Washington County Florida   Located in North West Florida

Washington County Cities

Land area (rank): 590 square miles (47)
Population 1993 (rank): 17,554 (52)
Population density 1993 (rank): 30 persons per square mile (52)
Growth 1980-1990 (rank): 16.6 (56)

Physical Characteristics

Washington County is in northwest Florida, north of Panama City, and is bordered by Walton, Holmes, Jackson, and Bay counties. The county has 26 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 52.8 degrees F, and the average August temperature is 80.8 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 65.70 inches.

History

Washington County was established from a portion of Escambia County in 1825 and named for George Washington, first U.S. president.

Population

In 1993, 66% of Washington County's population was in unincorporated areas. The county's most populous incorporated place is the city of Chipley, which had a population of 3,936 in 1993. The other incorporated places-Caryville, Ebro, Vernon, and Wausau-each had populations under 1,000 in 1993. In 1993, 83% of Washington County's population was white, and 17% was nonwhite. In 1990, 1.1% of the population was Hispanic. Of the population increase between 1980 and 1990, 88.8% was due to net migration. The 1993 birth rate was 14.6 live births per 1,000 persons, and the 1992 death rate was 11.6 deaths per 1,000 persons. In 1993 the infant mortality rate was 7.9 per 1,000. In 1993 the leading causes of death were heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

Education

Of all 1992 high school graduates, 41.9% planned to continue their education. The 1992 high school dropout rate was 1.8%. In 1990, 60.9% of persons in the county were high school graduates, and 7.4% had completed four or more years of college. Colleges and universities. Served by Chipola Junior College (Jackson County).

Economy

The per capita income in Washington County for 1993 was $13,281 (56th highest in the state). The median household income in 1989 was $18,266. In 1989, 15.6% of families had incomes below the poverty level. In 1990, 33.2% of personal income in Washington County was derived from transfer payments. In 1992 the greatest numbers of persons in Washington County were employed in the government, retail trade, and services sectors. A major state government employer is the Florida Department of Transportation District Office in Chipley. In the retail trade sector employers of the greatest numbers of persons are food stores and eating and drinking establishments. In 1992 there were 274 farms in Washington County, totalling 45,214 acres (12% of the total land in the county). The county's major crops are butter beans and field peas. In 1991, 25,100 thousand board feet of softwood logs, 44,772 cords of softwood for pulp, and 14,956 cords of hardwood for pulp were produced.

Median value of a single-family home 1990: $40,100
Median monthly rent 1990: $177
Mobile homes as a % of total housing: 27.2%
Housing starts 1992: 92
Housing starts 1993: 102

In 1992 the price level index for Washington County was 91.04 (60th highest in the state).

Local Government

In 1993, the ad valorem millage rate was 10.000, and the total taxable value of property was $263,288,439. Taxable sales totalled $50.40 million in 1992 and $46.30 million in 1993. Lottery sales totalled $1,888 thousand in 1992-93. In 1990-91 Washington County's revenues totalled $18,228 thousand ($1,058.1 per capita) and its expenditures $17,180 thousand ($997.3 per capita). Of those 18 years of age and older,79.4% were registered to vote in 1992. Of these, 88.3% were registered Democrat and 10.2% were registered Republican. In the 1992 presidential election 46.9% of the votes were cast for Bush, 32.3% for Clinton, and 20.3% for Perot.

Events and Places of Interest

Panhandle Watermelon Festival, Chipley, June; Wausau Fun Day and Possum Festival, August.