Escambia County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 30°37′N87°20′W / 30.61°N 87.33°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Florida |
Founded | July 21, 1821 |
Named for | Escambia River |
Seat | Pensacola |
Largest city | Pensacola |
Government | |
• County Administrator | Wes Moreno |
Area | |
• Total | 875 sq mi (2,270 km2) |
• Land | 656 sq mi (1,700 km2) |
• Water | 218 sq mi (560 km2) 25.0% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 321,905 |
• Estimate (2023) | 326,928 |
• Density | 370/sq mi (140/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 1st |
Website | http://myescambia.com |
Escambia County is the westernmost and oldest county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 321,905. [1] The county seat and largest city is Pensacola. [2] Escambia County is included within the Pensacola Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county population has steadily increased as the City of Pensacola and its surrounding bedroom communities continue to grow with residential and commercial development. The county is part of the Northwest Florida region of the state.
The area had been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples of varying cultures. Historic American Indian tribes at the time of European-American settlement were the Pensacola and Muscogee, known among the English as the Creek.
Escambia County had been part of Spanish colonial settlement before the United States acquired it in 1818. The county was organized by European-Americans on July 21, 1821; it was named for the Escambia River. The name "Escambia" may have been derived from the Creek name Shambia, meaning "clear water", [3] or the Choctaw word for "cane-brake" or "reed-brake". [4] The Choctaw were another major tribe in the Southeast.
Created on the same date, Escambia and St. Johns Counties were Florida's two original counties, covering the entire territory within modern state boundaries. The Suwannee River was the border between them, [5] following a winding path from the northern border of the state to the Gulf of Mexico. Essentially, the Escambia county government had jurisdiction over the "panhandle" and "big bend" areas, and St. Johns over the remainder of the entire state.
As population increased in the frontier territory, 21 counties were later organized from Escambia county directly or indirectly. They include Jackson (1821), Gadsden (created from Jackson)(1823), Leon (1824), Walton (1824), Washington (created from Jackson and Walton)(1825), Hamilton (1827), Jefferson (1827), Madison (created from Jefferson) (1827), Franklin (1832), Calhoun (1838), Santa Rosa (1842), Wakulla (created from Leon) (1843), Holmes (created from Jackson and Walton) (1848), Liberty (created from Gadsden) (1855), Lafayette and Taylor (created from Madison) (1856), Bay (created from Washington) (1913), Okaloosa (created from Santa Rosa and Walton) (1915), Dixie (created from Lafayette) (1921), and Gulf (created from Calhoun) (1925). The number of counties in Florida since 1925 has been stable at 67.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 875 square miles (2,270 km2), of which 656 square miles (1,700 km2) is land and 218 square miles (560 km2) (25.0%) is water. [6]
The county jurisdiction includes the island of Santa Rosa south of Pensacola; it is not part of Santa Rosa County proper. Escambia County is part of the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Escambia County, Florida, and Escambia County, Alabama, are two of 22 counties or parishes in the United States with the same name to border each other across state lines.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1830 | 3,386 | — | |
1840 | 3,993 | 17.9% | |
1850 | 4,351 | 9.0% | |
1860 | 5,768 | 32.6% | |
1870 | 7,817 | 35.5% | |
1880 | 12,156 | 55.5% | |
1890 | 20,188 | 66.1% | |
1900 | 28,313 | 40.2% | |
1910 | 38,029 | 34.3% | |
1920 | 49,386 | 29.9% | |
1930 | 53,594 | 8.5% | |
1940 | 74,667 | 39.3% | |
1950 | 112,706 | 50.9% | |
1960 | 173,829 | 54.2% | |
1970 | 205,334 | 18.1% | |
1980 | 233,794 | 13.9% | |
1990 | 262,798 | 12.4% | |
2000 | 294,410 | 12.0% | |
2010 | 297,619 | 1.1% | |
2020 | 321,905 | 8.2% | |
2023 (est.) | 326,928 | [7] | 1.6% |
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010-2020 [12] 2020 [1] |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 [13] | Pop 2020 [14] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 196,901 | 200,962 | 66.16% | 62.43% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 67,443 | 68,148 | 22.66% | 21.17% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 2,384 | 1,998 | 0.80% | 0.62% |
Asian alone (NH) | 8,015 | 9,866 | 2.69% | 3.06% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 400 | 410 | 0.13% | 0.13% |
Other race alone (NH) | 472 | 1,771 | 0.16% | 0.55% |
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 7,943 | 17,957 | 2.67% | 5.58% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14,061 | 20,793 | 4.72% | 6.46% |
Total | 297,619 | 321,905 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 321,905 people, 122,169 households, and 74,083 families residing in the county.
