Masaryktown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hernando County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,077 at the 2020 census. It is named after the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.
Geography
Masaryktown is located along the southern edge of Hernando County. It is bordered to the north and west by Spring Hill, to the northeast by Garden Grove, and to the south in Pasco County by Shady Hills. U.S. Route 41 runs through the eastern side of the community, leading north to Brooksville, the Hernando County seat, and south to Land o' Lakes. Tampa is to the south.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Masaryktown has a total area of , of which , or 0.53%, are water.
History
Masaryktown was founded in 1924 and named after Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the founder and first president of Czechoslovakia. Of the original 61 persons who met to found the town, 60 were Slovak and only one was Czech. They formed the Hernando Plantation Company and sold at a price of $1,000.00 per share, which granted the right for each share-owner to purchase 20 acres of land. The settlers first planted oranges, but killer frosts devastated the orchards. Many Slovaks eventually left, and by 1952, only 15-25 families remained to carry on a more prosperous enterprise in chicken farming. But even they declined by 1965 due to intense competition.
Few Slovaks remain there today, but the legacy of their settlement remains, as the original founders named the streets running east to west after Slovak national and literary leaders such as Štúr, Hurban, Kollár, Štefánik, Hodža, Hviezdoslav, and Mudron. One street is named after the famous Czech historian, Palacký, and the central boulevard is named after Masaryk. North-south streets are named in honor of American presidents such as Wilson, who assisted in enabling Czecho-Slovak independence, as well as Jefferson, Madison, and Lincoln.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Masaryktown had a population of 1,077. The median age was 42.6 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.9 males age 18 and over.
91.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 8.1% lived in rural areas.
There were 437 households in Masaryktown, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.5% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.