Franklin County, Florida

Franklin County
Franklin County
County
	Franklin County Courthouse
	Location within the U.S. state of Florida
	Florida's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 29°48′N 84°49′W / 29.8°N 84.82°W
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	February 8, 1832
Named for	Benjamin Franklin
Seat	Apalachicola
Largest city	Apalachicola
Area
• Total	1,026 sq mi (2,660 km2)
• Land	535 sq mi (1,390 km2)
• Water	492 sq mi (1,270 km2) 47.9%
Population (2020)
• Total	12,451
• Density	23/sq mi (9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.franklincountyflorida.com

Franklin County is a county along the Gulf of Mexico in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,451,^[1] making it the third-least populous county in Florida. The county seat is Apalachicola.^[2]

The county includes several large preserved areas and rivers and has been home to commercial timber and fishing industry. More recently it has become popular for tourism and retirement. It includes several rivers, state parks, and islands.

History

Franklin County was founded in 1832.^[3] It was named for Benjamin Franklin.^[4]

The second largest town in Franklin County is Carrabelle, 25 miles east of Apalachicola on the Carrabelle River.

Camp Gordon Johnston

During World War II most of Franklin County was used by the U.S. Army for amphibious and jungle training, for which the beaches and islands were ideal. When the war ended and the military left, Lanark Village was established from the remaining officer's quarters.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,026 square miles (2,660 km²), of which 535 square miles (1,390 km²) is land and 492 square miles (1,270 km²) (47.9%) is water.^[5]

Franklin County includes part of Tate's Hell State Forest. Bald Point State Park is nearby. The county's river's include the Carrabelle River and its tributaries the New River (Florida Panhandle) and Crooked River (Florida), visited by paddlers. The extreme eastern tip of the county is bordered by the Ochlockonee River.

Adjacent counties

Liberty County, Florida – north
Wakulla County, Florida – northeast
Gulf County, Florida – west (northern part of the county observes CDT/CST time)

National protected areas

Apalachicola National Forest (part)
St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Barrier Islands

Also, St. James Island, while part of the mainland, is technically an island, being separated from the rest of Franklin County by rivers and an estuary.

Historic sites

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,030		—
1850	1,561		51.6%
1860	1,904		22.0%
1870	1,256		−34.0%
1880	1,791		42.6%
1890	3,308		84.7%
1900	4,890		47.8%
1910	5,201		6.4%
1920	5,318		2.2%
1930	6,283		18.1%
1940	5,991		−4.6%
1950	5,814		−3.0%
1960	6,576		13.1%
1970	7,065		7.4%
1980	7,661		8.4%
1990	8,967		17.0%
2000	11,057		23.3%
2010	11,549		4.4%
2020	12,451		7.8%
2023 (est.)	12,594	^[6]	1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census^[7] 1790-1960^[8] 1900-1990^[9] 1990-2000^[10] 2010-2015^[1] 2019^[11]

Franklin County racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic)^[a]
Race	Pop 2010^[14]	Pop 2020^[15]	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	9,188	9,798	79.56%	78.69%
Black or African American (NH)	1,574	1,403	13.63%	11.27%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	52	41	0.45%	0.33%
Asian (NH)	26	30	0.23%	0.24%
Pacific Islander (NH)	2	2	0.02%	0.02%
Some Other Race (NH)	3	41	0.03%	0.33%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	175	461	1.52%	3.7%
Hispanic or Latino	529	675	4.58%	5.42%
Total	11,549	12,451	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,451 people, 4,691 households, and 2,926 families residing in the county.

As of the census^[16] of 2000, there were 11,057 people, 4,096 households, and 2,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (7.7 people/km²). There were 7,180 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5.0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.24% White, 16.32% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 2.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,096 households, out of which 24.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 18.00% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 30.80% from 25 to 44, 27.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 129.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 135.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,756, and the median income for a family was $31,157. Males had a median income of $25,101 versus $20,494 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,140. About 11.80% of families and 17.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.20% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Franklin County residents are within the Franklin County School District.^[17] All Students K-12 attend the Franklin County School at Eastpoint, FL, except those attending the Apalachicola Bay Charter School or other private schools.

Libraries

The Franklin County Public Library works with the Wilderness Coast Public Libraries. The FCPL has two library branches.

Carrabelle
Eastpoint

In addition, Franklin County has the Apalachicola Margaret Key Library, an independent library with a history of providing services for over 100 years. It is not a member of Wilderness Coast, but is recognized the state.

Politics

Voter Registration

Franklin County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of April 30, 2022
Political Party		Total Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	3,115	42.00%
	Republican	3,408	45.95%
	Independent	755	10.47%
	Third Parties	138	1.91%
Total		7,416	100.00%

Statewide Elections

United States presidential election results for Franklin County, Florida^[18]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	4,675	68.16%	2,120	30.91%	64	0.93%
2016	4,125	68.08%	1,744	28.78%	190	3.14%
2012	3,570	64.98%	1,845	33.58%	79	1.44%
2008	3,818	63.12%	2,134	35.28%	97	1.60%
2004	3,472	58.54%	2,401	40.48%	58	0.98%
2000	2,454	52.83%	2,047	44.07%	144	3.10%
1996	1,563	34.20%	2,096	45.86%	911	19.93%
1992	1,664	37.99%	1,535	35.05%	1,181	26.96%
1988	1,913	58.52%	1,283	39.25%	73	2.23%
1984	2,218	67.05%	1,090	32.95%	0	0.00%
1980	1,508	44.59%	1,775	52.48%	99	2.93%
1976	1,054	35.45%	1,859	62.53%	60	2.02%
1972	2,277	82.14%	490	17.68%	5	0.18%
1968	529	16.86%	699	22.28%	1,909	60.85%
1964	1,419	50.95%	1,366	49.05%	0	0.00%
1960	764	33.84%	1,494	66.16%	0	0.00%
1956	571	37.34%	958	62.66%	0	0.00%
1952	611	33.04%	1,238	66.96%	0	0.00%
1948	130	12.24%	635	59.79%	297	27.97%
1944	102	7.98%	1,176	92.02%	0	0.00%
1940	102	6.79%	1,400	93.21%	0	0.00%
1936	125	8.13%	1,413	91.87%	0	0.00%
1932	99	9.37%	958	90.63%	0	0.00%
1928	334	44.30%	417	55.31%	3	0.40%
1924	109	20.00%	417	76.51%	19	3.49%
1920	276	29.18%	587	62.05%	83	8.77%
1916	81	16.80%	312	64.73%	89	18.46%
1912	58	14.87%	266	68.21%	66	16.92%
1908	112	22.54%	283	56.94%	102	20.52%
1904	144	29.69%	336	69.28%	5	1.03%

**Previous gubernatorial elections results**
Year	Republican	Democratic	Third parties
2022	73.56% 4,003	25.84% 1,406	0.61% 33
2018	64.72% 3,508	33.03% 1,790	2.25% 122
2014	58.17% 2,505	37.92% 1,633	3.91% 168
2010	47.72% 1,938	47.89% 1,945	4.39% 178
2006	49.89% 1,981	46.69% 1,854	3.42% 136
2002	47.81% 1,819	50.75% 1,931	1.45% 55
1998	56.08% 1,536	43.92% 1,203
1994	33.43% 1,324	66.57% 2,636

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Transportation

Airports

Notes

^ 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.^[12]^[13]