Town · Florida
Cottondale, Florida
Cottondale, town, in Jackson County, Florida. Cottondale had 879 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 848 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 822 (±284). GEOID 1214850.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
879
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 848 · ACS 2020-2024: 822 ±284
Median household income
$36,959
±$16,252 (90% margin)
Florida: $74,568
Median home value
$79,200
±$28,796 (90% margin)
Florida: $359,000
Median gross rent
$1,085
±$158 (90% margin)
Florida: $1,669
Where is Cottondale and what county is it in?
Cottondale is a town in Jackson County, Florida. It covers 3.3 square miles of land, 259 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Cottondale, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 879 people lived in Cottondale on July 1, 2025, up 3.5% since 2020, slower than Florida (+8.9%). The 2020 Census counted 848 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 822 (±284).
| Measure | Cottondale | Jackson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 822 ±284 | 48,250 | no clear change |
| Households | 356 ±111 | 17,276 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.31 ±0.31 | 2.38 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 425 ±124 | 20,145 | no clear change |
Cottondale's population since 2000
From 869 in 2000 to 879 in 2025: up 1.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Cottondale as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Cottondale?
The median resident of Cottondale is 38.8 years old; 20.9% are under 18 and 22.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.3%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 13.6%.
| Measure | Cottondale | Jackson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.8 ±14.1 | 43.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 20.9% ±6.9 pts | 18.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.4% ±8.3 pts | 20.9% | – |
| Male | 43.3% ±8.4 pts | 54.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.1% ±4.9 pts | 5.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 77.3% ±9.5 pts | 63.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 13.6% ±8.0 pts | 25.2% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.0% ±3.3 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.2% ±1.2 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.2% ±1.4 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.8% ±3.0 pts | 7.5% | – |
| With a disability | 24.9% ±11.4 pts | 17.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.1% ±3.5 pts | 8.6% | −7.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 76.7% ±10.1 pts | 83.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.0% ±6.0 pts | 15.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.8% ±2.4 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.6% ±5.1 pts | 90.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.2% ±2.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Cottondale earn?
Half of Cottondale's 356 households earn less than $36,959 a year (±$16,252), against $49,149 in Jackson County and $74,568 in Florida. In 2015-2019 it was $50,056 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 28.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Cottondale | Jackson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,959 ±$16,252 | $49,149 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $54,450 ±$11,830 | $63,473 | – |
| Per capita income | $25,277 ±$5,925 | $24,086 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 28.4% ±11.6 pts | 19.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 42.3% ±26.1 pts | 31.3% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 23.0% ±8.9 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 75.3% ±13.0 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 73.9% ±13.7 pts | 85.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Cottondale?
Owners occupy 66.9% of Cottondale's occupied homes and renters 33.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $79,200 by its owner (±$28,796). The median renter pays $1,085 a month including utilities, and 56.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Cottondale | Jackson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $79,200 ±$28,796 | $120,800 | −$37,224 |
| Median gross rent | $1,085 ±$158 | $865 | +$274 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 56.9% ±20.4 pts | 44.6% | +29.3 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $955 ±$47 | $1,164 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.9% ±10.0 pts | 75.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 33.1% ±10.0 pts | 24.1% | – |
| Housing units | 425 ±124 | 20,145 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.4% ±1.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 22.9% ±14.7 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.2% ±11.6 pts | 65.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 22.1% ±9.3 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±11.6 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.5% ±6.6 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.5% ±7.9 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.0% ±7.0 pts | 3.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Cottondale work and get to work?
64.4% of Cottondale's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 27.7 minutes.
| Measure | Cottondale | Jackson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 47.6% ±12.7 pts | 44.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% ±3.1 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 64.4% ±13.7 pts | 83.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 20.5% ±13.2 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.0% ±1.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.2% ±9.5 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.7 min ±3.8 | 27.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Cottondale?
No census tract lies mostly in Cottondale; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2104Jackson County | 3,736 | $46,744 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Cottondale) · Census block assignment files
How does Cottondale compare with other places in Florida?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Cottondale is the 10,839th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 339th-most populous of 411 in Florida.
Cottondale is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 339th | 411 |
Cottondale's figures with every place in Florida (CSV)
Every place in Florida, sortable · Compare Cottondale with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Cottondale?
16 of the 57 figures for Cottondale on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cottondale are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Cottondale.