Gulf County, Florida

county in Florida, United States of America

Gulf County is a county in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2020, 14,192 people lived there.[1] Its county seat is Port St. Joe, Florida.[2]

Gulf County
Gulf County Courthouse
Gulf County Courthouse
Official seal of Gulf County
Map of Florida highlighting Gulf County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°54′N 85°14′W / 29.9°N 85.24°W / 29.9; -85.24
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedJune 6, 1925
Named forGulf of Mexico
SeatPort St. Joe
Largest cityPort St. Joe
Area
 • Total756 sq mi (1,960 km2)
 • Land564 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Water192 sq mi (500 km2)  25.4%
Population
 • Total14,192
 • Density28.6/sq mi (11.0/km2)
Time zones
Southern portionUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Northern portionUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Websitewww.gulfcounty-fl.gov

History

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Gulf County, created in 1925, was named for the Gulf of Mexico. Wewahitchka was its first county seat and the 1927 Gulf County Courthouse is still there. In 1965, the county seat was moved to Port Saint Joe, which under its original name Saint Joseph, had been the site of Florida's first Constitutional Convention in 1838.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 756 square miles (1,960 km2), of which 564 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 192 square miles (500 km2) (25.4%) is water.[3]

Gulf County is one of a few counties in the United States to be in two time zones, Eastern and Central in this case. Other examples include Idaho County, Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon, having parts in both Mountain and Pacific Time Zones as well as Cherry County, Nebraska which is in both the Mountain and Central Time Zones.

Counties nearby

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National protected area

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People

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At the 2020 census, 14,192 people lived in the county. There were 5,571 households and 1,233 people who did not live in households. The population density was 25.6 people per square mile (9.9/km²). The median age was 48.8 years (46.7 for males, 51.5 for females).

Of the total population, 16.7% were under 18 years old, 58.7% were 18 to 64, and 24.6% were 65 or over. Males made up 53.4% and females made up 46.6% of the people. The population was 79.1% White (non-Latino), 11.9% Black (non-Latino), 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 4.0% Two or more races (non-Latino). Other races each made up less than 1% of the population.

Of the 5,571 households, 3,656 (65.6%) were families, 1,323 (23.7%) had children under 18, 2,732 (49.0%) had a married couple, and 1,570 (28.2%) had one person living alone. The average household size was 2.3 people. There were 8,796 housing units, and 63.3% had people living in them all year, while 23.9% were for seasonal use (part of the year). Of the households, 78.9% were owner-occupied, while 21.1% were renters.[4][5]

As of 2022, the median (middle) yearly income for a household was about $56,250, and the median income for a family was about $70,654.[6] The per capita income was about $30,011.[7] About 9.7% of families[8] and 12.3% of all people in Gulf County lived below the poverty line. This includes 15.2% of children under 18 years old and 6.1% of people over 65 years old.[9]

Cities and towns

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Politics

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Gulf County is heavily Republican. As of 2023, the county is represented by Republican Neal Dunn in the US House of Representatives.

United States presidential election results for Gulf County, Florida[10]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 6,113 74.80% 1,985 24.29% 74 0.91%
2016 5,329 72.69% 1,720 23.46% 282 3.85%
2012 4,995 70.10% 2,014 28.26% 117 1.64%
2008 4,980 68.99% 2,149 29.77% 89 1.23%
2004 4,805 66.03% 2,407 33.08% 65 0.89%
2000 3,553 57.79% 2,398 39.00% 197 3.20%
1996 2,430 40.55% 2,480 41.39% 1,082 18.06%
1992 2,651 45.29% 1,938 33.11% 1,265 21.61%
1988 3,042 62.44% 1,688 34.65% 142 2.91%
1984 3,573 66.70% 1,784 33.30% 0 0.00%
1980 2,127 43.18% 2,700 54.81% 99 2.01%
1976 1,584 37.00% 2,641 61.69% 56 1.31%
1972 2,628 78.54% 713 21.31% 5 0.15%
1968 364 9.58% 711 18.71% 2,725 71.71%
1964 2,001 54.67% 1,659 45.33% 0 0.00%
1960 657 21.86% 2,348 78.14% 0 0.00%
1956 570 24.12% 1,793 75.88% 0 0.00%
1952 490 21.69% 1,769 78.31% 0 0.00%
1948 146 9.25% 1,219 77.20% 214 13.55%
1944 83 6.15% 1,267 93.85% 0 0.00%
1940 105 6.01% 1,642 93.99% 0 0.00%
1936 71 7.76% 844 92.24% 0 0.00%
1932 30 4.42% 648 95.58% 0 0.00%
1928 156 34.98% 275 61.66% 15 3.36%

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "QuickFacts: Gulf County, Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  4. "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  5. "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  6. "S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  7. "S1902: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  8. "S1702: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  9. "S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  10. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.

Other websites

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Government links/Constitutional offices

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Special districts

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Judicial branch

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29°54′N 85°14′W / 29.90°N 85.24°W / 29.90; -85.24