Alachua is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 7,554.[2] The city is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is home to 243,985 people.[5]
History
Alachua was established in 1884 on a railroad line, after the railroad had bypassed nearby Newnansville. Alachua got a post office in 1887 and was incorporated as a city on 12 April, 1905, at which time it had a population of 526 people.
Geography
Alachua is located at 29°46′45″N 82°28′47″W / 29.77917°N 82.47972°W / 29.77917; -82.47972 (29.779286, -82.479849).[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.05 square miles (75.2 km2). 28.90 square miles (74.9 km2) of it is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2) of it (0.52%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,098 people, 2,348 households, and 1,751 families residing in the city. The population density was 211.0/mi² (81.5/km²). There were 2,501 housing units at an average density of 86.5/mi² (33.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.56% White, 29.08% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 1.13% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.61% of the population.
There were 2,348 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,075, and the median income for a family was $49,542. Males had a median income of $36,315 versus $28,018 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,299. About 14.0% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
The largest Hare Krishna community in the Western Hemisphere is located in Alachua, with satellite communities throughout North Florida.
Media
Print
Alachua has two newspapers, Alachua County Today[7], based within the city limits. Alachua County Today, located at 14804 Main Street, serves all of the communities within Alachua County, but the publication focuses on smaller municipalities outside of Gainesville. Your World Report[8], a general interest tabloid newspaper, located at 14804 NW 140th Street, reaches an audience of 78,000 unique readers per month in all 50 states and 123 countries around the world, primarily Russia, all of Europe and larger cities throughout Africa.
References
External links
