Pierson is a town in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The town is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,542 as of the 2020 census. Pierson bills itself as the "Fern Capital of the World". The town is heavily reliant on agriculture which mainly consists of

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

growing. Its ferns are exported worldwide for use in floral arrangements and other decorations.

Geography

The approximate coordinates for the Town of Pierson is located at (29.241713, –81.456594). It is the northwesternmost incorporated town in Volusia County.

U.S. Route 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that spans in the Southeastern United States. It runs close to the East Coast of the United States, At ...

and County Road 3 (former US 17) pass through the town. 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 town has a total area of , of which is land and (6.86%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild 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 ...

, the Town of Pierson 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 (''Cfa'').

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,542 people, 435 households, and 302 families residing in the town. In 2020, the median household income was $52,917. 11.1% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher. By age, the population was split as follows: 5.5% were under 5 years, 30.3% were under 18, 69.7% were 18 and over, and 16.4% were 65 and over. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,736 people, 494 households, and 415 families residing in the town.

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 2,596 people, 484 households, and 378 families residing in the town. 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 514 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 81.93%

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 ...

, 4.93%

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 ...

, 0.27% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 11.48% from other races, and 1.31% 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 were 62.44% of the population. In 2000, there were 484 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% 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, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.35 and the average family size was 3.71. In 2000, in the town, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 18.7% from 18 to 24, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 14.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 142.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 149.9 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $26,773, and the median income for a family was $27,461. Males had a median income of $30,247 versus $14,605 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 town was $12,450. About 22.8% of families and 33.6% 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 39.9% of those under age 18 and 21.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Town Hall for Pierson is in the Old Pierson Elementary School built circa 1920. As of 2024, these are the politicians for the Town Council of Pierson's mayor-council government:

Notable people

Chipper Jones Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall p ...

, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

baseball star, and 2018 National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inductee, for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

References

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External links

Official Website for the Town of Pierson
Towns in Volusia County, Florida Towns in Florida Populated places on the St. Johns River