Independent , align = center , 1,108 , align = center , 14.17% , - , , Third Parties , align = center , 111 , align = center , 1.42% , - ! colspan = 2 , Total ! align = center , 7,822 ! align = center , 100% Hamilton County Courthouse Annex

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 14,004 people, 4,381 households, and 3,082 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 13,327 people, 4,161 households, and 2,995 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 26 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 4,966 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.79%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 37.72%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.42% Native American, 0.20%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.69% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.17% from two or more races. 6.36% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 4,161 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.30% were married couples living together, 16.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 31.80% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 135.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 145.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $25,638, and the median income for a family was $30,677. Males had a median income of $26,999 versus $20,552 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $10,562. About 21.70% of families and 26.00% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 35.70% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Hamilton County School District operates public schools in the county. The sole elementary school is Hamilton County Elementary School, and the sole high school is Hamilton County High School. Hamilton County is served by th
Suwannee River Regional Library System
which contains eight branches and also serves

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

and Suwannee counties. Libraries in Hamilton County include: * Jasper * Jennings * White Springs

Communities

City

Towns

Jennings Jennings is a surname of early medieval English origin (also the Anglicised version of the Irish surnames Mac Sheóinín or MacJonin). Notable people with the surname include: *Jennings (Swedish noble family) A–G *Adam Jennings (born 1982), A ...

* White Springs

Unincorporated communities

* Avoca * Bakers Mill * Bellville * Blue Springs * Crossroads * Hillcoat * Marion * Rawls * Watson * West Lake

References

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners

Hamilton County Supervisor of Elections

Hamilton County Property Appraiser

Hamilton County Sheriff's Office

Hamilton County Tax Collector

Special districts

Hamilton County Schools - dead link

Suwannee River Water Management District

Judicial branch

Public Defender, 3rd Judicial Circuit of Florida
serving Columbia,

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...

, Hamilton,

Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

, Suwannee, and

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) ** List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Pl ...

Counties
Office of the State Attorney, 3rd Judicial Circuit of Florida

Tourism links

Hamilton County Tourism Development Council
{{authority control Florida counties 1827 establishments in Florida Territory Populated places established in 1827 North Florida