Hamilton County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color is due to ...

History

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

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

, 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 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 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 ...

. Hamilton County is the only county in Florida that is not connected to Florida by land. This is due to it being separated from neighboring Florida counties by river (the Suwannee and the Withlacoochee rivers). It does, however, touch Georgia via land.

Adjacent counties

Echols County, Georgia Echols County () is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,697. The county seat is Statenville. Since 2008, Statenville is a disincorporated municipality. Echols an ...

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

Lowndes County, Georgia Lowndes County () is a County (United States), county located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 118,251. The county seat is Vald ...

- northwest

Major Highway

* * * * * *

Railroads

The main railroad line through Hamilton County is the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

's Navair District (originally the

Georgia Southern and Florida Railway The Georgia Southern and Florida Railway , also known as the ''Suwanee River Route'' from its crossing of the Suwanee River, was founded in 1885 as the Georgia Southern and Florida ''Railroad'' and began operations between Macon, GA and Valdo ...

), which runs mostly in close proximity to US 41 from Lake City across a bridge over the Suwannee River and the Columbia-Hamilton County Line southeast of White Plains to the Florida-Georgia State Line northwest of Jennings. A former section of the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast ...

's DuPont—Lakeland Line survives as a rail trail in Jasper.

Politics

Voter Registration

According to the Secretary of State's Office, as of February 28, 2023, 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. Hamilton County Courthouse Annex

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 14,004 people, 4,690 households, and 3,072 families in Hamilton County, Florida. The population density was 27.2 per square mile (10.5/km). There were 5,596 housing units at an average density of 10.9 per square mile (4.2/km). The racial makeup was 57.33% (8,028)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(54.51%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 31.97% (4,477)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.41% (58) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.31% (43) Asian, 0.0% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 5.06% (709) from other races, and 4.92% (689) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 10.39% (1,455) of the population. Of the 4,690 households, 29.1% had children under the age of 18; 41.2% were married couples living together; 31.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 29.3% of households consisted of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 2.9. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 6.4% of the population. 19.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 69.9 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $38,300 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,178). The median family income was $44,231 (+/- $6,593). Males had a median income of $24,556 (+/- $4,009) versus $22,406 (+/- $1,882) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $23,110 (+/- $2,444). Approximately, 20.3% of families and 25.7% 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 33.2% of those under the age of 18 and 19.0% of those ages 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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 (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 4,966 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 58.79%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 37.72%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.42% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.02%

, 1.69% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. 6.36% of the population were

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

, 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 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 have shifted over the years), or the extent of the area i ...

, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, 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) ...

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