Houston County, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Houston County
|
|
|---|---|
.JPG)
Houston County courthouse in Perry
|
|
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
|
|
 Georgia's location within the U.S. |
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | May 15, 1821 |
| Named for | John Houstoun |
| Seat | Perry |
| Largest city | Warner Robins |
| Area | |
| • Total | 380 sq mi (1,000 km2) |
| • Land | 376 sq mi (970 km2) |
| • Water | 4.4 sq mi (11 km2) 1.2%% |
| Population | |
| • Estimate
(2020)
|
163,633 |
| • Density | 373/sq mi (144/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
Houston County ( HOW-stən) is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The estimated 2019 population is 157,863. Its county seat is Perry, although the city of Warner Robins is substantially larger in both area and population.
The county was created on May 15, 1821, along with 4 other counties in the state, and later reduced in size with the formation of Bibb, Crawford, Pike, Macon, and Peach counties. It was named after Georgia governor John Houstoun, with the spelling being a common 19th-century variation that later evolved to "Houston". The pronunciation, however, remains to this day "howston." The geographic center of the county was given the name Wattsville, which was later changed to Perry.
Houston County is included in the Warner Robins, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is included in the Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley Combined Statistical Area. Flat Creek Public Fishing Area is in Houston County, south west of Perry.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 380 square miles (980 km2), of which 376 square miles (970 km2) is land and 4.4 square miles (11 km2) (1.2%) is water.
The vast majority of Houston County is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The very northern edge of the county, north of Centerville and Warner Robins, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The very southwestern corner of Houston County, well west of Interstate 75, is located in the Middle Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).
Major highways
Interstate 75
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 129
U.S. Route 341
State Route 7
State Route 7 Spur
State Route 11
State Route 11 Business
State Route 11 Connector
State Route 26
State Route 49
State Route 96
State Route 127
State Route 224
State Route 247
State Route 247 Connector
State Route 247 Spur
State Route 329
State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)
Adjacent counties
- Bibb County - north
- Peach County - west
- Twiggs County - east
- Bleckley County - southeast
- Pulaski County - south-southeast
- Dooly County - south
- Macon County - southwest
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1830 | 7,369 | — | |
| 1840 | 9,711 | 31.8% | |
| 1850 | 16,450 | 69.4% | |
| 1860 | 15,611 | −5.1% | |
| 1870 | 20,406 | 30.7% | |
| 1880 | 22,414 | 9.8% | |
| 1890 | 21,613 | −3.6% | |
| 1900 | 22,641 | 4.8% | |
| 1910 | 23,609 | 4.3% | |
| 1920 | 21,964 | −7.0% | |
| 1930 | 11,280 | −48.6% | |
| 1940 | 11,303 | 0.2% | |
| 1950 | 20,964 | 85.5% | |
| 1960 | 39,154 | 86.8% | |
| 1970 | 62,924 | 60.7% | |
| 1980 | 77,605 | 23.3% | |
| 1990 | 89,208 | 15.0% | |
| 2000 | 110,765 | 24.2% | |
| 2010 | 139,900 | 26.3% | |
| 2020 | 163,633 | 17.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2019 |
|||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 86,211 | 52.69% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 51,992 | 31.77% |
| Native American | 339 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 4,905 | 3.0% |
| Pacific Islander | 124 | 0.08% |
| Other/Mixed | 8,255 | 5.04% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11,807 | 7.22% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 163,633 people, 58,417 households, and 39,810 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 139,900 people, 53,051 households, and 37,874 families residing in the county. The population density was 372.5 inhabitants per square mile (143.8/km2). There were 58,325 housing units at an average density of 155.3 per square mile (60.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 63.3% white, 28.6% black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 12.9% were American, 10.3% were German, 10.0% were English, and 9.1% were Irish.
Of the 53,051 households, 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.6% were non-families, and 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 34.5 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,098 and the median income for a family was $67,227. Males had a median income of $47,557 versus $34,239 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,206. About 10.3% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
- Bonaire
- Byron (part)
- Clinchfield
- Dunbar
- Elberta
- Elko
- Grovania
- Henderson
- Haynesville
- Houston Lake
- Kathleen
- Klondike
- Pabst
- Sand Bed
Census-designated place
- Robins Air Force Base
Education
Houston County Schools operates public schools.
Transportation
Major highways
- Interstate 75
- U.S. Route 41
- U.S. Route 129
- U.S. Route 341
- State Route 7
- State Route 7 Spur
- State Route 11
- State Route 11 Business
- State Route 11 Connector
- State Route 26
- State Route 49
- State Route 96
- State Route 127
- State Route 224
- State Route 247
- State Route 247 Connector
- State Route 247 Spur
- State Route 329
- State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)
Pedestrians and cycling
- Big Indian Creek Trail (Proposed)
- Walker's Pond Trail
- Wellston Trail
- The Walk at Sandy Run Creek
See also
- In Spanish: Condado de Houston (Georgia)
