Ware County, Georgia
County in Georgia, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ware County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,251.[1] The county seat and only incorporated place is Waycross.[2] Ware County is part of the Waycross, Georgia micropolitan statistical area.
Ware County, Georgia | |
|---|---|
Ware County Courthouse in Waycross | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 31°03′N 82°25′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | December 15, 1824 |
| Named after | Nicholas Ware |
| Seat | Waycross |
| Largest city | Waycross |
| Area | |
• Total | 908 sq mi (2,350 km2) |
| • Land | 892 sq mi (2,310 km2) |
| • Water | 16 sq mi (41 km2) 1.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 36,251 |
| • Density | 41/sq mi (16/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | warecountyga.gov |
History
Ware County, Georgia's 60th county, was created on December 15, 1824, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly from land that was originally part of Appling County.
The county is named for Nicholas Ware, the mayor of Augusta, Georgia from (1819–1821) and United States Senator who represented Georgia from 1821 until his death in 1824.
Several counties were later created from parts of the original Ware County borders:
- Bacon County (from portions of Appling, Pierce, and Ware counties in 1917)
- Charlton County (from portions of Camden and Ware county in 1854)
- Clinch County (from portions of Lowndes and Ware counties in 1850)
- Coffee County (from portions of Clinch, Irwin, Telfair, and Ware counties in 1854)
- Pierce County (from portions of Appling and Ware counties in 1857)
Ware County was home to Laura S. Walker (1861–1955) a noted author and conservationist. Walker promoted a comprehensive program of forestry activity, including the establishment of forest parks. She erected markers and monuments along old trails and at historic sites, in Waycross and Ware County so that local history would not be forgotten. Walker wrote three books about the land and history of her home. They are: History of Ware County, Georgia[3] About "Old Okefenåok"[4] and Doctors of Primitive Times and Horse and Buggy Days of Ware County.[5]
An effort to recognize her work culminated in President Franklin D. Roosevelt issuing a proclamation to establish the Laura S. Walker National Park, located in Ware County, in her honor. She was the only living person for whom a state or national park was named.[6] In 1937, the federal government purchased distressed farmland for the park.[7][8] Work on the park was undertaken by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1941, the national park was deeded over to Georgia, becoming the State's 13th state park.[8]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 908 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 892 square miles (2,310 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (1.7%) is water.[9] It is the largest county in Georgia by area. A large portion of the county lies within the Okefenokee Swamp and its federally protected areas.
More than half of Ware County, made up by the western half of the southern portion of the county, the land bridge to the northern portion of the county, and the southern and western portion of the northern section of the county, is located in the Upper Suwannee River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The eastern half of the southern portion of Ware County is located in the St. Marys River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. The rest of the county, from just southeast to north and west of Waycross, is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the same St. Marys-Satilla River basin.[10]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Bacon County - north
- Pierce County - east
- Brantley County - east
- Charlton County - southeast
- Baker County, Florida - south
- Clinch County - west
- Atkinson County - west
- Coffee County - northwest
National protected area
Communities
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 1,205 | — | |
| 1840 | 2,323 | 92.8% | |
| 1850 | 3,888 | 67.4% | |
| 1860 | 2,200 | −43.4% | |
| 1870 | 2,286 | 3.9% | |
| 1880 | 4,159 | 81.9% | |
| 1890 | 8,811 | 111.9% | |
| 1900 | 13,761 | 56.2% | |
| 1910 | 22,957 | 66.8% | |
| 1920 | 28,361 | 23.5% | |
| 1930 | 26,558 | −6.4% | |
| 1940 | 27,929 | 5.2% | |
| 1950 | 30,289 | 8.4% | |
| 1960 | 34,219 | 13.0% | |
| 1970 | 33,525 | −2.0% | |
| 1980 | 37,180 | 10.9% | |
| 1990 | 35,471 | −4.6% | |
| 2000 | 35,483 | 0.0% | |
| 2010 | 36,312 | 2.3% | |
| 2020 | 36,251 | −0.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 36,222 | [11]  | −0.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790-1880[13] 1890-1910[14] 1920-1930[15] 1930-1940[16] 1940-1950[17] 1960-1980[18] 1980-2000[19] 2010[20] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 22,275 | 61.45% |
| Black or African American | 10,703 | 29.52% |
| Native American | 77 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 333 | 0.92% |
| Pacific Islander | 18 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,233 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,612 | 4.45% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 36,251 and 8,909 families residing in the county. The median age was 39.8 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.5 males age 18 and over. 67.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 32.1% lived in rural areas.[22][23][24]
The racial makeup of the county was 62.4% White, 29.7% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.4% from some other race, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.4% of the population.[24]
There were 13,651 households in the county, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 33.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[23]
There were 15,858 housing units, of which 13.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 62.2% were owner-occupied and 37.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.7%.[23]
Education
High schools
- Ware County High School, Waycross
Middle schools
- Ware County Middle School, Waycross
- Waycross Middle School, Waycross
Elementary schools
- Wacona Elementary School, Waycross
- Center Elementary School, Waycross
- Williams Heights Elementary School, Waycross
- Memorial Drive Elementary School, Waycross
- Ruskin Elementary School, Waycross
- Waresboro Elementary School, Waycross
Preschools
- DAFFODIL Preschool, Waycross
Private schools
- Southside Christian School
Higher education
- South Georgia State College, Waycross
- Coastal Pines Technical College, Waycross
Politics
As of the 2020s, Ware County is a Republican stronghold, voting 71% for Donald Trump in 2024. Ware County has favored the Republican Party in recent presidential elections, although it was a strongly Democratic Solid South county until the 1980s. In the 1992 election, Ware County gave Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George H. W. Bush an exact tie, the most recent time in American history a county was tied between the two major party presidential candidates.
