Nassau County Florida   Located in North East Florida

Nassau County Cities

Land area (rank): 649 square miles (39)
Population 1993 (rank): 46,450 (37)
Population density 1993 (rank): 72 persons per square mile (38)
Growth 1980-1990 (rank): 33.6% (30)

Physical Characteristics

Nassau County is in northeast Florida and is bordered by Georgia, the Atlantic Ocean, and Duval and Baker counties. The county has 21 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 55.6 degrees F, and the average August temperature is 81.5 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 48.50 inches.

History

Nassau County was established from St. Johns County in 1824 and named for the Nassau Sound, which separates Nassau and Duval counties. The name comes from the capital of the Bahamas, which was named for the Duchy of Nassau, a former German state.

Population

In 1993, 74% of Nassau County's population was in unincorporated areas. The incorporated place with the greatest population is Fernandina Beach with a 1993 population of 9,177, followed by Hilliard, with a 1993 population of 1,911. The unincorporated area of Nassau Village-Ratliff grew rapidly in the 1970s and 80s and had a 1990 population of 4,047. Areas that have developed since the 1980s include Amelia City, Amelia Plantation, Yulee-Wilson Neck, Nassauville, and Holly Point. The U.S. Bureau of the Census has designated Nassau County (with Clay, Duval, and St. Johns counties) as the Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1993, 89% of Nassau County's population was white and 11% was nonwhite. In 1990, 1.1% of the population was Hispanic. Of the population increase between 1980 and 1990, 67.9% was due to net migration. The 1992 birth rate was 15.7 live births per 1,000 persons, and the 1992 death rate was 7.5 deaths per 1,000 persons. In 1992 the infant mortality rate was 11.1 per 1,000. The leading causes of death in 1993 were heart disease, cancer, and accidents.

Education

Of all 1992 high school graduates, 43.5% planned to continue their education. The 1992 high school dropout rate was 3.9%. In 1990, 71.2% of persons in the county were high school graduates, and 12.5% had completed four or more years of college. Colleges and universities. Served by Florida Junior College at Jacksonville.

Economy

The per capita income in Nassau County for 1993 was $20,763 (12th highest in the state). The median household income in 1989 was $30,233. In 1989, 8.3% of families had incomes below the poverty level. In 1990, 13.0% of personal income in Nassau County was derived from transfer payments. In 1993 the greatest numbers of persons in Nassau County were employed in the government, retail trade, and services sectors. Paper and allied products firms accounted for the greatest employment in the manufacturing sector. In 1992 there were 277 farms in Nassau County, totalling 44,962 acres (11% of land in the county). Nassau County is a major producer of poultry, dairy products, and softwood. In 1991, 40,189 thousand board feet of softwood logs, 235,579 cords of softwood for pulp, and 16,673 cords of hardwood for pulp were produced. In 1991, 115,103 pounds of fish and 674,108 pounds of shellfish were landed in Nassau County.

Median value of a single-family home 1990: $72,600
Median monthly rent 1990: $327
Mobile homes as a % of total housing: 30.5
Housing starts 1992: 409
Housing starts 1993: 373

In 1992 the price level index for Nassau County was 94.40 (33 highest in the state).

Local Government

In 1993, the ad valorem millage rate was 6.8321, and the total taxable value of property was $1,702,442,304. Taxable sales totalled $302.40 million in 1992 and $303.60 million in 1993. Lottery sales totalled $24,298 thousand in 1992-93. In 1990-91 Nassau County's revenues totalled $32,312 thousand ($718.7 per capita) and its expenditures $29,676 thousand ($660.1 per capita). Of those 18 years of age and older, 66.2% were registered to vote in 1992. Of these, 71.2% were registered Democrat and 24.7% were registered Republican. In the 1992 presidential election 51.5% of the votes were cast for Bush, 30.3% for Clinton, and 17.9% for Perot.

Events and Places of Interest

Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival, Fernandina Beach; Ameliafest, Fernandina Beach, October; Amelia Island Museum of History, Centre Street, Ft. Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach; Fernandina Beach Historic District.