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Atkinson County, Georgia

Coordinates: 31°17′N 82°52′W / 31.29°N 82.87°W / 31.29; -82.87
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atkinson County, Georgia
County
Atkinson County Courthouse in Pearson
Atkinson County Courthouse in Pearson
Map of Georgia highlighting Atkinson County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°17′N 82°52′W / 31.29°N 82.87°W / 31.29; -82.87
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedAugust 15, 1917; 109 years ago (1917)
Named afterWilliam Yates Atkinson
SeatPearson
Largest cityPearson
Area
 • Total
345 sq mi (890 km2)
 • Land339 sq mi (880 km2)
 • Water5.2 sq mi (13 km2)  1.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
8,286
 • Estimate 
(2025)
8,454 Increase
 • Density24.4/sq mi (9.44/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district8th
Websiteatkinsoncounty.org

Atkinson County is a county located in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 8,286.[1] The county seat is Pearson.[2] The county was formed in 1917 from parts of Coffee and Clinch counties. It is named for William Yates Atkinson, Democratic governor of Georgia from 1894 to 1898.[3] In 2003, it had the highest illiteracy rate of any U.S. county at 36%.[4]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 345 square miles (890 km2), of which 339 square miles (880 km2) is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km2) (1.5%) is water.[5] Atkinson County forms a part of Southeast Georgia.[6]

The vast majority of Atkinson County is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. The entire narrow western border area, in a line parallel to the western border and running through Willacoochee, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. A small southeastern corner of the county is located in the Upper Suwannee River sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin.[7]

Adjacent counties

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Communities

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Cities

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Census-designated place

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Unincorporated communities

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  • Fales (portion)
  • Henderson Still
  • Kirkland
  • Leliaton
  • Little Utah
  • Mora (portion)
  • Oberry
  • Sandy Bottom
  • Stokesville (portion)

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19207,656—
19306,894−10.0%
19407,0932.9%
19507,3623.8%
19606,188−15.9%
19705,879−5.0%
19806,1414.5%
19906,2131.2%
20007,60922.5%
20108,37510.1%
20208,286−1.1%
2025 (est.)8,454[8] Increase2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1880[10] 1890-1910[11]
1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13]
1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15]
1980-2000[16] 2010-2019[17]

Racial and ethnic composition

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Atkinson County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[18] Pop 1990[19] Pop 2000[20] Pop 2010[21] Pop 2020[22] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 4,411 4,400 4,760 4,776 4,801 71.83% 70.82% 62.56% 57.03% 57.94%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,662 1,654 1,477 1,428 1,208 27.06% 26.62% 19.41% 17.05% 14.58%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 2 23 31 30 0.00% 0.03% 0.30% 0.37% 0.36%
Asian alone (NH) 11 3 9 17 12 0.18% 0.05% 0.12% 0.20% 0.14%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [23] x [24] 0 14 4 x x 0.00% 0.17% 0.05%
Other race alone (NH) 1 0 3 4 16 0.02% 0.00% 0.04% 0.05% 0.19%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [25] x [26] 47 66 167 x x 0.62% 0.79% 2.02%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 56 154 1,290 2,039 2,048 0.91% 2.48% 16.95% 24.35% 24.72%
Total 6,141 6,213 7,609 8,375 8,286 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Since the county's 1920 population of 7,656 residents, its population has fluctuated between more than 7,000 to a low of 6,213 in 1990; the lowest population for the county was 5,879 in 1970. By the 2020 census, its population increased to 8,286,ref name=":0">"2020 Race and Population Totals". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.</ref> although in 2010 its population reached a historic high of 8,375.[27]

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,286. Of the residents, 26.0% were under the age of 18 and 14.0% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.1 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[28][29][30]

The racial makeup of the county was 63.7% White, 14.6% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 12.5% from some other race, and 8.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 24.7% of the population.[30]

Non-Hispanic white residents made up 57.94% of the county-area population while the African American share declined to 14.58% in 2020, reflecting a shift from the 2010 distribution.[31] These changes mirrored nationwide trends toward greater racial and ethnic diversity noted after the 2020 census releases.[32][33]

There were 3,064 households in the county, of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[29]

There were 3,470 housing units, of which 11.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.8% were owner-occupied and 28.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%.[29]

2010 census

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According to the 2010 U.S. census, the racial makeup of the county was 62.2% white, 17.3% black or African American, 0.6% American Indian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.3% Asian, 17.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Altogether, those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 24.3% of the population.[27] In terms of ancestry, 16.1% were English, 16.0% were Irish, and 7.5% were American.[34]

In 2010, there were 3,522 housing units at an average density of 10.4 per square mile (4.0/km2).[35]

By 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $33,834 and the median income for a family was $34,859. Males had a median income of $29,286 versus $25,705 for females.[36]

2000 census

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In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $26,470, and the median income for a family was $32,688. Males had a median income of $24,763 versus $18,434 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,178.

