| Greene County, Georgia | |
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Greene County courthouse in Greensboro, Georgia
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Location in the state of Georgia |
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Georgia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1786 |
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| Seat | Greensboro |
| Largest city | Greensboro |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
406.24 sq mi (1,052 km²) 388.28 sq mi (1,006 km²) 17.96 sq mi (47 km²), 4.42% |
| PopulationEst. - (2005) - Density |
15,693 37/sq mi (14/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 3, 1786. In 2000, the population was 14,406. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 15,662.[1] The county seat is Greensboro.[2] The county is named for Nathanael Greene, an American Revolutionary War major general.
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According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 406.24 square miles (1,052.2 km2), of which 388.28 square miles (1,005.6 km2) (or 95.58%) is land and 17.96 square miles (46.5 km2) (or 4.42%) is water.[3]
At the 2000 census[4], there were 14,406 people, 5,477 households and 4,042 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 per square mile (14/km²). There were 6,653 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 52.95% White, 44.45% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.49% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 2.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,477 households of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 18.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 23.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.02.
25.10% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.50 males.
The median household income was $33,479 and the median family incomewas $39,794. Males had a median income of $31,295 versus $20,232 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,389. About 16.00% of families and 22.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.80% of those under age 18 and 20.20% of those age 65 or over.
In 2001, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Benham convened a committee to investigate indigent defense in the state of Georgia. An avalanche of complaints about the state of public defense in Greene County, along with a number of lawsuits filed by Stephen Bright and the Southern Center for Human Rights, contributed to the formation of this commission. The commission discovered during its investigation that indigent defendents in Greene County were routinely pled guilty by judges without the presence of counsel and sometimes without even being present in court to make their pleas, violations of the Sixth Amendment. Excessive bail, e.g. $50,000 for loitering, was often set as well, a violation of the Eight Amendment. After two years of investigation, the committee's recommendations led to the passage of the Georgia Indigent Defense Act.[5][6]
A 2,000 pound horse sculpture created by Abbot Pattison was placed at the University of Georgia in 1954. It lasted on campus less than two days. After repeated pranks attacks by students, the sculpture was loaned to an agriculture professor, L.C. Curtis, who placed it on his farm in Greene County. This Iron Horse is located in a cornfield on Highway 15 North approximately 11 miles from Greensboro's city limits on the right just after crossing over the Oconee River bridge. It can be seen seasonally as the cornfields in the late summer cover most of the horse. The Order of the Greek Horsemen, a UGA secret society founded in 1955, carries the Iron Horse as a symbol of the organization.
| Oconee County | Oglethorpe County | |||
| Morgan County | Taliaferro County | |||
| Greene County, Georgia | ||||
| Putnam County | Hancock County |
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