Twiggs County, Georgia
County in Georgia, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Twiggs County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,022.[1] The county seat is Jeffersonville.[2] The county was created on December 14, 1809, and named for American Revolutionary War general John Twiggs.[3]
Twiggs County, Georgia | |
|---|---|
Twiggs County Courthouse, Jeffersonville | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 32°40′N 83°26′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | December 14, 1809 |
| Named after | John Twiggs |
| Seat | Jeffersonville |
| Largest city | Jeffersonville |
| Area | |
• Total | 363 sq mi (940 km2) |
| • Land | 358 sq mi (930 km2) |
| • Water | 4.2 sq mi (11 km2) 1.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 8,022 |
| • Density | 22/sq mi (8.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | www |
Twiggs County is included in the Macon, GA metropolitan statistical area. The Twiggs County Courthouse is located in Jeffersonville.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 363 square miles (940 km2), of which 358 square miles (930 km2) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km2) (1.2%) is water.[4]
Due to its location on the fall line, the county boasts a diverse geography. Northern parts of the county tend to be hillier, being part of the Piedmont region, and southern parts of the county tend to be flatter, being part of the upper Atlantic coastal plain.
The geographical center of Georgia lies in Twiggs County — off Bullard Road near Old Marion.[5]
The southwestern and central portion of Twiggs County, south of Dry Branch and west of Jeffersonville, is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. A narrow northwestern portion of the county, from just north to southwest of Dry Branch, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The entire eastern edge of the county is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin, with a small triangular portion of Twiggs County, south of Interstate 16 and west of Danville, located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same larger Altamaha River basin.[6]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Wilkinson County - northeast
- Laurens County - southeast
- Bleckley County - south
- Houston County - southwest
- Bibb County - west
- Jones County - northwest
National protected area
Communities
Cities
- Allentown (partly in Wilkinson County, Laurens County, and Bleckley County)
- Jeffersonville (county seat)
Town
- Danville (partly in Wilkinson County)
Unincorporated community
- Dry Branch (partly in Bibb County)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 3,405 | — | |
| 1820 | 10,640 | 212.5% | |
| 1830 | 8,031 | −24.5% | |
| 1840 | 8,422 | 4.9% | |
| 1850 | 8,179 | −2.9% | |
| 1860 | 8,320 | 1.7% | |
| 1870 | 8,545 | 2.7% | |
| 1880 | 8,918 | 4.4% | |
| 1890 | 8,195 | −8.1% | |
| 1900 | 8,716 | 6.4% | |
| 1910 | 10,736 | 23.2% | |
| 1920 | 10,407 | −3.1% | |
| 1930 | 8,372 | −19.6% | |
| 1940 | 9,117 | 8.9% | |
| 1950 | 8,308 | −8.9% | |
| 1960 | 7,935 | −4.5% | |
| 1970 | 8,222 | 3.6% | |
| 1980 | 9,354 | 13.8% | |
| 1990 | 9,806 | 4.8% | |
| 2000 | 10,590 | 8.0% | |
| 2010 | 9,023 | −14.8% | |
| 2020 | 8,022 | −11.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 7,728 | [7]  | −3.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1880[9] 1890-1910[10] 1920-1930[11] 1930-1940[12] 1940-1950[13] 1960-1980[14] 1980-2000[15] 2010[16] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 4,487 | 55.93% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,099 | 38.63% |
| Native American | 16 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 37 | 0.46% |
| Other/Mixed | 259 | 3.23% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 124 | 1.55% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,022, and the median age was 50.1 years. 17.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.9 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[18][19]
The racial makeup of the county was 56.4% White, 38.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.[20]
There were 3,387 households in the county, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 30.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]
There were 4,028 housing units, of which 15.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.7% were owner-occupied and 20.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.[19]
Education
The Twiggs County School District is the sole school district in the county.[21] It includes Jefersonville Elementary and Twiggs County Comprehensive Middle/High School.
Private schools:
Notable people
- Philip Cook, Confederate general in the Civil War and postbellum U.S. Congressman.
- Darqueze Dennard, cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League and former cornerback for the Michigan State Spartans football team. He was the winner of the 2013 Jim Thorpe Award.
- Dudley Mays Hughes, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, American politician, farmer and railroad executive.
- Chuck Leavell, an American musician and current tree farmer in Twiggs County, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band during the height of their 1970s popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and long-time touring member of The Rolling Stones.
Politics
For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Twiggs County is part of Georgia's 8th congressional district, currently represented by Austin Scott. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Twiggs County is part of District 26.[22] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Twiggs County is part of District 133.[23]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 3 | 0.92% | 310 | 95.09% | 13 | 3.99% |
| 1916 | 15 | 3.75% | 365 | 91.25% | 20 | 5.00% |
| 1920 | 44 | 13.88% | 273 | 86.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 39 | 8.02% | 417 | 85.80% | 30 | 6.17% |
| 1928 | 74 | 11.47% | 571 | 88.53% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 15 | 2.26% | 646 | 97.29% | 3 | 0.45% |
| 1936 | 57 | 10.38% | 491 | 89.44% | 1 | 0.18% |
| 1940 | 91 | 11.18% | 723 | 88.82% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 170 | 27.11% | 457 | 72.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 55 | 6.75% | 359 | 44.05% | 401 | 49.20% |
| 1952 | 191 | 15.03% | 1,080 | 84.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 168 | 14.36% | 1,002 | 85.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 263 | 23.74% | 845 | 76.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,178 | 59.98% | 786 | 40.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 336 | 14.51% | 812 | 35.08% | 1,167 | 50.41% |
| 1972 | 1,363 | 55.05% | 1,113 | 44.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 513 | 16.94% | 2,515 | 83.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 747 | 25.07% | 2,213 | 74.26% | 20 | 0.67% |
| 1984 | 1,143 | 39.44% | 1,755 | 60.56% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 1,261 | 41.96% | 1,730 | 57.57% | 14 | 0.47% |
| 1992 | 853 | 25.15% | 2,097 | 61.82% | 442 | 13.03% |
| 1996 | 958 | 30.80% | 1,927 | 61.96% | 225 | 7.23% |
| 2000 | 1,570 | 43.43% | 1,977 | 54.69% | 68 | 1.88% |
| 2004 | 2,112 | 48.34% | 2,220 | 50.81% | 37 | 0.85% |
| 2008 | 2,087 | 46.15% | 2,402 | 53.12% | 33 | 0.73% |
| 2012 | 1,907 | 45.35% | 2,270 | 53.98% | 28 | 0.67% |
| 2016 | 2,035 | 50.14% | 1,971 | 48.56% | 53 | 1.31% |
| 2020 | 2,370 | 53.33% | 2,044 | 45.99% | 30 | 0.68% |
| 2024 | 2,549 | 57.20% | 1,895 | 42.53% | 12 | 0.27% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 2,313 | 52.80% | 1,981 | 45.22% | 87 | 1.99% |
| 2020 | 2,057 | 52.30% | 1,876 | 47.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 1,271 | 29.25% | 1,508 | 34.71% | 1,566 | 36.04% |
| 2020 | 2,370 | 53.69% | 2,044 | 46.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2022 | 1,886 | 53.40% | 1,601 | 45.33% | 45 | 1.27% |
| 2022 | 1,799 | 53.19% | 1,583 | 46.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 1,980 | 55.93% | 1,542 | 43.56% | 18 | 0.51% |