Ben Hill County, Georgia
Ben Hill County | |
---|---|
![]() Ben Hill County Courthouse, Fitzgerald | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
![]() Georgia's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 31°46′N 83°13′W / 31.76°N 83.22°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | 1906 |
Named for | Benjamin Harvey Hill |
Seat | Fitzgerald |
Largest city | Fitzgerald |
Area | |
• Total | 254 sq mi (660 km2) |
• Land | 250 sq mi (600 km2) |
• Water | 3.8 sq mi (10 km2) 1.5% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 17,194 |
• Density | 69/sq mi (27/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 8th |
Website | benhillcounty-ga.gov |
Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,194.[1] The county seat is Fitzgerald.[2] The county was organized in 1906. It is named after Benjamin Harvey Hill, a former Confederate and United States Senator.[3]
Ben Hill County comprises the Fitzgerald micropolitan statistical area. The Ben Hill County Courthouse and Ben Hill County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
[edit]Ben Hill County was organized in 1906.[4] It was created from Irwin and Wilcox counties.[5]
Geography
[edit]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 254 square miles (660 km2), of which 250 square miles (650 km2) is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) (1.5%) is water.[6]
The majority of Ben Hill County, its northern and eastern portions, are located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northwestern corner of the county, east of Rebecca, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The southeastern corner of the county, east of Fitzgerald, is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin.[7] Ben Hill County is part of the Southeast Georgia region.
Major highways
[edit]Adjacent counties
[edit]- Wilcox County - north
- Telfair County - northeast
- Coffee County - east
- Irwin County - south
- Turner County - west
Communities
[edit]City
[edit]- Fitzgerald (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
[edit]Demographics
[edit]Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 11,863 | — | |
1920 | 14,599 | 23.1% | |
1930 | 13,047 | −10.6% | |
1940 | 14,523 | 11.3% | |
1950 | 14,879 | 2.5% | |
1960 | 13,633 | −8.4% | |
1970 | 13,171 | −3.4% | |
1980 | 16,000 | 21.5% | |
1990 | 16,245 | 1.5% | |
2000 | 17,484 | 7.6% | |
2010 | 17,634 | 0.9% | |
2020 | 17,194 | −2.5% | |
2023 (est.) | 17,128 | [8] | −0.4% |
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1880[10]1890-1910[11] 1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13] 1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15] 1980-2000[16] 2010[17] |
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 9,219 | 53.62% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 6,222 | 36.19% |
Native American | 57 | 0.33% |
Asian | 116 | 0.67% |
Other/Mixed | 526 | 3.06% |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,054 | 6.13% |
In 2000, there were 17,484 people, 6,673 households, and 4,631 families living in the county.[19] The population density was 69 inhabitants per square mile (27/km2). There were 7,623 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km2). In 2010, there were 17,634 people, 6,794 households, and 4,730 families living in the county.[20] By the 2020 United States census, there were 17,194 people, 6,443 households, and 4,019 families residing in the county.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $27,100, and the median income for a family was $33,023. Males had a median income of $26,750 versus $19,547 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,093. 22.30% of the population and 18.70% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 33.30% are under the age of 18 and 17.60% are 65 or older. In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $30,134 and the median income for a family was $35,868. Males had a median income of $32,613 versus $23,320 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,529. About 22.7% of families and 26.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.[21] According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the county's median household income was $38,255 with a per capita income of $22,625. An estimated 26.5% of the county lived at or below the poverty line.[22]
Religiously, the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020 denoted Christianity as the predominant religion, being part of the Bible Belt.[23] Among its Christian population, the majority formed the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Baptist tradition was the county's dominant Christian affiliation. The National Baptist Convention, USA was the second-largest Baptist denomination in Ben Hill County. One notable non-Christian religion for the county has been the Baha'i Faith.
Education
[edit]The Ben Hill County School District operates schools serving the county.
- Ben Hill Preschool
- Ben Hill County Primary School
- Ben Hill County Elementary School
- Ben Hill County Middle School
- Fitzgerald High School
Politics
[edit]Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 4,111 | 62.63% | 2,393 | 36.46% | 60 | 0.91% |
2016 | 3,739 | 62.99% | 2,101 | 35.39% | 96 | 1.62% |
2012 | 3,396 | 56.88% | 2,512 | 42.08% | 62 | 1.04% |
2008 | 3,417 | 56.46% | 2,590 | 42.80% | 45 | 0.74% |
2004 | 3,331 | 60.07% | 2,180 | 39.31% | 34 | 0.61% |
2000 | 2,381 | 51.08% | 2,234 | 47.93% | 46 | 0.99% |
1996 | 1,516 | 37.08% | 2,198 | 53.77% | 374 | 9.15% |
1992 | 1,476 | 33.06% | 2,348 | 52.60% | 640 | 14.34% |
1988 | 2,005 | 51.17% | 1,867 | 47.65% | 46 | 1.17% |
1984 | 2,313 | 55.44% | 1,859 | 44.56% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 1,459 | 35.87% | 2,544 | 62.55% | 64 | 1.57% |
1976 | 814 | 24.95% | 2,449 | 75.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
1972 | 2,104 | 74.96% | 703 | 25.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 661 | 19.61% | 877 | 26.02% | 1,833 | 54.38% |
1964 | 2,089 | 57.82% | 1,523 | 42.15% | 1 | 0.03% |
1960 | 558 | 22.88% | 1,881 | 77.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 554 | 20.49% | 2,150 | 79.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 697 | 25.39% | 2,048 | 74.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 223 | 11.76% | 1,438 | 75.84% | 235 | 12.39% |
1944 | 190 | 15.36% | 1,046 | 84.56% | 1 | 0.08% |
1940 | 181 | 13.00% | 1,206 | 86.64% | 5 | 0.36% |
1936 | 146 | 11.28% | 1,147 | 88.64% | 1 | 0.08% |
1932 | 85 | 7.62% | 1,026 | 91.94% | 5 | 0.45% |
1928 | 460 | 31.38% | 1,006 | 68.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 150 | 17.71% | 507 | 59.86% | 190 | 22.43% |
1920 | 232 | 29.94% | 543 | 70.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 134 | 17.43% | 627 | 81.53% | 8 | 1.04% |
1912 | 263 | 31.61% | 535 | 64.30% | 34 | 4.09% |
Transportation
[edit]- Fitzgerald Municipal Airport is a public use airport located 2 miles southwest of Fitzgerald.
See also
[edit]- National Register of Historic Places listings in Ben Hill County, Georgia
- List of counties in Georgia
References
[edit]- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Ben Hill County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 16. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2003.
- ^ "Ben Hill County - Georgia Historical Society". Georgia Historical Society. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ "Ben Hill County". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
- ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1910.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1930.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1950.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
- ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
- ^ "Census profile: Ben Hill County, GA". Census Reporter. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ "Congregational Membership Reports | US Religion". www.thearda.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
External links
[edit]- Ben Hill County historical marker