Yankeetown is a town in Levy County, Florida, United States. Its located in North Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of both the Big Bend Coast and the Nature Coast. In the 2020 census, the population was 588, up from 502 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
left|upright=0.75|thumb|Sign along [[Florida_State_Road_40#County_extensions_west_of_US_41|CR 40 memorializing the filming of the 1962 Elvis Presley movie "Follow That Dream" along the road in nearby Inglis]]
Yankeetown was founded in 1923 by the Indiana politician and lawyer Armanis F. Knotts, who moved to the area because of his great love for hunting. The "Town of Yankeetown" was officially incorporated as a municipality in 1925.
In July and August of 1961, the Elvis Presley movie, "Follow That Dream" was filmed in various Florida area, including Yankeetown, and released to theaters in 1962. A western extension of US 41 on County Road 40 (Florida State Road 40) is named Follow That Dream Parkway, after the Elvis film.
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 Yankeetown has a humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).
Demographics
2010 and 2020 census
{| class="wikitable"
|+Yankeetown racial composition<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2020
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|White (NH)
|480
|534
|95.61%
|90.82%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|0
|4
|0.00%
|0.68%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|1
|0
|0.20%
|0.00%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|1
|4
|0.20%
|0.68%
|-
|Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)
|0
|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|-
|Some other race (NH)
|0
|2
|0.00%
|0.34%
|-
|Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)
|11
|18
|2.19%
|3.06%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|9
|26
|1.79%
|4.42%
|-
|Total
|502
|588
|
|
|-
|}
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 588 people, 252 households, and 180 families residing in the town.
In 2020, the median household income was $44,318. There was an employment rate of 30.2%, and 28.9% of the population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2020, 28.2% of the population 25 years or older had a Bachelor's degree or higher. 11.9% of the population were without any healthcare coverage. The median age was 56.0 years old.
2000 census
As of the census
The Yankeetown Inglis Woman's Club provides Yankeetown and Inglis with the local A. F. Knotts Public Library. The YIWC has a contract with Levy County who provides staffing and books for the local library. The YI Woman's Club is believed to be the last woman's club in the US to own and maintain a public library for their community. The original library opened in 1959, with 1,000 donated books The A.F. Knotts Public Library was named in honor of the town's founder, Armanis F. Knotts, in 1975 by his nephew Eugene Knotts.
References
External links
- Town of Yankeetown official website
- Yankeetown community website
- Save Yankeetown
- "Free software and politics in Yankeetown" (2006), at Freesoftwaremagazine.com