Holmes County Florida   Located in North West Florida

Holmes County Cities

Land area (rank): 488 square miles (62)
Population 1993 (rank): 16,331 (55)
Population density 1993 (rank): 33 persons per square mile (50)
Growth 1980-1990 (rank): 7.2% (61)

Physical Characteristics

Holmes County is in northwest Florida and is bordered by Alabama and by Washington, Jackson, and Walton counties. The county has 2 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 53.3 degrees F, and the average August temperature is 81.6 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 57.40 inches.

History

Holmes County was established in 1848 from portions of Walton and Jackson counties and named for Holmes Creek, the county's eastern boundary. Holmes is thought to be derived either from an Indian chieftain with the given name Holmes or from Thomas J. Holmes, a settler from North Carolina.

Population

In 1993 approximately 75% of Holmes County's population was in unincorporated areas. Incorporated places with relatively low populations are scattered throughout the county. Bonifay, with a 1993 population of 2,677, is the most populous. Esto, Noma, Ponce de Leon, and Westville each had 1993 populations of less than 500. In 1993, 94% of Holmes County's population was white and 6% was nonwhite. In 1990, 1.1% of the population was Hispanic. Of the population increase between 1980 and 1990, 86.1% was due to net migration. The 1992 birth rate was 12.3 live births per 1,000 persons, and the 1992 death rate was 11.8 deaths per 1,000 persons. In 1992 the infant mortality rate was 0.0 per 1,000. The leading causes of death in 1993 were heart disease, cancer, and accidents.

Education

Of all 1992 high school graduates, 67.4% planned to continue their education. The 1992 high school dropout rate was 2.9%. In 1990, 57.1% of persons in the county were high school graduates, and 7.3% had completed four or more years of college. Colleges and universities. Served by Chipola Junior College (Jackson County).

Economy

The per capita income in Holmes County for 1993 was $12,528 (61st highest in the state). The median household income in 1989 was $17,241. In 1989, 19.4% of families had incomes below the poverty level. In 1990, 29.1% of personal income in Holmes County was derived from transfer payments. In 1992 the greatest numbers of persons in Holmes County were employed in the government, manufacturing, and services sectors. Apparel and textile producers accounted for the greatest employment in the manufacturing sector. The leading employers in the retail trade sector were automobile dealers and food stores. In 1992 there were 523 farms in Holmes County, totalling 86,706 acres (28% of land in the county). The county's major crops are peanuts, butter beans, field peas, and watermelons. In 1991, 16,617 thousand board feet of softwood logs, 70,739 cords of softwood for pulp, and 35,122 cords of hardwood for pulp (2nd highest in the state) were produced.

Median value of a single-family home 1990: $36,200
Median monthly rent 1990: $181
Mobile homes as a % of total housing: 27.7
Housing starts 1992: 58
Housing starts 1993: 56

In 1992 the price level index for Holmes County was 92.75 (47th highest in the state).

Local Government

In 1993, the ad valorem millage rate was 10.000, and the total taxable value of property was $166,874,892. Taxable sales totalled $48.80 million in 1992 and $43.50 million in 1993. Lottery sales totalled $6,015 thousand in 1992-93. In 1990-91 Holmes County's revenues totalled $4,868 thousand ($304.2 per capita) and its expenditures $4,861 thousand ($303.8 per capita). Of those 18 years of age and older, 68.5% were registered to vote in 1992. Of these, 94.5% were registered Democrat and 4.9% were registered Republican. In the 1992 presidential election 49.0% of the votes were cast for Bush, 28.8% for Clinton, and 21.9% for Perot.

Events of Interest

Holmes County Fair, Bonifay, October.