Dixie County was created in 1921 from the southern portion of Lafayette County and named for "Dixie", the common nickname for the southern United States.[3]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 864 square miles (2,240 km2), of which 705 square miles (1,830 km2) is land and 159 square miles (410 km2) (18.4%) is water.[4]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,759 people, 6,233 households, and 4,320 families residing in the county.
As of the census[14] of 2008, there were 14,957 people. In 2000 there were an estimated 5,205 households and 3,659 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (7.7 people/km2). There were 7,362 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.80% White, 8.98% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. 1.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In terms of ancestry, 39.7% were English, 15.2% were Irish, 14.7% were American, and 5.2% were German.
There were 5,205 households, out of which 27.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 23.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.10% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.60% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 113.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,082, and the median income for a family was $31,157. Males had a median income of $26,694 versus $17,863 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,559. About 14.50% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.90% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Voter registration
According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans constitute the majority of registered voters in Dixie County.
Dixie County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of December 31, 2022[15]
Republicans hold the majority of registered voters in the county. Democrats have not carried a majority of votes in a presidential election since 1980 (and last carried a plurality in 1996), nor have they carried a majority in a gubernatorial election since 1994. The county has rapidly and steadily shifted Republican since the 1990s; by 2016, the Republican candidate earned over 80% of the vote in the presidential election. In 2020, the Republican nominee gained over 82% of the vote.
United States presidential election results for Dixie County, Florida[16]
^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.[11]
