Wilcox County, Georgia
County in Georgia, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilcox County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,766.[1] The county seat is Abbeville.[2]
_(cropped).JPG)
Wilcox County, Georgia | |
|---|---|
Wilcox County Courthouse in Abbeville | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 31°58′N 83°26′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | December 22, 1857 |
| Named after | Mark Wilcox |
| Seat | Abbeville |
| Largest city | Abbeville |
| Area | |
• Total | 382 sq mi (990 km2) |
| • Land | 378 sq mi (980 km2) |
| • Water | 4.4 sq mi (11 km2) 1.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 8,766 |
• Estimate (2025) | 8,797  |
| • Density | 23/sq mi (8.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | www |
History
Wilcox County was formed on December 22, 1857, from parts of Irwin, Pulaski, and Dooly counties. The county was named for General Mark Wilcox, a Georgia state legislator and one of the founders of the Georgia Supreme Court.[3]
The first county courthouse was built in 1858; the present courthouse dates from 1903.[4]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 382 square miles (990 km2), of which 378 square miles (980 km2) is land and 4.4 square miles (11 km2) (1.2%) is water.[5]
The northern and eastern three-quarters of Wilcox County, from State Route 215 southeast to Rochelle, then due south, are located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The southwestern portion of the county, west of Rochelle, and roughly centered on Pitts, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin.[6]
Adjacent counties
- Pulaski County - north
- Dodge County - east
- Telfair County - east
- Ben Hill County - south
- Turner County - southwest
- Crisp County - west
- Dooly County - northwest
Major highways
Communities
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 2,115 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,439 | 15.3% | |
| 1880 | 3,109 | 27.5% | |
| 1890 | 7,980 | 156.7% | |
| 1900 | 11,097 | 39.1% | |
| 1910 | 13,486 | 21.5% | |
| 1920 | 15,511 | 15.0% | |
| 1930 | 13,439 | −13.4% | |
| 1940 | 12,755 | −5.1% | |
| 1950 | 10,167 | −20.3% | |
| 1960 | 7,905 | −22.2% | |
| 1970 | 6,998 | −11.5% | |
| 1980 | 7,682 | 9.8% | |
| 1990 | 7,008 | −8.8% | |
| 2000 | 8,577 | 22.4% | |
| 2010 | 9,255 | 7.9% | |
| 2020 | 8,766 | −5.3% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 8,797 | [7] | 0.4% |
| 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] 2020[17] | |||
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[18] | Pop 1990[19] | Pop 2000[20] | Pop 2010[21] | Pop 2020[17] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 5,207 | 4,745 | 5,299 | 5,544 | 5,185 | 67.78% | 67.71% | 61.78% | 59.90% | 59.15% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,418 | 2,222 | 3,091 | 3,233 | 3,096 | 31.48% | 31.71% | 36.04% | 34.93% | 35.32% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 0 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 0.00% | 0.13% | 0.09% | 0.16% | 0.03% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2 | 2 | 14 | 41 | 49 | 0.03% | 0.03% | 0.16% | 0.44% | 0.56% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [22] | x [23] | 1 | 1 | 3 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 9 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.13% | 0.10% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [24] | x [25] | 25 | 71 | 149 | x | x | 0.29% | 0.77% | 1.70% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 55 | 30 | 139 | 338 | 272 | 0.72% | 0.43% | 1.62% | 3.65% | 3.10% |
| Total | 7,682 | 7,008 | 8,577 | 9,255 | 8,766 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,766, 2,811 households, and 1,807 families residing in the county.[26][27] The median age was 42.3 years, 17.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 18.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 144.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 152.1 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[26]
The racial makeup of the county was 59.9% White, 35.4% Black or African American, 0.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.1% of the population.[28]
There were 2,811 households in the county, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[27]
There were 3,440 housing units, of which 18.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.0% were owner-occupied and 25.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%.[27]
Education
The county is served by Wilcox County Schools. The district headquarters are in Abbeville and the schools, including Wilcox County High School, are in Rochelle.
Notable event
Politics
As of the 2020s, Wilcox County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 74% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Wilcox County is part of Georgia's 8th congressional district, currently represented by Austin Scott. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Wilcox County is part of District 20.[30] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Wilcox County is part of District 148.[31]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 29 | 5.10% | 525 | 92.27% | 15 | 2.64% |
| 1916 | 58 | 8.79% | 590 | 89.39% | 12 | 1.82% |
| 1920 | 106 | 18.06% | 481 | 81.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 21 | 4.29% | 431 | 87.96% | 38 | 7.76% |
| 1928 | 216 | 32.00% | 459 | 68.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 25 | 3.88% | 619 | 95.97% | 1 | 0.16% |
| 1936 | 195 | 15.44% | 1,066 | 84.40% | 2 | 0.16% |
| 1940 | 118 | 11.60% | 890 | 87.51% | 9 | 0.88% |
| 1944 | 206 | 13.12% | 1,364 | 86.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 75 | 6.73% | 791 | 70.94% | 249 | 22.33% |
| 1952 | 301 | 13.81% | 1,878 | 86.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 232 | 12.10% | 1,686 | 87.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 306 | 15.15% | 1,714 | 84.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,794 | 66.59% | 900 | 33.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 381 | 14.28% | 465 | 17.43% | 1,822 | 68.29% |
| 1972 | 1,863 | 85.54% | 315 | 14.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 346 | 13.85% | 2,153 | 86.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 827 | 31.44% | 1,780 | 67.68% | 23 | 0.87% |
| 1984 | 1,218 | 50.12% | 1,212 | 49.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 1,235 | 53.26% | 1,079 | 46.53% | 5 | 0.22% |
| 1992 | 916 | 33.64% | 1,365 | 50.13% | 442 | 16.23% |
| 1996 | 882 | 41.56% | 1,067 | 50.28% | 173 | 8.15% |
| 2000 | 1,381 | 58.39% | 962 | 40.68% | 22 | 0.93% |
| 2004 | 1,705 | 65.18% | 902 | 34.48% | 9 | 0.34% |
| 2008 | 2,159 | 68.24% | 978 | 30.91% | 27 | 0.85% |
| 2012 | 2,053 | 65.55% | 1,060 | 33.84% | 19 | 0.61% |
| 2016 | 2,096 | 70.43% | 852 | 28.63% | 28 | 0.94% |
| 2020 | 2,402 | 73.25% | 861 | 26.26% | 16 | 0.49% |
| 2024 | 2,493 | 74.48% | 847 | 25.31% | 7 | 0.21% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 2,369 | 73.34% | 805 | 24.92% | 56 | 1.73% |
| 2020 | 2,085 | 73.21% | 763 | 26.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 1,155 | 35.90% | 538 | 16.72% | 1,524 | 47.37% |
| 2020 | 2,403 | 73.60% | 862 | 26.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2022 | 1,947 | 74.51% | 644 | 24.65% | 22 | 0.84% |
| 2022 | 1,765 | 74.16% | 615 | 25.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 1,998 | 76.23% | 613 | 23.39% | 10 | 0.38% |