Jefferson County, Georgia

Jefferson County, Georgia
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,709. The county seat and largest city is Louisville. The county was created on February 20, 1796, and named for Thomas Jefferson, the main author of the Declaration of Independence who became the third president of the United States.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water.
The small northern portion of Jefferson County, defined by a line running from Stapleton southeast and just south of State Route 80, is located in the Brier Creek sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. The entire rest of the county is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.
Major highways
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 Business (Louisville)
U.S. Route 1 Business (Wadley)
U.S. Route 221
U.S. Route 319
State Route 4
State Route 4 Business (Louisville)
State Route 4 Business (Wadley)
State Route 17
State Route 24
State Route 47
State Route 78
State Route 80
State Route 88
State Route 102
State Route 171
State Route 242
State Route 296
State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)
Adjacent counties
McDuffie County - north
Richmond County - northeast
Burke County - east
Emanuel County - south
Johnson County - southwest
Glascock County - northwest
Washington County - west
Warren County - northwest
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,709 people, 5,664 households, and 3,598 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,930 people, 6,241 households, and 4,407 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 7,298 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 54.4% black or African American, 42.6% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 1.6% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, and 26.7% were American.
Of the 6,241 households, 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 23.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age was 38.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,268 and the median income for a family was $36,980. Males had a median income of $36,284 versus $27,191 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,165. About 19.0% of families and 26.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.7% of those under age 18 and 24.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Communities
Cities
Avera
Louisville (county seat)
Stapleton
Wadley
Wrens
Towns
Bartow
Matthews
Politics
Jefferson County trends Democratic in presidential elections; having last supported a Republican in 1988 when it voted for George HW Bush. George W. Bush came within 381 votes of carrying the county in 2004. In the 2022 midterms, Governor Brian Kemp is presumably the first Republican to win statewide in Jefferson County since Sonny Perdue's re-election in 2006. It is now a Democratic-leaning swing county
See also
Central Savannah River Area
National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Georgia
List of counties in Georgia
References
External links
The Jefferson County Information Center Website
The Friends of Historic Downtown Louisville Website
The Fire House Gallery Website - Contemporary art in Jefferson County
Videos about life in Jefferson County by Fire Team Productions
A genealogy table for Jefferson County, Georgia ←Broken link, December 2015.
USA Today Q&A with Jefferson County High principal Molly Howard
The News and Farmer and Wadley Herald/ Jefferson Reporter, the county's weekly newspaper and the oldest weekly in Georgia
The Official Jefferson County Economic Development Website
General Wood's Fort historical marker
Old Savannah Road historical marker
Old Town Plantation historical marker
Rocky Comfort Creek historical marker
Yazoo Fraud historical marker
Georgia (U.S. state) counties
1796 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Populated places established in 1796
Black Belt (U.S. region)
Majority-minority counties in Georgia