Jasper County, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jasper County
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Jasper County Courthouse
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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 | December 10, 1807 |
| Named for | William Jasper |
| Seat | Monticello |
| Largest city | Monticello |
| Area | |
| • Total | 373 sq mi (970 km2) |
| • Land | 368 sq mi (950 km2) |
| • Water | 5.3 sq mi (14 km2) 1.4%% |
| Population | |
| • Estimate
(2018)
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14,040 |
| • Density | 38/sq mi (15/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
Jasper County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,900. The county seat is Monticello. Jasper County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
This area was inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years before the European encounter. At the time of European-Americans settlement, it was inhabited by the Cherokee and Muscogee Creek peoples, who became known as among the Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast.
The County was created on December 10, 1807, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly with land that was originally part of Baldwin County, Georgia. It became part of the new area of upland settlement through the South eventually known as the Black Belt, and a center of large plantations for short-staple cotton. Invention of the cotton gin in the late 18th century had made processing of this type of cotton profitable, and it was cultivated throughout the inland areas. As migration continued to the west, the county population rapidly rose and fell through the nineteenth century. Georgia settlers pushed Congress for the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which eventually forced most of the Native Americans west of the Mississippi River.
Jasper County was originally named Randolph County (after the Virginian John Randolph). Because of Randolph's opposition to U.S. entry into the War of 1812, the General Assembly changed the name of Randolph County to Jasper County on December 10, 1812, to honor Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina. However, Randolph's reputation eventually was restored, and in 1828, the General Assembly created a new Randolph County.
Newton County was created from a part of the original Jasper County in 1821.
The Jasper County, Georgia courthouse, was shown and used for filming the courthouse scenes in the motion picture comedy "My Cousin Vinny", starting Joe Pesci. Although the setting of the movie is in Beechum County, Alabama (a fictitious place), near the end of the movie, Sheriff Farley (played by veteran actor Bruce McGill), actually mentions Jasper County, Georgia by name
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 373 square miles (970 km2), of which 368 square miles (950 km2) is land and 5.3 square miles (14 km2) (1.4%) is water.
The western portion of Jasper County, west of a line formed by State Route 11 to northwest of Monticello, then along the eastern border of the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The eastern portion of the county is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin.
Major highways
State Route 11
State Route 16
State Route 83
State Route 142
State Route 212
State Route 380
Adjacent counties
- Morgan County - northeast
- Putnam County - east
- Jones County - south
- Monroe County - southwest
- Butts County - west
- Newton County - northwest
National protected areas
- Oconee National Forest (part)
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 7,573 | — | |
| 1820 | 14,614 | 93.0% | |
| 1830 | 13,131 | −10.1% | |
| 1840 | 11,111 | −15.4% | |
| 1850 | 11,486 | 3.4% | |
| 1860 | 10,743 | −6.5% | |
| 1870 | 10,439 | −2.8% | |
| 1880 | 11,851 | 13.5% | |
| 1890 | 13,879 | 17.1% | |
| 1900 | 15,033 | 8.3% | |
| 1910 | 16,552 | 10.1% | |
| 1920 | 16,362 | −1.1% | |
| 1930 | 8,594 | −47.5% | |
| 1940 | 8,772 | 2.1% | |
| 1950 | 7,473 | −14.8% | |
| 1960 | 6,135 | −17.9% | |
| 1970 | 5,760 | −6.1% | |
| 1980 | 7,553 | 31.1% | |
| 1990 | 8,453 | 11.9% | |
| 2000 | 11,426 | 35.2% | |
| 2010 | 13,900 | 21.7% | |
| 2018 (est.) | 14,040 | 1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,900 people, 5,044 households, and 3,778 families living in the county. The population density was 37.8 inhabitants per square mile (14.6/km2). There were 6,153 housing units at an average density of 16.7 per square mile (6.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 73.9% white, 21.8% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 14.2% were English, 12.2% were Irish, 11.9% were American, and 6.6% were German.
Of the 5,044 households, 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.1% were non-families, and 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 39.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,081 and the median income for a family was $52,177. Males had a median income of $40,323 versus $27,491 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,263. About 13.2% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 10,771 | 73.83% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,442 | 16.74% |
| Native American | 34 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 22 | 0.15% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 634 | 4.35% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 684 | 4.69% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,588 people, 5,171 households, and 3,807 families residing in the county.
Communities
Notable people
- Susan Holmes - American politician born in Jasper County. 2001 Jasper County Citizen of the Year.
- Roy "Buckshot" Jones - NASCAR driver.
- Odell Thurman - NFL player.
- Trisha Yearwood - Country music artist. In 2005, she released a studio album titled Jasper County.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Jasper (Georgia) para niños
