Atkinson County, Georgia

The Atkinson County is a county located in the state of Georgia in the United States. The administrative headquarters ( County Seat) is Pearson.

Geography

The county has an area of ​​891 square kilometers, of which 16 square kilometers are water surface. It is bordered clockwise to the following counties: Ware County, Clinch County, Lanier County, Berrien County and Coffee County. The main cities are: Pearson, Kirkland, Williacochee and Axson.

History

The county was formed on August 15, 1917 and named for William Yates Atkinson, a governor of Georgia from 1894 to 1898. Previously the area was by the Muskhogean Indians inhabited later by the Creek Indians. The last known Indian settlement lay on Alabaha River, about 3 km from the town of Willacoochee. The first white settlers were woodcutters, as the area was rich in pines. The logs they used to build houses and later to drive in order trade. The rafts they brought over the Satilla River to the coast. In 1875 the first railroad tracks were laid in the west by the Brunswick and Western Railroad. Later this became, through connections with other routes, the Atlantic Coast Line. Also a line of Georgia - Florida was moved. Score Both railway lines in Willacoochee each other. The construction of the railways, the number of inhabitants increased and began a period of immigration. The first newspaper, the Pearson Tribune, was published in 1915.

Demographic data

According to the census in 2000 lived in Atkinson County 7,609 people in 2,717 households and 1,980 families. The population density was 9 people per square kilometer. The racial the population was made ​​up of 66.79 percent White, 19.61 percent Black or African American, 0.37 percent Native American, 0.12 percent Asian, 0.03 percent of residents from the Pacific Islander and 12.03 percent from other races groups; 1.06 per cent were descended from two or more races. 16.95 percent of the total population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 2,717 households out of which 38.8 percent have children under the age of 18 living with them. 55.1 percent were married couples living together, 12.8 percent were single mothers and 27.1 percent were non-families. 23.3 percent of all households and 9.1 percent had someone living alone at the age of 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.27 persons.

30.3 percent of the population were under 18 years old, 10.9 percent between 18 to 24, 29.6 percent between 25 and 44, 19.9 percent between 45 and 64 and 9.3 percent were 65 years or older. The average age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males statistically every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household was $ 26,470, and the median income for a family $ 32,688. Males have a median income of $ 24,763, women $ 18,434. The per capita income was $ 12,178. 18.1 percent of families and 23.0 percent of the population lived below the poverty line.

Places in Atkinson County

• Axson
• Henderson Still
• Kirkland
• Leliaton
• Oberry
• Pearson
• Sandy Bottom
• Stoke Ville
• Willacoochee