American Community Survey

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In 2020, the county's median household income was an estimated $35,703 per the American Community Survey.[37] Families had a median income of $46,086; married-couple families $50,475; and nonfamily households $23,306. Among its 2022 population estimates, 27.5% of the county lived at or below the poverty line.[38]

As of 2022's American Community Survey, Atkinson County's 3,063 households had an average of 2.7 people per household. Approximately 66% were married couples, 6% male households and 17% female households. These households were spread throughout 3,494 housing units, and 67% were owner-occupied. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $77,100 with 62% of its properties valued at under $100,000.[39]

As part of the Bible Belt, the majority of the county's religious or spiritual population professed Christianity. Among the Christian population in 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives determined the largest single Christian denomination for Atkinson County was the Southern Baptist Convention, followed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church and United Methodist Church.[40] As a whole tradition, Pentecostalism encompassed the following, with Catholicism remaining a minority.

Education

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Main article: Pearson, Georgia § Education

Atkinson County is serviced along with Coffee County by the Satilla Regional Library System.[citation needed]

Politics

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United States presidential election results for Atkinson County, Georgia[41]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1920 119 20.80% 453 79.20% 0 0.00%
1924 25 5.73% 394 90.37% 17 3.90%
1928 121 25.69% 350 74.31% 0 0.00%
1932 41 5.17% 747 94.20% 5 0.63%
1936 29 2.94% 958 97.06% 0 0.00%
1940 66 8.57% 703 91.30% 1 0.13%
1944 90 10.51% 766 89.49% 0 0.00%
1948 66 5.89% 938 83.75% 116 10.36%
1952 194 11.06% 1,560 88.94% 0 0.00%
1956 122 6.63% 1,719 93.37% 0 0.00%
1960 239 15.55% 1,298 84.45% 0 0.00%
1964 1,157 58.76% 811 41.19% 1 0.05%
1968 288 11.39% 686 27.14% 1,554 61.47%
1972 924 74.94% 309 25.06% 0 0.00%
1976 347 18.20% 1,560 81.80% 0 0.00%
1980 747 33.62% 1,449 65.21% 26 1.17%
1984 944 51.17% 901 48.83% 0 0.00%
1988 1,126 55.60% 887 43.80% 12 0.59%
1992 779 35.65% 1,056 48.33% 350 16.02%
1996 784 42.94% 823 45.07% 219 11.99%
2000 1,228 59.30% 821 39.64% 22 1.06%
2004 1,666 67.37% 799 32.31% 8 0.32%
2008 1,941 66.77% 938 32.27% 28 0.96%
2012 1,938 66.67% 930 31.99% 39 1.34%
2016 1,878 71.95% 697 26.70% 35 1.34%
2020 2,300 72.90% 825 26.15% 30 0.95%
2024 2,350 76.87% 700 22.90% 7 0.23%
United States Senate election results for Atkinson County, Georgia2
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 2,272 73.36% 773 24.96% 52 1.68%
2020 1,925 72.78% 720 27.22% 0 0.00%
United States Senate election results for Atkinson County, Georgia3
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 1,038 34.66% 406 13.56% 1,551 51.79%
2020 1,926 72.73% 722 27.27% 0 0.00%
2022 1,709 76.36% 502 22.43% 27 1.21%
2022 1,524 75.86% 485 24.14% 0 0.00%
Georgia Gubernatorial election results for Atkinson County
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2022 1,767 78.67% 467 20.79% 12 0.53%

As of the 2020s, Atkinson County is a Republican stronghold, voting 77% for Donald Trump in 2024. Historically, Atkinson County has primarily voted for Democratic Party candidates in U.S. presidential elections up to 1960. Following Barry Goldwater's win in the county in 1964, it transitioned into a swing county until 2000. Since then, the county has remained reliably Republican.

For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Atkinson County is part of Georgia's 8th congressional district, currently represented by Austin Scott. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Atkinson County is part of District 8.[42] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Atkinson County is part of District 176.[43]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Atkinson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 8. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 14, 2004.
  4. ^ "State and County Literacy Estimates - State Estimates". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ^ "Southeast Georgia - Region 11". Georgia Department of Economic Development. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  7. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  8. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  9. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1880.
  11. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1910.
  12. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1930.
  13. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1940.
  14. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1950.
  15. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1980.
  16. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 2000.
  17. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  18. ^ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Georgia - Table 58 - Race by Sex: 1980 and Table 59 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 12-52. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2026 – via Wayback Machine.
  19. ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 15-65. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 1, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  20. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Atkinson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  21. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Atkinson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  22. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Atkinson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  23. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  24. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  25. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  26. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  27. ^ a b "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  28. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  29. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  30. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  31. ^ "2020 Race and Population Totals". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  32. ^ "America is becoming more urban, more diverse and less white, 2020 Census reveals". PBS NewsHour. August 12, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  33. ^ Wright, Janie Boschma, Daniel Wolfe, Priya Krishnakumar, Christopher Hickey, Meghna Maharishi, Renée Rigdon, John Keefe, David (August 12, 2021). "Census release shows America is more diverse and more multiracial than ever | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved December 28, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  35. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  36. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  37. ^ "2020 Income Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  38. ^ "2022 Poverty Statistics". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  39. ^ "Census profile: Atkinson County, GA". Census Reporter. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  40. ^ "Congregational Membership Reports | US Religion". Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  41. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  42. ^ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  43. ^ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
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31°17′N 82°52′W / 31.29°N 82.87°W / 31.29; -82.87

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atkinson_County,_Georgia&oldid=1349077792"