Thomas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census the population was 45,798.[1] The county seat is Thomasville.[2] Thomas County comprises the Thomasville, GA micropolitan statistical area.
Thomas County | |
|---|---|
 Former Thomas County Courthouse in Thomasville | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
 Georgia's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 30°52′N 83°55′W / 30.86°N 83.92°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | December 23, 1825 |
| Named for | Jett Thomas |
| Seat | Thomasville |
| Largest city | Thomasville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 552 sq mi (1,430 km2) |
| • Land | 545 sq mi (1,410 km2) |
| • Water | 7.6 sq mi (20 km2) 1.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 45,798 |
| • Density | 84/sq mi (32/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | www |
History
editThomas County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 23, 1825, from portions of Decatur and Irwin Counties.[3] Colquitt (1856), Brooks (1858), and Grady (1905) Counties all were formed partially from lands within Thomas County's original borders.
The county is named for Jett Thomas, an officer in the War of 1812 who is also known for overseeing the construction of the first building at the University of Georgia (originally referred to as Franklin College and known today as Old College) as well as the state capital at Milledgeville.
Geography
editAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 552 square miles (1,430 km2), of which 545 square miles (1,410 km2) is land and 7.6 square miles (20 km2) (1.4%) is water.[4]
The northwestern half of Thomas County, bordered by U.S. Route 319 southwest of Thomasville, and a line that ends up bisecting the distance between Coolidge and Pavo in the northeast, is located in the Upper Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. The northeastern edge of the county, from north of Pavo to Boston, is located in the Withlacoochee River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The southeastern portion of Thomas County, running southeast from Thomasville, is located in the Aucilla River sub-basin of the larger Aucilla-Waccasassa basin. Almost all of the southwestern portion of the county is located in the Apalachee Bay-St. Marks sub-basin of the Ochlockonee River basin, with the exception of the tiny southwesternmost corner, which is located in the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin.[5]
The Aucilla River rises in Thomas County. The Red Hills Region is centered on Thomas County.
Major highways
edit
Adjacent counties
edit- Colquitt County - northeast
- Brooks County - east
- Jefferson County, Florida - south
- Leon County, Florida - southwest
- Grady County - west
- Mitchell County - northwest
Communities
editCities
edit- Barwick (partly in Brooks County)
- Boston
- Coolidge
- Meigs (partly in Mitchell County)
- Pavo (partly in Brooks County)
- Thomasville
Town
editUnincorporated community
editDemographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 3,299 | — | |
| 1840 | 6,766 | 105.1% | |
| 1850 | 10,103 | 49.3% | |
| 1860 | 10,766 | 6.6% | |
| 1870 | 14,523 | 34.9% | |
| 1880 | 20,597 | 41.8% | |
| 1890 | 26,154 | 27.0% | |
| 1900 | 31,076 | 18.8% | |
| 1910 | 29,071 | −6.5% | |
| 1920 | 33,044 | 13.7% | |
| 1930 | 32,612 | −1.3% | |
| 1940 | 31,289 | −4.1% | |
| 1950 | 33,932 | 8.4% | |
| 1960 | 34,319 | 1.1% | |
| 1970 | 34,515 | 0.6% | |
| 1980 | 38,098 | 10.4% | |
| 1990 | 38,986 | 2.3% | |
| 2000 | 42,737 | 9.6% | |
| 2010 | 44,720 | 4.6% | |
| 2020 | 45,798 | 2.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 45,649 | [6] | −0.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1880[8] 1890-1910[9] 1920-1930[10] 1930-1940[11] 1940-1950[12] 1960-1980[13] 1980-2000[14] 2010[15] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 25,994 | 56.76% |
| Black or African American | 16,259 | 35.5% |
| Native American | 150 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 406 | 0.89% |
| Pacific Islander | 9 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,403 | 3.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,577 | 3.44% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 45,798 people, 17,595 households, and 12,161 families residing in the county.
Education
editPolitics
editSimilar to other Georgia counties on the Florida border, the county is very Republican in presidential elections, having last voted for a Democrat in 1980 when the Democrat was native Georgian Jimmy Carter.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 12,969 | 59.28% | 8,708 | 39.80% | 200 | 0.91% |
| 2016 | 11,228 | 59.45% | 7,142 | 37.82% | 515 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | 11,156 | 58.74% | 7,653 | 40.30% | 183 | 0.96% |
| 2008 | 10,642 | 57.54% | 7,720 | 41.74% | 132 | 0.71% |
| 2004 | 9,659 | 61.39% | 5,997 | 38.12% | 77 | 0.49% |
| 2000 | 7,093 | 58.82% | 4,862 | 40.32% | 103 | 0.85% |
| 1996 | 5,649 | 49.04% | 5,183 | 45.00% | 686 | 5.96% |
| 1992 | 5,500 | 46.03% | 4,841 | 40.52% | 1,607 | 13.45% |
| 1988 | 6,572 | 64.78% | 3,530 | 34.80% | 43 | 0.42% |
| 1984 | 6,427 | 61.41% | 4,039 | 38.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 4,294 | 42.26% | 5,695 | 56.05% | 172 | 1.69% |
| 1976 | 3,263 | 34.68% | 6,147 | 65.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 6,668 | 75.44% | 2,171 | 24.56% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,261 | 22.87% | 2,585 | 26.15% | 5,039 | 50.98% |
| 1964 | 6,306 | 65.94% | 3,257 | 34.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,285 | 41.46% | 3,226 | 58.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,240 | 38.88% | 3,522 | 61.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 2,273 | 36.40% | 3,971 | 63.60% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 925 | 25.22% | 1,429 | 38.97% | 1,313 | 35.81% |
| 1944 | 557 | 24.16% | 1,747 | 75.79% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1940 | 371 | 15.16% | 2,072 | 84.64% | 5 | 0.20% |
| 1936 | 222 | 8.39% | 2,409 | 91.08% | 14 | 0.53% |
| 1932 | 90 | 3.32% | 2,607 | 96.20% | 13 | 0.48% |
| 1928 | 814 | 39.63% | 1,240 | 60.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 115 | 7.86% | 1,280 | 87.49% | 68 | 4.65% |
| 1920 | 168 | 12.94% | 1,130 | 87.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 42 | 2.78% | 1,298 | 85.79% | 173 | 11.43% |
| 1912 | 50 | 4.13% | 1,012 | 83.50% | 150 | 12.38% |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Thomas County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 225. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2003.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.