Levy County Florida   Located in North West Florida

Levy County Cities

Land area (rank): 1,100 square miles (10)
Population 1993 (rank): 28,236 (46)
Population density 1993 (rank): 26 persons per square mile (54)
Growth 1980-1990 (rank): 30.5% ( 33)

Physical Characteristics

Levy County is on the Gulf of Mexico, south of Gainesville and west of Ocala. It is bordered by Dixie, Gilchrist, Alachua, Marion, and Citrus counties. The county has 72 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 57.9 degrees F, and the average August temperature is 82.1 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 45.30 inches.

History

Levy County was established in 1845 from a portion of Alachua County and named for David Levy Yulee, first U.S. Senator from Florida and developer of a 5,000-acre plantation on the Homosassa River. Cedar Key was founded in 1850 and was the southern terminus of the first railroad across Florida.

Population

In 1993 approximately 70% of Levy County's population was in unincorporated areas. The rest was scattered in small cities and towns throughout the county. In 1993 the city of Williston had the greatest population (2,227), followed by the city of Chiefland (1,997), and the town of Inglis (1,290). Bronson, Cedar Key, Fanning Springs (part), Otter Creek, and Yankeetown each had populations under 1,000 in 1993. In 1993, 87% of Levy County's population was white and 13% was nonwhite. In 1990, 1.9% of the population was Hispanic. Of the population increase between 1980 and 1990, 91.8% was due to net migration. The 1992 birth rate was 14.1 live births per 1,000 persons, and the 1992 death rate was 12.6 deaths per 1,000 persons. In 1992 the infant mortality rate was 5.2 per 1,000. The leading causes of death in 1993 were heart disease, cancer, and accidents.

Education

Of all 1992 high school graduates, 15.6% planned to continue their education. The 1992 high school dropout rate was 6.4%. In 1990, 62.8% of persons in the county were high school graduates, and 8.3% had completed four or more years of college. Colleges and universities. Served by Central Florida Community College (Marion County).

Economy

The per capita income in Levy County for 1993 was $13,472 (54th highest in the state). The median household income in 1989 was $18,807. In 1989, 16.6% of families had incomes below the poverty level. In 1990, 26.4% of personal income in Levy County was derived from transfer payments. The major employers in the retail trade sector were eating and drinking establishments and food stores. In the services sector the major employers were medical and other health services and business services. In 1992 there were 473 farms in Levy County, totalling 190,553 acres (27% of land in the county). Levy County's major agricultural products include peanuts and watermelons. In 1991, 598,613 pounds of fish and 633,506 pounds of shellfish were landed in Levy County. In 1991, 36,502 thousand board feet of softwood logs, 108,727 cords of softwood for pulp, and 15,665 cords of hardwood for pulp were produced.

Median value of a single-family home 1990: $49,100
Median monthly rent 1990: $214
Mobile homes as a % of total housing: 46.0
Housing starts 1992: 163
Housing starts 1993: 148

In 1992 the price level index for Levy County was 90.42 (62nd highest in the state).

Local Government

In 1993, the ad valorem millage rate was 9.1840, and the total taxable value of property was $606,947,512. Taxable sales totalled $125.90 million in 1992 and $125.80 million in 1993. Lottery sales totalled $4,679 thousand in 1992-93. In 1990-91 Levy County's revenues totalled $17,084 thousand ($640.3 per capita) and its expenditures $16,348 thousand ($612.7 per capita). Of those 18 years of age and older, 68.6% were registered to vote in 1992. Of these, 80.3% were registered Democrat and 17.0% were registered Republican. In the 1992 presidential election 39.6% of the votes were cast for Clinton, 34.7% for Bush, and 25.5% for Perot.

Events and Places of Interest

Suwannee River Fair and Livestock Show, Fanning Springs, March; Sidewalk Art Festival, Cedar Key, April, Seafood Festival, Cedar Key, October, Cedar Key State Museum.