At the 2010 census there were 297,619 people, 116,238 households, and 74,040 families living in the county. The population density was 449 inhabitants per square mile (173/km2). There were 136,703 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile (80/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 68.9% White, 22.9% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. 4.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. [15] Of the 116,238 households 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 28.9% of households were one person and 10.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.96.
The age distribution was 21.6% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.10 males.
The median household income was $43,707 and the median family income was $54,543. Males had a median income of $38,878 versus $30,868 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,773. About 12.7% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
At the 2000 census there were 294,410 people, 111,049 households, and 74,180 families living in the county. The population density was 444 inhabitants per square mile (171/km2). There were 124,647 housing units at an average density of 188 per square mile (73/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 72.4% White, 21.4% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 2.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. [15] Of the 111,049 households 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 26.9% of households were one person and 9.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.98.
The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.10 males.
The median household income was $35,234 and the median family income was $41,708. Males had a median income of $31,054 versus $22,023 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,641. About 12.1% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Public primary and secondary education schools in Pensacola are administered by the Escambia County School District, the county's only school district. [16]
The University of West Florida, Pensacola State College, and Pensacola Christian College are in Escambia County.
The largest daily print newspaper in the area is the Pensacola News Journal . There is also a weekly print newspaper, The Independent News . [17]
One major network broadcasts from Pensacola, ABC affiliate WEAR. Several major networks are broadcast from nearby Mobile, such as CBS affiliate WKRG, NBC affiliate WPMI-TV, and Fox affiliate WALA. The following is a list of broadcast television stations in the Mobile, Alabama – Pensacola – Fort Walton Beach, Florida market. [18] Cox Communications provides cable television service in the county's urbanized areas, and television advertising through its subsidiary, Cox Media. Spectrum holds the cable television franchise for the county's mainland rural areas, while Mediacom serves the Pensacola Beach community on Santa Rosa Island.
Escambia County is served by buses run by Escambia County Area Transit. [20]
Pensacola was a scheduled stop on the route of Amtrak's Los Angeles-Orlando Sunset Limited from 1993 to 2005, when damage to railroad bridges and tracks caused by Hurricane Katrina resulted in cancellation of the route east of New Orleans. Escambia County has had no passenger train service since then.
Before the creation of Amtrak in 1971, Pensacola was served by the New Orleans-Jacksonville Gulf Wind , operated jointly by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (predecessors of CSX).
The following freight railroads serve Escambia County:
Escambia County is served by the West Florida Regional Library System.
Escambia County government is led by a five-member Board of County Commissioners. Each is elected from a single-member district. The county commission appoints a professional county administrator as chief administrative officer of the county.
The chief law enforcement authority of Escambia County is the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, also an elective office. The sheriff of Escambia County is Chip Simmons, elected in 2020.
The fire protection arm of the Escambia County is the Escambia County Fire Rescue (Florida).
Escambia County is divided into five districts. One county commissioner is elected from each district to serve a four-year term. Commissioners are chosen in partisan elections by voters from the districts in which they live. The board appoints a county administrator to be chief administrative officer of the county, responsible to the commission for the orderly operations of matters within the board's jurisdiction. The current office holders are,
In 2011, the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division issued a letter detailing the results of its investigation into conditions at Escambia County Jail, which houses roughly 1,300 prisoners. The department found that, although Sheriff David Morgan had recently implemented a series of reforms, conditions at the jail still routinely violated prisoners' constitutional rights. [21]
Specifically, the department concluded that known systemic deficiencies, stemming mainly from staffing shortages, subjected prisoners to excessive risk of assault by other prisoners and to inadequate mental health care. Additionally, the department found that, until recently, the jail had an informal policy and practice of segregating its housing units, reserving one for African-American prisoners. According to the Department of Justice, this race-based segregation stigmatized and discriminated against many of the prisoners, and aggravated racial tensions in the jail. [21] Between April 2012 and March 2013, the prison recorded 176 inmate-on-inmate assaults, including 20 serious head wounds. [22]
The investigation released a letter of findings:
The Department of Justice concluded from these facts that Escambia County Jail's practices violated the fourteenth amendment's due process protections for pre-trial detainees, as well as the eighth amendment's protections for those convicted of a criminal offense. Jail officials must refrain from showing deliberate indifference to conditions of confinement posing an excessive risk of harm to prisoners. [22]
Roy L. Austin Jr., deputy assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division, commended Sheriff Morgan for his willingness to remedy problems identified during the course of the investigation. The department conducted this investigation under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) to enforce constitutional mandates. The department's investigation was broad-based. [21]
The investigation was conducted by Special Litigation Counsel Avner Shapiro and Senior Trial Attorney David Deutsch of the Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section. [21] The findings letter is available on the department's website.
