Manchester, Georgia
City in Georgia, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manchester is a town in Meriwether and Talbot counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, although primarily in Meriwether. The population was 3,584 at the 2020 census,[2] down from 4,230 in 2010. It is the most populous community in Meriwether County. CSX Transportation runs a railroad yard in Manchester.
Manchester, Georgia | |
|---|---|
Manchester in 2012 | |
 Location in Meriwether County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 32°51′22″N 84°37′3″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| Counties | Meriwether, Talbot |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.05 sq mi (20.85 km2) |
| • Land | 8.01 sq mi (20.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0.035 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
| Elevation | 883 ft (269 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,584 |
| • Density | 447.3/sq mi (172.69/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 31816 |
| Area code | 706 |
| FIPS code | 13-49532[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0317652[4] |
| Website | manchester-ga |
History
Manchester was founded in 1907, when the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway was extended northward to that point; it was merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1946.[5] From Manchester the railroad diverged, with one line going to Atlanta and another to Birmingham. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Manchester as a city in 1909.[6] The city was named after Manchester, England.[5]
In 2019, CSX Transportation demolished the historic Manchester Yard Office in order to make way for a new, larger, yard facilities building.
Geography
Manchester is in west central Georgia, in southern Meriwether County, with a small portion extending south into Talbot County. The ridge of Pine Mountain runs along the southern edge of the city, rising 300 feet (91 m) above the city to an elevation of 1,180 feet (360 m) above sea level. Georgia State Route 85 is the main highway through the city, leading southwest 39 miles (63 km) to Columbus and north 10 miles (16 km) to Woodbury. Georgia 85 meets Georgia 190 in the southern part of the city, which leads west 16 miles (26 km) along the crest of Pine Mountain to U.S. Route 27 south of the town of Pine Mountain. Georgia 85 meets Georgia 41 in the center of Manchester, which leads southeast 6 miles (10 km) to Woodland and northwest 5 miles (8 km) to Warm Springs.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Manchester has a total area of 8.0 square miles (21 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 0.45%, are water.[1] Pigeon Creek runs along the northern border of the city and flows east to the Flint River.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 922 | — | |
| 1920 | 2,776 | 201.1% | |
| 1930 | 3,745 | 34.9% | |
| 1940 | 3,462 | −7.6% | |
| 1950 | 4,036 | 16.6% | |
| 1960 | 4,115 | 2.0% | |
| 1970 | 4,779 | 16.1% | |
| 1980 | 4,796 | 0.4% | |
| 1990 | 4,104 | −14.4% | |
| 2000 | 3,988 | −2.8% | |
| 2010 | 4,230 | 6.1% | |
| 2020 | 3,584 | −15.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1850-1870[8] 1880[9] 1890-1910[10] 1920-1930[11] 1930-1940[12] 1940-1950[13] 1960-1980[14]1980-2000[15] | |||
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Manchester had a population of 3,584. The median age was 39.8 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 78.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 73.0 males age 18 and over.[16][17]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[18]
There were 1,509 households in Manchester, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 31.5% were married-couple households, 17.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 44.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 1,728 housing units, of which 12.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.[16]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,685 | 47.0% |
| Black or African American | 1,714 | 47.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 3 | 0.1% |
| Asian | 19 | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 32 | 0.9% |
| Two or more races | 129 | 3.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 73 | 2.0% |
Demographic estimates
Circa 2022 Manchester had 4,230 people. 4,118 of them were in Meriwether County and 112 of them were in Talbot County.[19]
Education
Residents in Meriwether County are in the Meriwether County School District.[20]
Residents in Talbot County are in the Talbot County School District.[21]
Notable people
- Bill Mathis, former Clemson and Super Bowl-winning New York Jets football player
- Stuart Woods, novelist.[22] Manchester, dubbed Delano, was the setting for his first best-seller, Chiefs, and most of his subsequent books have a character who comes from the city.