Gilchrist County, Florida


Gilchrist County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Florida. Organized in 1925 from the western part of Alachua, it is the last county to be formed in the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,939. The county seat is Trenton.
Gilchrist County is included in the Gainesville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Gilchrist County was created in 1925, the last county organized in Florida. It was named for Albert W. Gilchrist, Governor of Florida from 1909 to 1913. It was formed by residents of what was then western Alachua County, as they believed they were not getting adequate representation on the county commission. With the poor roads of the time, they felt it took too long to get to the county seat of Gainesville. They disagreed about a proposed law that would require fencing in cattle in the rural area. They also believed that they would be better off by getting their own share of racetrack revenues, which the state distributed by county.
Much of the county was farmland and timberland when formed, and it is largely rural. It has some natural springs, and its park, Hart Springs, is developed around some. The county also has nature trails.

Historic buildings

Historic buildings in Gilchrist County include:
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Florida by land area and fourth-smallest by total area.

Adjacent counties

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,437 people, 5,021 households, and 3,715 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile. There were 5,906 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 90.52% White, 7.00% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. 2.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In terms of ancestry, 16.9% were English, 13.9% were Irish, 13.7% were American, and 11.4% were German.
There were 5,021 households out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 21.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 14.20% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,328, and the median income for a family was $34,485. Males had a median income of $27,359 versus $21,946 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,985. About 10.90% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Trenton State Farmer's Market is located on State Road 47, north of Trenton.

Politics

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans maintain a majority of registered voters in Gilchrist County.
Gilchrist County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of December 31, 2016Gilchrist County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of December 31, 2016Gilchrist County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of December 31, 2016Gilchrist County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of December 31, 2016Gilchrist County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of December 31, 2016Gilchrist County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of December 31, 2016
Political PartyPolitical PartyTotal VotersPercentage--

Statewide Elections

Library

The Gilchrist County Public library is part of the , which also serves Dixie, Lafayette, and Taylor counties.

Communities

Cities

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Government links/Constitutional offices