| County: | Jefferson County |
| State: | Florida |
| Seal: | Seal of Jefferson County, Florida.png |
| Seal Size: | 150px |
| Founded Year: | 1827 |
| Founded Date: | January 20 |
| Seat Wl: | Monticello |
| Largest City Wl: | Monticello |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 637 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 598 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 38 |
| Area Percentage: | 6.0% |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 14510 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2021 |
| Density Sq Mi: | 23 |
| Web: | www.jeffersoncountyfl.gov |
| Ex Image: | MonticelloFL-CoCourtHs-2009.JPG |
| Ex Image Cap: | Jefferson County Courthouse in Monticello |
| District: | 2nd |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| Named For: | Thomas Jefferson |
Jefferson County is a county located in the Big Bend region in the northern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,510.[1] Its county seat is Monticello.[2]
Jefferson County is part of the Tallahassee, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area but is the 3rd most rural county in Florida.[3] There are no traffic signals within the entire county.[4]
In the mid to late 18th century, a group of Native Americans from Chiaha chiefdom settled in what is now Jefferson County. This group would eventually become an element of the Mikasuki speaking Seminole.[5]
Jefferson County was created in 1827. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, who had died the year before the county's establishment.[6]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (6.0%) is water.[8]
Jefferson County is the only county in Florida which borders both the state of Georgia and the Gulf of Mexico.
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
| White (NH) | 8,668 | 8,720 | 58.72% | 60.1% | |
| Black or African American (NH) | 5,293 | 4,600 | 35.86% | 31.7% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 33 | 36 | 0.22% | 0.25% | |
| Asian (NH) | 49 | 34 | 0.33% | 0.23% | |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 4 | 3 | 0.03% | 0.02% | |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 9 | 54 | 0.06% | 0.37% | |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 159 | 405 | 1.08% | 2.79% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 546 | 658 | 3.7% | 4.53% | |
| Total | 14,761 | 14,510 |
As of the census[11] of 2010, there were 14,761 people, 5,646 households, and 3,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 25/mi2. There were 5,251 housing units at an average density of 9/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 60.4% White, 36.2% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.50% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 3.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,646 households, out of which 26.9% had individuals under the age of 18 living with them, 47.30% were married couples living together, 15.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 18.6% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 32.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.00 males age 18 and over.
The following income information is from the 2000 census. The median income for a household in the county was $32,998, and the median income for a family was $40,407. Males had a median income of $26,271 versus $25,748 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,006. About 13.30% of families and 17.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.70% of those under age 18 and 17.00% of those age 65 or over.
Jefferson County, like most counties in the Florida Panhandle, historically voted for Democratic candidates. However, while most counties in the Panhandle started reliably voting for Republican candidates, Jefferson County has divided its support among Democratic and Republican candidates. From 2000 to 2012, while Democratic candidates for President won the county, the margin dwindled over time; in 2016, the county voted for Donald Trump, the first time that it had voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988. In 2020, Trump expanded his margin of victory. Jefferson County consistently backed Democratic candidates in statewide races, but in 2018, Ron DeSantis became the first Republican gubernatorial nominee to win Jefferson County since 1884.
| Jefferson County Officials | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Incumbent | Next election | ||||
| District 1 Commissioner | align="center" | Christopher Tuten | align="center" | 2024 | ||
| District 2 Commissioner | align="center" | Gene Hall | align="center" | 2026 | ||
| District 3 Commissioner | align="center" | J. T. Surles | align="center" | 2024 | ||
| District 4 Commissioner | align="center" | Austin Hosford | align="center" | 2026 | ||
| District 5 Commissioner | align="center" | Benjamin "Ben" White | align="center" | 2024 | ||
| Clerk of Courts and Comptroller | align="center" | Kirk Reams | align="center" | 2024 | ||
| Sheriff | align="center" | Mac McNeill | align="center" | 2024 | ||
| Property Appraiser | align="center" | Angela C. Gray | align="center" | 2024 | ||
| Tax Collector | align="center" | Lois Howell Hunter | align="center" | 2024 | ||
| Supervisor of Elections | align="center" | Michelle Milligan | align="center" | 2024 | ||
Jefferson County Schools is the school district of the county.[12] It operates public schools, including Jefferson County Middle / High School. Private Aucilla Christian Academy enrolls about half as many students as the Jefferson County public schools.
Jefferson County's library is the R.J. Bailar Public Library, a member of the Wilderness Coast Public Libraries Cooperative. It is located in the building that once housed the old Jefferson High School library.[13]
The sole existing railroad line is a CSX line once owned by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad that was used by Amtrak's Sunset Limited until 2005, when the service was truncated to New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. No Amtrak trains stopped anywhere in Jefferson County.
See also: List of county roads in Jefferson County, Florida.