According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 827 square miles (2,140 km2), of which 728 square miles (1,890 km2) is land and 99 square miles (260 km2) (12.0%) is water.[6]
The county contains various sinkhole lakes such as Lake Barco and Lake Suggs, where unconsolidated deposits on the surface have slumped into the highly soluble limestone of the upper Floridan aquifer.[7]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 73,321 people, 29,822 households, and 18,179 families residing in the county.
As of the 2000 United States Census[17] there were 70,423 people, 27,839 households, and 19,459 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile (38 people/km2). There were 33,870 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile (18/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.91% White, 17.04% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.94% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 5.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 27,839 households, out of which 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% were married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 24.60% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 24.20% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,180, and the median income for a family was $34,499. Males had a median income of $29,975 versus $20,955 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,603. About 15.80% of families and 20.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.60% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.
Ancestry/ethnicity
As of 2017[update] the largest self-reported ethnic/ancestry groups in Putnam County, Florida are:[18]
The main campus of St. Johns River State College is located in Palatka (the county seat). First Coast Technical College is public, post secondary vocational school with a campus in Palatka.
When in November 2022 a former Putnam County school resource deputy was accused of sneaking into a student's home to sexually batter her while her mom was at work or asleep, and asking her to dress up as a younger child and call him “daddy”, starting when she was 15 years of age, it was announced that the Florida Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission would review the case.[19] The case was sent to the commission by the Putnam County Sheriff, who was seeking to have the deputy's certification as a law enforcement officer permanently revoked.[20] In September 2024, the deputy was sentenced with life in prison plus 235 years for his crimes. [21]
US 17 is the main local road through eastern Putnam County, running south to north.
SR 15 is the hidden route for US 17 within the county and the vicinity.
SR 19 is a mostly scenic north and south road that enters the county from Ocala National Forest and terminates with US 17 in Palatka.
SR 20 runs west to east through the panhandle into Putnam County east from Hawthorne in Alachua County, and joins US 17/SR 100 in Palatka.
SR 21 runs south to north from SR 20 in McMeekin through Melrose before entering Clay County.
SR 26 runs west to east through Gilcrhist and Alachua Counties before entering Putnam County in Melrose and terminating at SR 100 in Putnam Hall.
SR 100 runs northwest to southeast from Clay County southeast of Keystone Heights, passing through Putnam Hall, Florahome, and Palatka where it joins US 17, and later SR 20 in a concurrency into San Mateo where SR 100 (and hidden SR 20) runs southeast towards the Flagler County Line
SR 207 is a west to east route that runs northeast from US 17/SRs 20/100 through Orange Mills and then the St. Johns County Line..
^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.[13][14]
^"The Naming of Our Putnam County". Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2009. Family researcher Bill Putman appears to have made the link between Israel and Benjamin Alexander Putnam. One of Israel's sons was Benjamin Farley Putnam who was born in Danvers (Salem Village), Massachusetts on August 26, 1751. He served as a surgeon in the Revolutionary War and settled in Savannah before 1787. He was married to Ann Sophia Malcolm who was from Washington, D.C. They had two children who died young: John (1794) and Helen (1792). Their other children were Augustus H. (1792–1817), John Gustavus (1796–1864 in Madison, Florida), Charles E. (1797–1847), Caroline (1800–1839 in New Jersey), and our Benjamin Alexander Putnam.
