Wilkes County, Georgia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wilkes County, Georgia | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Georgia |
|
 Georgia's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | February 5, 1777 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Washington |
| Largest city | Washington |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
474 sq mi (1,228 km²) 471 sq mi (1,221 km²) 7 sq mi (3 km²), 0.55% |
| PopulationEst. - (2005) - Density |
10,457 23/sq mi (9/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 10,687. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,262 [1]. The county seat is Washington, Georgia[1].
Wilkes county is commonly referred to by locals and people around the state as "Washington-Wilkes," as both the county and the county seat are viewed as one entity. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. Wilkes County was the last place that the lost gold of the Confederacy was seen which has become one of Georgia's most lingering and possibly lucrative mysteries.
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 474 square miles (1,228 km²), of which, 471 square miles (1,221 km²) of it is land and 3 square miles (7 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
[edit] Major highways
U.S. Highway 78
U.S. Highway 378
Georgia State Route 10
Georgia State Route 17
Georgia State Route 44
Georgia State Route 47
Georgia State Route 80
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Elbert County (north)
- Lincoln County (east)
- McDuffie County (southeast)
- Warren County (south)
- Taliaferro County (southwest)
- Oglethorpe County (west)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 10,687 people, 4,314 households, and 2,968 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 5,022 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 55.12% White, 43.05% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 1.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,314 households out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.10% were married couples living together, 17.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,644, and the median income for a family was $36,219. Males had a median income of $27,355 versus $21,298 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,020. About 13.00% of families and 17.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.20% of those under age 18 and 19.90% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities
[edit] Notable residents
- James Osgood Andrew, born in Wilkes County, bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church[3]
- Elijah Clarke
[edit] References
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- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ (1967) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who.
[edit] External links
- Wilkes County, Georgia Genealogy and History
- Georgia Historical Markers in Wilkes County
- History of Wilkes County
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