According to the secretary of state's office, Republicans constitute a plurality of registered voters in Escambia County.
Escambia County voter registration & party enrollment as of September 30, 2022 [24] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Political party | Total voters | Percentage | |||
Republican | 98,987 | 44.25% | |||
Democratic | 71,746 | 32.07% | |||
No party affiliation | 48,734 | 21.78% | |||
Minor parties | 4,252 | 1.90% | |||
Total | 223,719 | 100.00% |
Escambia County is very conservative for an urban county. Before 1994, the area traditionally voted Democratic in local elections and sent Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives and the state legislature, like most of the Western Panhandle. This was particularly the case in the decades of the 20th century when most African Americans were disenfranchised by the state constitution until the federal Voting Rights Act passed.
In 1994 incumbent representative Earl Hutto declined to run for reelection. That year, Republican Joe Scarborough was elected to the House of Representatives.
Voters of the county have not supported a Democratic presidential candidate since John F. Kennedy in 1960. In 1964, a majority of the county's voters supported Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. In 1968, third-party candidate George Wallace won Escambia County with 54% of the vote. In 1972, Republican Richard Nixon received 80% of the vote. Since 1972, Republican nominees in every presidential election have won an absolute majority in Escambia County, but in recent years, the Democratic Party has increased its share of the presidential vote. In 2020, Joe Biden was the first Democratic presidential nominee to win over 40% of the county's vote since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Growth in the Pensacola suburbs as well as the sizable black population has made Escambia County the least Republican-leaning of the Western Panhandle counties.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 96,674 | 56.58% | 70,929 | 41.51% | 3,253 | 1.90% |
2016 | 88,808 | 57.60% | 57,461 | 37.27% | 7,903 | 5.13% |
2012 | 88,711 | 59.55% | 58,185 | 39.06% | 2,071 | 1.39% |
2008 | 91,411 | 59.02% | 61,572 | 39.76% | 1,891 | 1.22% |
2004 | 93,566 | 65.30% | 48,329 | 33.73% | 1,383 | 0.97% |
2000 | 73,171 | 62.62% | 40,990 | 35.08% | 2,695 | 2.31% |
1996 | 60,997 | 56.52% | 37,838 | 35.06% | 9,090 | 8.42% |
1992 | 52,868 | 50.24% | 32,045 | 30.45% | 20,308 | 19.30% |
1988 | 64,959 | 68.05% | 29,977 | 31.40% | 524 | 0.55% |
1984 | 66,715 | 71.32% | 26,812 | 28.66% | 22 | 0.02% |
1980 | 51,794 | 58.49% | 33,513 | 37.84% | 3,252 | 3.67% |
1976 | 41,471 | 51.38% | 38,279 | 47.42% | 965 | 1.20% |
1972 | 56,071 | 79.57% | 14,078 | 19.98% | 315 | 0.45% |
1968 | 15,089 | 22.07% | 16,281 | 23.81% | 37,000 | 54.12% |
1964 | 32,414 | 56.09% | 25,371 | 43.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 17,925 | 38.79% | 28,288 | 61.21% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 13,227 | 37.21% | 22,320 | 62.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 12,176 | 37.27% | 20,495 | 62.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 3,267 | 14.75% | 13,982 | 63.11% | 4,907 | 22.15% |
1944 | 3,191 | 16.42% | 16,240 | 83.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 2,249 | 12.19% | 16,201 | 87.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 1,567 | 14.64% | 9,138 | 85.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
1932 | 1,658 | 21.15% | 6,182 | 78.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
1928 | 4,443 | 53.32% | 3,772 | 45.27% | 118 | 1.42% |
1924 | 1,274 | 29.34% | 2,290 | 52.74% | 778 | 17.92% |
1920 | 1,227 | 22.96% | 3,485 | 65.20% | 633 | 11.84% |
1916 | 416 | 15.05% | 2,183 | 78.95% | 166 | 6.00% |
1912 | 72 | 3.48% | 1,593 | 77.11% | 401 | 19.41% |
1908 | 718 | 21.39% | 1,887 | 56.23% | 751 | 22.38% |
1904 | 497 | 23.02% | 1,573 | 72.86% | 89 | 4.12% |
1900 | 432 | 19.11% | 1,435 | 63.47% | 394 | 17.43% |
1896 | 233 | 13.97% | 1,285 | 77.04% | 150 | 8.99% |
1892 | 0 | 0.00% | 2,616 | 95.37% | 127 | 4.63% |
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | 64.46%74,608 | 34.63% 40,076 | 0.91% 1,053 |
