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Penney Farms, Florida
Town of Penney Farms
Penney Farms Town Hall with a statue of James Cash Penney
Penney Farms Town Hall with a statue of James Cash Penney
Motto(s): 
"Unity in Community"
Location in Clay County and the state of Florida
Location in Clay County and the state of Florida
Country  United States
State  Florida
County  Clay
Settled 1926
Incorporated 1927
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
Area
 • 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(s) 904
FIPS code 12-55875
GNIS feature ID 0288692

Penney Farms is a town in 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.

Penney Farms FL entr sign01
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″N 81°48′36″W / 29.981070°N 81.809948°W / 29.981070; -81.809948. 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.
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

2010 and 2020 census

Penney Farms racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 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.

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

Notable people

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

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Penney Farms para niños

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