Decatur County, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Decatur County
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Decatur County Courthouse in Bainbridge
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Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
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 Georgia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | 1823 |
| Named for | Stephen Decatur |
| Seat | Bainbridge |
| Largest city | Bainbridge |
| Area | |
| • Total | 623 sq mi (1,610 km2) |
| • Land | 597 sq mi (1,550 km2) |
| • Water | 26 sq mi (70 km2) 4.2%% |
| Population | |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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26,404 |
| • Density | 47/sq mi (18/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Decatur County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,842. The county seat is Bainbridge.
Decatur County comprises the Bainbridge, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Tallahassee-Bainbridge, FL-GA Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
History
The county was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 8, 1823, from a portion of Early County. Three other counties were created from land that was originally part of Decatur County.
In 1825, a portion of Decatur was used in the creation of Thomas County. In 1905, another portion of Decatur was used in the creation of part of Grady County. In 1920, the western portion of Decatur County was used to form Seminole County in its entirety.
Decatur County is named for United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur, a hero of the War of 1812.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 623 square miles (1,610 km2), of which 597 square miles (1,550 km2) is land and 26 square miles (67 km2) (4.2%) is water.
The bulk of Decatur County, from northeast to southwest, and centered on Bainbridge, is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). Almost all of the county's western border is located in the Spring Creek sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. The southwestern portion of Decatur County, centered on Attapulgus, and bordered on the west by State Route 302, is located on the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. Finally, the county's southwestern corner, west of State Route 302, is located in the Apalachicola River sub-basin of the same larger ACF River basin.
Major highways
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 Business
U.S. Route 84
U.S. Route 84 Business
State Route 1
State Route 1 Business
State Route 38
State Route 97
State Route 97 Spur
State Route 241
State Route 253
State Route 253 Spur
State Route 262
State Route 285
State Route 302
State Route 302 Spur
State Route 309
State Route 310
State Route 311
Adjacent counties
- Miller County - north
- Mitchell County - northeast
- Baker County - northeast
- Grady County - east
- Gadsden County, Florida - south
- Seminole County - west
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1830 | 3,854 | — | |
| 1840 | 5,872 | 52.4% | |
| 1850 | 8,262 | 40.7% | |
| 1860 | 11,922 | 44.3% | |
| 1870 | 15,183 | 27.4% | |
| 1880 | 19,072 | 25.6% | |
| 1890 | 19,949 | 4.6% | |
| 1900 | 29,454 | 47.6% | |
| 1910 | 29,045 | −1.4% | |
| 1920 | 31,785 | 9.4% | |
| 1930 | 23,622 | −25.7% | |
| 1940 | 22,234 | −5.9% | |
| 1950 | 23,620 | 6.2% | |
| 1960 | 25,203 | 6.7% | |
| 1970 | 22,310 | −11.5% | |
| 1980 | 25,495 | 14.3% | |
| 1990 | 25,511 | 0.1% | |
| 2000 | 28,240 | 10.7% | |
| 2010 | 27,842 | −1.4% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 26,404 | −5.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2019 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 27,842 people, 10,390 households, and 7,255 families living in the county. The population density was 46.6 inhabitants per square mile (18.0/km2). There were 12,125 housing units at an average density of 20.3 per square mile (7.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 54.2% white, 41.1% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 2.5% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 9.8% were American, 5.9% were English, and 5.7% were Irish.
Of the 10,390 households, 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.2% were non-families, and 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age was 37.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,297 and the median income for a family was $44,322. Males had a median income of $36,176 versus $25,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,833. About 19.4% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 14,280 | 48.63% |
| Black or African American | 12,200 | 41.54% |
| Native American | 64 | 0.22% |
| Asian | 183 | 0.62% |
| Pacific Islander | 16 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 713 | 2.43% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,911 | 6.51% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 29,367 people, 10,084 households, and 7,113 families residing in the county.
Communities
Cities
Town
Unincorporated communities
Ghost town
- Miriam
Education
Decatur County School District is the local school district with Bainbridge High School being the local high school.
Spring Creek Charter Academy was formed in 2019 and includes grades Pre-K through 8th Grade as of 2021–2022 school year with the next year being added as each grade progresses through the years.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College has a satellite campus in Bainbridge.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Decatur (Georgia) para niños
