Greene County, Georgia

Greene County, Georgia
Greene County courthouse in Greensboro, Georgia
Location in the state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded	1786
Seat	Greensboro
Largest city	Greensboro
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	406.24 sq mi (1,052 km²) 388.28 sq mi (1,006 km²) 17.96 sq mi (47 km²), 4.42%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	15,994 37/sq mi (14/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	http://www.greenecountyga.gov/

Unidentified building near White Plains, Georgia, ca. 1941

Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 3, 1786. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,994. The county seat is Greensboro. The county is named for Nathanael Greene, an American Revolutionary War major general.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 406.24 square miles (1,052.2 km²), of which 388.28 square miles (1,005.6 km²) (or 95.58%) is land and 17.96 square miles (46.5 km²) (or 4.42%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate highways

• Interstate 20

U.S. highways

• U.S. Route 278

State routes

• State Route 12
• State Route 15
• State Route 44
• State Route 77
• State Route 402 (unsigned designation for I-20)

Adjacent counties

• Oglethorpe County (north)
• Taliaferro County (east)
• Hancock County (southeast)
• Putnam County (southwest)
• Morgan County (west)
• Oconee County (northwest)

National protected area

• Oconee National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	5,405		—
1800	10,761		99.1%
1810	11,679		8.5%
1820	13,589		16.4%
1830	12,549		−7.7%
1840	11,690		−6.8%
1850	13,068		11.8%
1860	12,652		−3.2%
1870	12,454		−1.6%
1880	17,547		40.9%
1890	17,051		−2.8%
1900	16,542		−3.0%
1910	18,512		11.9%
1920	18,972		2.5%
1930	12,616		−33.5%
1940	13,709		8.7%
1950	12,843		−6.3%
1960	11,193		−12.8%
1970	10,212		−8.8%
1980	11,391		11.5%
1990	11,793		3.5%
2000	14,406		22.2%
2010	15,994		11.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

At the 2000 census, there were 14,406 people, 5,477 households and 4,042 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 per square mile (14/km²). There were 6,653 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 52.95% White, 44.45% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.49% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 2.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,477 households of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 18.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 23.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.02.

25.10% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.50 males.

The median household income was $33,479 and the median family incomewas $39,794. Males had a median income of $31,295 versus $20,232 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,389. About 16.00% of families and 22.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.80% of those under age 18 and 20.20% of those age 65 or over.

Role in passage of Georgia Indigent Defense Act

In 2001, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Benham convened a committee to investigate indigent defense in the state of Georgia. An avalanche of complaints about the state of public defense in Greene County, along with a number of lawsuits filed by Stephen Bright and the Southern Center for Human Rights, contributed to the formation of this commission. The commission discovered during its investigation that indigent defendants in Greene County were routinely pled guilty by judges without the presence of counsel and sometimes without even being present in court to make their pleas, violations of the Sixth Amendment. Excessive bail, e.g. $50,000 for loitering, was often set as well, a violation of the Eight Amendment. After two years of investigation, the committee's recommendations led to the passage of the Georgia Indigent Defense Act.

Cities and towns

• Greensboro
• Scull Shoals
• Siloam
• Union Point
• White Plains
• Woodville

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Greene County, Georgia