| Baker County, Georgia | |
Location in the state of Georgia |
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Georgia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1825 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Newton |
| Largest city | Newton |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
349.17 sq mi (904 km²) 343.22 sq mi (889 km²) 5.95 sq mi (15 km²), 1.70% |
| PopulationEst. - (2006) - Density |
4,098 12/sq mi (5/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | bakercountyga.org |
Baker County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000[update], the population is 4,074. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 3,781.[1] The county seat is Newton.[2]
Baker County is included in the Albany, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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The county was created 12 December 1825 from the eastern portion of Early County by an act of the Georgia General Assembly and is named for Colonel John Baker, a hero of the American Revolutionary War.
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 349.17 square miles (904.3 km2), of which 343.22 square miles (888.9 km2) (or 98.30%) is land and 5.95 square miles (15.4 km2) (or 1.70%) is water.[3]
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 4,074 people, 1,514 households, and 1,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile (5/km²). There were 1,740 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 47.42% White, 50.39% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 2.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,514 households out of which 33.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were married couples living together, 19.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 86.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,338, and the median income for a family was $36,438. Males had a median income of $25,891 versus $16,462 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,969. About 19.90% of families and 23.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.50% of those under age 18 and 20.10% of those age 65 or over.
Baker County School System operates public schools.[5]
Although Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon carried it in 1964 and 1968, Baker County is historically Democratic. In 1956 Adlai Stevenson reportedly received over 96% of the county's vote.[6] It has gone majority Democratic consistently since 1992, but by much closer margins than that. In 2008 Barack Obama won with just 50.1% to John McCain's 49.1%.[7]
| Calhoun County | Dougherty County | |||
| Early County and Miller County | Mitchell County | |||
| Baker County, Georgia | ||||
| Decatur County |
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