Bonifay, Florida
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Bonifay is a city and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Holmes County, Florida Holmes County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida, in the Florida Panhandle, Panhandle. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,653. Its county seat i ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,759.


History

Bonifay was founded in 1882 when the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad was built across the
Florida Panhandle The Florida panhandle (also known as West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long, bordered by Alabama on the west and north, Georgia (U.S. state ...
, and was named by P&A executive W. D. Chipley for Frank Bonifay, member of a prominent family who had a brickmaking factory in Pensacola, where the P&A was headquartered. Frank Bonifay bought a stake in the P&A, which in 1891 was merged into the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of ...
, which after several more mergers became part of
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
in 1986.


Geography

Bonifay is located in southeastern Holmes County at (30.791, –85.681). U.S. Route 90 runs through the southern part of the downtown area, leading east to Chipley and west to Caryville.
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
passes through the southern edge of town, with access from Exit 112 ( Florida State Road 79). I-10 leads east to Tallahassee and west to
Pensacola Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only city in Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Pensacola metropolitan area, which ha ...
. SR 79 (Waukesha Street) connects I-10 and US-90 and passes through the center of Bonifay, leading north to Esto and south to Vernon. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which , or 1.73%, are water.


Climate

The climate for the City of Bonifay is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Bonifay has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
zone, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,759 people, 1,116 households, and 664 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 2,793 people, 1,130 households, and 618 families residing in the city. In 2010, there were 1,090 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were headed by
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41, and the average family size was 3.05. In 2010, in the city, 25.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.6% were from 18 to 24, 20.6% were from 25 to 44, 25.3% were from 45 to 64, and 20.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males. For the period of 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $25,060, and the median income for a family was $37,407. Male full-time workers had a median income of $41,458 versus $35,054 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $15,830. About 20.7% of families and 28.8% 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 ...
, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Holmes District School Board operates public schools. Bonifay is home to three schools Bonifay K-8 School, Holmes County High School and Bethlehem School. A 2004 study by the Bureau of Secondary Education showed that 56.73% of Holmes County high school graduates go on to secondary education. Of these, 38.03% of those go on to complete a bachelor's degree, furthermore 12.60% of these students who receive a bachelors go on to receive a masters or doctoral degree. As of August 2008, all educational facility improvements shall be done in a financially feasible manner to address all Level of Service (LOS) needs as described by the Public School Facilities Element in the City of Bonifay 2020 Comprehensive Plan, officially recognized by the state of Florida on September 3, 2008. , a new K–8 school is being built in Bonifay to replace Bonifay Elementary and Bonifay Middle. Construction began in 2015, and it was scheduled to be completed in May 2017. Holmes County Public Library is located in Bonifay.


Infrastructure

While growth of the town of Bonifay has recently been stagnant there is promise of growth in the near future with Florida State Road 79 being converted in to a four lane highway between Bonifay and Panama City Beach. There are currently plans to extend the commercial zone areas of Bonifay south of Interstate 10 to the Washington County line.


Notable people

* Nancy Springer, prolific author of children's fiction, lives in Bonifay


Newspapers


''Holmes County Times-Advertiser''


Images

File:Bonifay FL Businesses SR79.jpg, Bonifay businesses near Interstate 10 File:Bonifay Florida American Legion.jpg, Fire and Police Station


References


External links


Official website for the City of Bonifay
{{authority control County seats in Florida Cities in Holmes County, Florida Cities in Florida