Sumter County, Florida

Sumter County is a located in the  of,. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 53,345. The Census estimate puts its population at 68,768. Its is  and the largest incorporated  is. , an, is its most populous location. . Sumter County was affected by the massive Florida tornado outbreak of February 2, 2007 and declared a.

History
Sumter County was created in. It was named for General Thomas Sumpter, a hero of the. The nickname was given to the county because the region was known for its lawless nature and for being a haven for many moonshiners, crooks, and outlaws.

Although extremely rural, in recent years Sumter County has sustained an exceptionally large increase in population, almost solely due to the expansion of retirement complex, a significant portion of which is in the county. This has dramatically changed the demographics of the county and has brought in significant income.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 1,503 (580 ). 1,413 km² (546 sq mi) of it is land and 90 km² (35 sq mi) of it (5.96%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

 * - north
 * - east
 * - southeast
 * - southwest
 * - west
 * - west

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 53,345 people, 20,779 households, and 15,043 families residing in the county. The was 38/km² (98/sq mi). There were 25,195 housing units at an average density of 18/km² (46/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 82.60%, 13.78% or , 0.51% , 0.41% , 0.05% , 1.16% from , and 1.49% from two or more races. 6.29% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 20,779 households out of which 18.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% were living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.62.

In the county the population was spread out with 16.10% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 23.30% from 25 to 44, 27.30% from 45 to 64, and 27.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 113.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,073, and the median income for a family was $36,999. Males had a median income of $27,346 versus $21,145 for females. The for the county was $16,830. About 9.60% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the, including 26.00% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Incorporated

 * 1) City of
 * 2) City of
 * 3) City of
 * 4) City of
 * 5) City of

Government links/Constitutional offices

 * Sumter County Board of County Commissioners
 * Sumter County Supervisor of Elections
 * Sumter County Property Appraiser
 * Sumter County Sheriff's Office
 * Sumter County Tax Collector

Special districts

 * Sumter County School Board
 * Southwest Florida Water Management District

Judicial branch

 * Public Defender, 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving, , , , and Sumter counties
 * Office of the State Attorney, 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida
 * Circuit and County Court for the 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Miscellaneous

 * Photographs From the State Library & Archives of Florida.