# Laurens County, Georgia

Laurens County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,570, up from 48,434 in 2010. The county seat is Dublin. The county was founded on December 10, 1807, and named after Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens, an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War.
Laurens County is part of the Dublin micropolitan statistical area.

## History

Laurens County was formed on December 10, 1807, from portions of Wilkinson and Washington Counties. During the Red Summer of 1919, racial tensions increased in the area, leading to the Laurens County, Georgia race riot of 1919.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 818 square miles (2,120 km$^2$), of which 807 square miles (2,090 km$^2$) is land and 11 square miles (28 km$^2$) (1.4%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Georgia by land area and fourth-largest by total area.
The majority of Laurens County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The southwestern corner of the county, defined by a line that runs west from Chester through Rentz to U.S. Route 441, and then southeast toward Glenwood, is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. A small and narrow sliver of the eastern edge of the county, from east of Lovett to northeast of Rockledge, is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the larger Altamaha River basin. The county has several swamps along with Oconee river including Cow Hell Swamp.

### Major highways

* I-16 (Interstate 16)
* US 80
* US 319
* US 441
* US 441 Byp. (around Dublin)
* SR 19
* SR 26
* SR 29
* SR 31
* SR 46
* SR 86
* SR 117
* SR 126
* SR 199
* SR 257
* SR 278
* SR 338
* SR 404 (unsigned designation for I-16)

### Adjacent counties

* Johnson County – northeast
* Treutlen County – east
* Wheeler County – south
* Dodge County – southwest
* Bleckley County – west
* Wilkinson County – northwest
* Twiggs County – northwest

## Communities
### Cities

* Allentown
* Dublin
* Dudley
* East Dublin

### Towns

* Cadwell
* Dexter
* Montrose
* Rentz

### Unincorporated communities

* Alcorns
* Alligood
* Baston
* Brewton
* Catlin
* Cedar Grove
* Chappells Mill
* Condor
* Five Points
* Five Points
* Garretta
* Harlow
* Haskins Crossing
* Holly Hills
* Kewanee
* Laurens Hill
* Lollie
* Lovett
* Lowery
* Midway
* Minter
* Moores
* Nameless
* Old Condor
* Rockledge
* Shewmake
* Spring Hill
* Tuckers Crossroad
* Tweed
* Vincent
* Whipples Crossing

### Ghost towns

* Bender

## Demographics
### 2020 Census

Laurens County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 28,199 | 28,920 | 27,881 | 62.84% | 59.71% | 56.25% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 15,417 | 17,268 | 18,219 | 34.36% | 35.65% | 36.75% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 80 | 87 | 80 | 0.18% | 0.18% | 0.16% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 361 | 478 | 507 | 0.80% | 0.99% | 1.02% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 12 | 4 | 14 | 0.03% | 0.01% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 44 | 41 | 141 | 0.10% | 0.08% | 0.28% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 232 | 493 | 1,304 | 0.52% | 1.02% | 2.63% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 529 | 1,143 | 1,424 | 1.18% | 2.36% | 2.87% |
| Total | 44,874 | 48,434 | 49,570 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 49,570 people, 17,142 households, and 11,549 families residing in the county.

## Education

Laurens County School District operates the county's public schools.

## Notable people

* Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald, founder of the first woman's secret society established at a girls' college was born here.
* Karl Slover, one of the oldest living Munchkins from Wizard of Oz (1939 film).
* Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver for the Denver Broncos
* Anthony Johnson, mixed martial artist for the Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC)

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Laurens County, Georgia :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 15,460 | 66.20% | 7,820 | 33.49% | 72 | 0.31% |
| 2020 | 14,493 | 63.76% | 8,074 | 35.52% | 164 | 0.72% |
| 2016 | 12,411 | 63.33% | 6,752 | 34.46% | 433 | 2.21% |
| 2012 | 11,950 | 60.85% | 7,513 | 38.26% | 176 | 0.90% |
| 2008 | 12,052 | 60.37% | 7,769 | 38.92% | 142 | 0.71% |
| 2004 | 10,883 | 63.05% | 6,281 | 36.39% | 97 | 0.56% |
| 2000 | 8,133 | 57.94% | 5,724 | 40.78% | 179 | 1.28% |
| 1996 | 6,118 | 47.79% | 5,792 | 45.24% | 893 | 6.97% |
| 1992 | 6,146 | 43.72% | 6,184 | 43.99% | 1,729 | 12.30% |
| 1988 | 6,929 | 57.89% | 4,879 | 40.76% | 162 | 1.35% |
| 1984 | 7,181 | 56.76% | 5,471 | 43.24% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 4,392 | 35.07% | 7,860 | 62.76% | 271 | 2.16% |
| 1976 | 3,281 | 27.58% | 8,617 | 72.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 7,350 | 77.53% | 2,130 | 22.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,738 | 21.33% | 3,451 | 26.88% | 6,649 | 51.79% |
| 1964 | 5,457 | 58.76% | 3,828 | 41.22% | 2 | 0.02% |
| 1960 | 1,884 | 28.84% | 4,648 | 71.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,189 | 18.95% | 5,085 | 81.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 1,046 | 17.30% | 5,001 | 82.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 268 | 7.05% | 2,325 | 61.12% | 1,211 | 31.83% |
| 1944 | 498 | 16.37% | 2,544 | 83.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 435 | 15.79% | 2,316 | 84.07% | 4 | 0.15% |
| 1936 | 304 | 10.37% | 2,620 | 89.39% | 7 | 0.24% |
| 1932 | 38 | 1.71% | 2,188 | 98.25% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1928 | 470 | 19.13% | 1,987 | 80.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 121 | 9.31% | 1,127 | 86.76% | 51 | 3.93% |
| 1920 | 350 | 23.07% | 1,167 | 76.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 143 | 9.69% | 1,269 | 85.98% | 64 | 4.34% |
| 1912 | 92 | 7.52% | 1,107 | 90.52% | 24 | 1.96% |