Lakeland, Georgia

Lakeland, Georgia
City

Lakeland City Hall and Lakeland Police Department

Location in Lanier County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°2′21″N 83°4′13″W / 31.03917°N 83.07028°WCoordinates: 31°2′21″N 83°4′13″W / 31.03917°N 83.07028°W
Country United States
State Georgia
County Lanier
Area
 • Total 3.1 sq mi (8.1 km2)
 • Land 3.1 sq mi (8 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation 200 ft (61 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 2,730
 • Density 880.6/sq mi (337/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 31635
Area code(s) 229
FIPS code 13-44592[1]
GNIS feature ID 0356347[2]

Lakeland is a city in Lanier County, Georgia, United States. The city is the county seat of Lanier County.[3] It is part of the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,730 at the 2000 census.

Originally called Milltown, Lakeland received its current name in 1925 in honor of its proximity to several lakes including Grand Bay Lake, Lake Erma, and Banks Lake.[4] For many years, Lakeland owned and operated its own railroad.

Numerous festivals are held in the county throughout each year. One, is the Flatlanders Frolic Arts and Crafts Show. This event features bluegrass music, a road race and various other Labor Day weekend events. Also held in Lanier County is the Living Murals Celebration held in the Spring and most recently the Georgia Deep Woods Deerfest. Deerfest is a festival featuring wild game suppers, firearms giveaways, and much more.

History

Lakeland, originally known as Milltown, was founded in 1901. In 1919, Milltown was designated seat of the newly formed Lanier County. In 1928, the city was incorporated and renamed to its present form of Lakeland.[5]

Geography

Lakeland is located at 31°2′21″N 83°4′13″W / 31.03917°N 83.07028°W (31.039214, -83.070397).[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), of which, 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (1.28%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,730 people, 966 households, and 661 families residing in the city. The population density was 881.0 people per square mile (340.0/km²). There were 1,162 housing units at an average density of 375.0 per square mile (144.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.18% White, 29.27% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.77% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.86% of the population.

There were 966 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 20.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,346, and the median income for a family was $28,487. Males had a median income of $23,457 versus $19,276 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,156. About 25.3% of families and 28.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.9% of those under age 18 and 33.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Lanier County School District

The Lanier County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[7] The district has 94 full-time teachers and over 1,345 students.[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lakeland, Georgia.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ↑ Poling, Dean. "LAKELAND: The past makes a new present » May 2007". Valdosta Scene. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
  5. ↑ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 235. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. ↑ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  8. ↑ School Stats, Retrieved June 22, 2010.