Gilchrist County, Florida

FL · FIPS 12041 Republican

Located in Florida, Gilchrist County has a population of 19,040 residents and a median age of 43.2 years, making it the #1,934 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.5%. The median home value is $199,900, and the median household income is $63,523, which is 15% below the national median.

19,040
Population
#1,934 of 3,222
$63,523
Median Income
-15.5% #1,749 of 3,222
43.2 years
Median Age
+11.1% #1,144 of 3,222
11.5%
Poverty Rate
-8.8% #1,134 of 3,222

Demographics

Gilchrist County has a population of 19,040, making it the #1,934 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.2 years, which is 11.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.1%
Native Born
3.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Gilchrist County is $63,523, ranking #1,749 out of 3,222 counties — 15.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.5% and unemployment stands at 3.5%.

Income#1,749
$63,523
-15.5%
vs nation
46th percentile
Per Capita#1,560
$35,223
-14.6%
vs nation
52th percentile
Poverty#1,134
11.5%
-8.8%
vs nation
65th percentile
Unemployment#967
3.5%
-34.5%
vs nation
70th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Gilchrist County is $199,900 (-29.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $926/mo and the homeownership rate is 85.7%.

Home Value#1,405
$199,900
-29.1%
vs nation
56th percentile
Rent#1,300
$926
-20.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Homeownership#91
85.7%
+33.1%
vs nation
97th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Gilchrist County, 15.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.6% below the national average, ranking #2,770 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.3% −54.6% vs nation
Rank #2,770 of 3,222
14th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Gilchrist County is 74.9 years. 20.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,641
74.9
-0.3%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,828
20.0%
+2.2%
vs nation
42th percentile
Diabetes#1,288
10.3%
-7.5%
vs nation
59th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,143
39.5%
+5.9%
vs nation
32th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,715
6.3
+11.7%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,233
4.8
+8.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,532
14.1%
+34.3%
vs nation
19th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,757
26.9%
+2.0%
vs nation
44th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,593
14.3%
-0.7%
vs nation
49th percentile

Substance Use

18.8% of adults in Gilchrist County smoke , 36.9% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 23.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,905
18.8%
+4.7%
vs nation
39th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,120
36.9%
-2.7%
vs nation
64th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,208
21.5%
+8.2%
vs nation
30th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#766
23.1
-28.5%
vs nation
64th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Gilchrist County is 11.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 22.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 35.9 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,236
11.2
+40.1%
vs nation
20th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,826
22.1
+12.2%
vs nation
29th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,798
21.5
+20.2%
vs nation
27th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,625
35.9
+77.4%
vs nation
7th percentile

Families & Children

19.2% of children in Gilchrist County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 27.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,191
27.9
+27.6%
vs nation
27th percentile
Child Poverty#1,795
19.2%
+1.1%
vs nation
43th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Gilchrist County is 70.0%. The mean commute time is 35.3 min, which is 28.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
35.3 min +28.1% vs nation
Rank #259 of 3,222
92th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Gilchrist County voted Republican with a margin of 68.0%. The vote was 15.6% Dem / 83.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +68.0%
15.6% 83.6%
Dem 10,686 votes Rep
2020 REP +63.9%
17.6% 81.5%
Dem 9,685 votes Rep
2016 REP +62.8%
17.3% 80.1%
Dem 8,418 votes Rep
2012 REP +51.0%
23.8% 74.8%
Dem 7,908 votes Rep
2008 REP +46.8%
25.5% 72.3%
Dem 7,819 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Gilchrist County, Florida

Gilchrist County, Florida has a total population of 19,040, making it the 1,934th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Gilchrist County is 43.2 years, which is 11.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Gilchrist County is $63,523, which ranks #1,749 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 15.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.5%.

The median home value in Gilchrist County is $199,900, 29.1% below the national median. Renters in Gilchrist County pay a median gross rent of $926 per month. The homeownership rate is 85.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Gilchrist County, 15.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.3 min.

Gilchrist County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).

All data for Gilchrist County, Florida comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.