Penney Farms, Florida

Penney Farms, Florida
Town
Town of Penney Farms
Penney Farms Town Hall with a statue of James Cash Penney
Motto:  "Unity in Community"
Location in Clay County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 29°58′52″N81°48′36″W / 29.98111°N 81.81000°W / 29.98111; -81.81000
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Clay
Settled	1926
Incorporated	1927 [1]
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
•  Mayor	Adrian M. Andrews
•  Vice Mayor	Elizabeth Ryder
•  Councilmembers	Paul E. Sabin, Annette Brooks, and Thomas E. DeVille
•  Town Manager	David J. Cooper
•  Town Clerk	Anita E. Cooper
Area [2]
• Total	1.46 sq mi (3.78 km2)
• Land	1.46 sq mi (3.78 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	95 ft (29 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	821
• Density	562.71/sq mi (217.24/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	32079
Area code	904
FIPS code	12-55875 [3]
GNIS feature ID	0288692 [4]
Website	penneyfarmsfl.org

Penney Farms is a town in central Clay County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 821 at the 2020 census, up from 749 at the 2010 census.

History

In 1926, JCPenney department store pioneer J. C. Penney founded the community of Penney Farms. He planned to develop an experimental farming village. The state of Florida officially incorporated the Town of Penney Farms in 1927. ^[1]

The Penney Retirement Community has been there since 1926.

The real estate decline and stock market crash caused Penney to scale back his ambitions to a community for retired ministers in honor of his father. Today, the Penney Retirement Community is a 192-acre (0.78 km²) home to Christian laypeople as well as clergy and missionaries.

Geography

The exact coordinates for the Town of Penney Farms is located near the geographic center of Clay County at 29°58′52″N81°48′36″W / 29.981070°N 81.809948°W / 29.981070; -81.809948 . ^[5] Florida State Road 16 leads east 8 miles (13 km) to Green Cove Springs, the county seat, and west 20 miles (32 km) to Starke.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the Town of Penney Farms has a humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	825		—
1940	370		−55.2%
1950	445		20.3%
1960	545		22.5%
1970	561		2.9%
1980	630		12.3%
1990	609		−3.3%
2000	580		−4.8%
2010	749		29.1%
2020	821		9.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [6]

2010 and 2020 census

Penney Farms racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race	Pop 2010 [7]	Pop 2020 [8]	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	675	742	90.12%	90.38%
Black or African American (NH)	49	43	6.54%	5.24%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Asian (NH)	7	3	0.93%	0.37%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Some other race (NH)	0	2	0.00%	0.24%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)	10	17	1.34%	2.07%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	8	14	1.07%	1.71%
Total	749	821

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 821 people, 286 households, and 163 families residing in the town. ^[9]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 749 people, 232 households, and 148 families residing in the town. ^[10]

2000 census

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 580 people, 266 households, and 171 families residing in the town. The population density was 414.7 inhabitants per square mile (160.1/km²). There were 290 housing units at an average density of 207.4 per square mile (80.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.86% White, 8.28% African American, 0.17% Asian, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.34% of the population.

In 2000, there were 266 households, out of which 6.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.83 and the average family size was 2.23.

In 2000, in the town, the population was spread out, with 5.7% under the age of 18, 1.9% from 18 to 24, 6.4% from 25 to 44, 10.2% from 45 to 64, and 75.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 76 years. For every 100 females, there were 64.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 61.4 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $37,344, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,929. About 8.1% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.7% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Meinhardt Raabe, actor
• E. Urner Goodman, Boy Scouts of America

References

1. "FLORIDA CITIES BY INCORPORATION YEAR WITH INCORPORATION & DISSOLUTION INFO" (PDF). www.flcities.com.
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
7. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Penney Farms town, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
8. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Penney Farms town, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
9. "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Penney Farms town, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
10. "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Penney Farms town, Florida". United States Census Bureau .

External links

Media related to Penney Farms, Florida at Wikimedia Commons

• Town of Penney Farms official website
• Archive of previous official town website
• Penney Farms Retirement Community