2018 | 57.76%74,719 | 40.84% 52,835 | 1.40% 1,812 |
2014 | 61.99%60,719 | 34.13% 33,434 | 3.88% 3,798 |
2010 | 56.93%54,607 | 38.44% 36,873 | 4.63% 4,436 |
2006 | 59.09%51,195 | 38.98% 33,777 | 1.93% 1,674 |
2002 | 64.92%60,095 | 34.40% 31,844 | 0.68% 633 |
1998 | 66.83%50,325 | 33.14% 24,956 | 0.03% 23 |
1994 | 57.68%45,261 | 42.32% 33,210 | 0.00% 1 |
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Brewton is a city in and the county seat of Escambia County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,276. Brewton is located in south central Alabama, just north of the Florida Panhandle.
East Brewton is a city in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in October 1918. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,293. The community grew around Fort Crawford, a fort built to protect early settlers of the area.
Flomaton is a town in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the town's population was 1,440. It is located next to the Alabama / Florida state line.
Riverview is a town in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 184, up from 99 at the 2000 census.
Brent is a census-designated place (CDP) in Escambia County, Florida. It is considered to be a community within Pensacola. The population was 23,447 at the 2020 census, up from 21,804 at the 2010 census. It is a principal area of the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community is named after Francis Celestino Brent, who played an integral role in the development of Pensacola.
Century is a town in Escambia County, Florida, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,713, up from 1,698 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Ensley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Escambia County, Florida. It is a community in Pensacola, and is located northwest of Pensacola City Limits. The population was 23,817 at the 2020 United States Census, up from 20,602 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Ensley is a transportation corridor for the Pensacola Area, with US-90 ALT, US-29, and Interstate 10 running through Ensley.
Ferry Pass is a census-designated place (CDP) in Escambia County, Florida. It is considered to be a community within Pensacola. It is a principal community in the Pensacola—Ferry Pass—Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is located north of Pensacola city limits. The population was 29,921 at the 2020 United States Census, up from 28,921 at the 2010 United States Census. The University of West Florida, located in Ferry Pass, is the only university located in the Pensacola metropolitan area.
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Pensacola is a city in the Florida Panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only city in Escambia County. It is the principal city of the Pensacola Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had 511,503 residents in 2020.
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Jay is a town in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. Located in the Florida Panhandle in North Florida, it is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 524 at the 2020 census, down from 533 at the 2010 census.
Pace is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It is the second largest community in Santa Rosa County, and is a part of the Pensacola Metropolitan Area. Pace has experienced exponential growth, and has evolved from a small, rural community to a thriving bedroom community of Pensacola with growing residential and commercial options. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 24,684, up from 20,093 at the 2010 census. From 2000 to 2010, the Pace CDP population growth percentage was 171.1%, and from 2010 to 2020, the population growth percentage was 22.8%.
This article incorporates public domain material from Justice Department Finds Unconstitutional Conditions of Confinement at Escambia County, Fla. United States Department of Justice.
This article incorporates public domain material from Findings Letter of Investigation of Escambia County Jail (PDF). United States Department of Justice.