For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Ware County is part of Georgia's 1st congressional district, currently represented by Buddy Carter. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Ware County is part of districts 3 and 8.[25] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Ware County is part of districts 174 and 176.[26]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 201 | 36.28% | 353 | 63.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1884 | 179 | 32.90% | 365 | 67.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1888 | 186 | 32.52% | 369 | 64.51% | 17 | 2.97% |
| 1892 | 262 | 23.06% | 775 | 68.22% | 99 | 8.71% |
| 1896 | 330 | 36.11% | 545 | 59.63% | 39 | 4.27% |
| 1900 | 107 | 15.11% | 601 | 84.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1904 | 158 | 19.46% | 635 | 78.20% | 19 | 2.34% |
| 1908 | 190 | 18.85% | 771 | 76.49% | 47 | 4.66% |
| 1912 | 39 | 3.66% | 972 | 91.27% | 54 | 5.07% |
| 1916 | 59 | 4.69% | 1,066 | 84.74% | 133 | 10.57% |
| 1920 | 215 | 19.27% | 901 | 80.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 216 | 10.82% | 1,497 | 75.00% | 283 | 14.18% |
| 1928 | 1,339 | 48.60% | 1,416 | 51.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 205 | 7.53% | 2,504 | 91.96% | 14 | 0.51% |
| 1936 | 256 | 9.06% | 2,566 | 90.77% | 5 | 0.18% |
| 1940 | 308 | 10.31% | 2,672 | 89.48% | 6 | 0.20% |
| 1944 | 459 | 16.59% | 2,306 | 83.34% | 2 | 0.07% |
| 1948 | 655 | 14.09% | 2,611 | 56.15% | 1,384 | 29.76% |
| 1952 | 2,418 | 30.06% | 5,627 | 69.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,276 | 27.88% | 5,888 | 72.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,235 | 30.47% | 5,099 | 69.53% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 4,948 | 48.81% | 5,189 | 51.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,047 | 20.07% | 2,255 | 22.11% | 5,895 | 57.81% |
| 1972 | 6,578 | 79.23% | 1,724 | 20.77% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,661 | 25.64% | 7,719 | 74.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 3,715 | 36.65% | 6,307 | 62.22% | 115 | 1.13% |
| 1984 | 5,547 | 55.57% | 4,435 | 44.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 4,819 | 52.59% | 4,292 | 46.84% | 52 | 0.57% |
| 1992 | 4,573 | 43.87% | 4,573 | 43.87% | 1,278 | 12.26% |
| 1996 | 4,746 | 49.55% | 4,171 | 43.54% | 662 | 6.91% |
| 2000 | 6,099 | 63.35% | 3,480 | 36.14% | 49 | 0.51% |
| 2004 | 7,790 | 68.99% | 3,449 | 30.55% | 52 | 0.46% |
| 2008 | 8,311 | 66.83% | 4,034 | 32.44% | 91 | 0.73% |
| 2012 | 7,941 | 66.44% | 3,900 | 32.63% | 112 | 0.94% |
| 2016 | 8,513 | 69.87% | 3,440 | 28.23% | 231 | 1.90% |
| 2020 | 9,903 | 69.79% | 4,169 | 29.38% | 117 | 0.82% |
| 2024 | 10,279 | 71.03% | 4,068 | 28.11% | 125 | 0.86% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 9,773 | 69.91% | 3,937 | 28.16% | 269 | 1.92% |
| 2020 | 8,498 | 69.64% | 3,704 | 30.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 5,305 | 38.60% | 1,748 | 12.72% | 6,690 | 48.68% |
| 2020 | 9,865 | 70.08% | 4,211 | 29.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2022 | 7,567 | 70.69% | 2,976 | 27.80% | 161 | 1.50% |
| 2022 | 7,005 | 71.00% | 2,861 | 29.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 7,855 | 73.06% | 2,828 | 26.30% | 69 | 0.64% |
