Franklin County Florida   Located in North West Florida

Franklin County Cities

Land area (rank): 545 square miles (56)
Population 1993 (rank): 9,775 (64)
Population density 1993 (rank): 18 persons per square mile (62)
Growth 1980-1990 (rank): 17.1% (54)

Physical Characteristics

Franklin County is in northwest Florida and is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and by Liberty, Wakulla, and Gulf counties. The county has 29 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 53.7 degrees F, and the average August temperature is 81.7 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 58.36 inches.

History

Franklin County was established from a portion of Escambia County in 1832 and named for Benjamin Franklin. Spanish explorer Panfilo de Narvaez visited the area near present-day Apalachicola in 1527. In 1845 Dr. John Gorrie of Apalachicola built the first ice-making machine.

Population

In 1993 over half of Franklin County's population was in unincorporated areas. Much of the county's land is in forests or wetlands. The most populous incorporated area is the city of Apalachicola, which had a 1993 population of 2,701. The city of Carrabelle had a population of 1,258 in 1993. The unincorporated fishing village of Eastpoint had a population of 1,577 in 1990. Along the Gulf coast and on St. George Island are increasing numbers of vacation homes. In 1993, 86% of Franklin County's population was white and 14% was nonwhite. In 1990, 0.7% of the population was Hispanic. Of the population increase between 1980 and 1990, 77.1% was due to net migration. The 1992 birth rate for the county was 12.9 live births per 1,000 persons, and the 1992 death rate was 10.1 deaths per 1,000 persons. In 1992 the infant mortality rate was 8.3 per 1,000. The leading causes of death in 1993 were cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Education

Of all 1992 high school graduates, 22.2% planned to continue their education. The 1992 high school dropout rate was 4.7%. In 1990, 59.5% of persons in the county were high school graduates, and 12.4% had completed four or more years of college. Colleges and universities. Served by Gulf Coast Community College (Bay County).

Economy

The per capita income for 1993 in Franklin County was $13,080 (58th highest in the state). In 1989 the median household income was $17,247. In 1989, 23.3% of households had incomes below the poverty level. In 1990, 30.7% of personal income in Franklin County was derived from transfer payments. In 1992 the greatest numbers of persons in Franklin County were employed in the government, retail trade, and services sectors. Food stores and eating and drinking establishments were the major employers in the retail trade sector. Medical and other health services was the major employer in the services sector. Around 90% of Florida's oysters come from the Apalachicola Bay, and it has been estimated that the oyster industry accounts for almost 50% of the income of Franklin County residents. In 1991, 1,964,757 pounds of shellfish and 756,512 pounds of fish were landed in Franklin County. In 1991, 306 thousand board feet of softwood logs and 63,120 cords of softwood for pulp were produced.

Median value of a single-family home 1990: $51,700
Median monthly rent 1990: $206
Mobile homes as a % of total housing: 20.7%
Housing starts 1992: 121
Housing starts 1993: 146

In 1992 the price level index for Franklin County was 92.85 (45th highest in the state).

Local Government

In 1993, the ad valorem millage rate was 9.3610, and the total taxable value of property was $355,372,975. Taxable sales totalled $50.00 million in 1992 and $47.60 million in 1993. Lottery sales totalled $1,645 thousand in 1992-93. In 1990-91 Franklin County's revenues totalled $8,241 thousand ($893.8 per capita) and its expenditures $8,622 thousand ($935.0 per capita). Of those 18 years of age and older, 89.8% were registered to vote in 1992. Of these, 92.2% were registered Democrat and 6.8% were registered Republican. In the 1992 presidential elections 38.0% of the votes were cast for Bush, 35.0% for Clinton, and 26.1% for Perot.

Events and Places of Interest

Florida Seafood Festival, November, Apalachicola; Apalachicola Historic District, John Gorrie State Museum, Chapman Botanical Gardens, Apalachicola.