Haralson County, Georgia

Haralson County, Georgia
Former Haralson County Courthouse in Buchanan, Georgia
Location in the state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded	January 26, 1856
Seat	Buchanan
Largest city	Bremen
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	283.16 sq mi (733 km²) 282.11 sq mi (731 km²) 1.05 sq mi (3 km²), 0.37%
PopulationEst.  - (2006)  - Density	28,616 91/sq mi (35/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4

Haralson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on January 26, 1856 and was named for Hugh A. Haralson. As of 2000, the population was 25,690. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 28,718. The county seat is Buchanan.

It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area (Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area).

History

The history of the county is told through various online exhibits of the Haralson County Historical Society.

Law/Government

The county was originally governed by a sole Commissioner of Roads and Revenues. The last occupant of this office was Charles Sanders (D). The county is now governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners, which replaced the single-commissioner form beginning with the term starting in January 2005. The Chairman of the Board is elected county-wide. The current occupant of this office is Allen Poole (R), who had previously come close to winning election in the single-commissioner era. There are four other commissioners, one elected from each of four geographical districts. The current occupants of these offices are District 1's Eric Robinson (R), District 2's Bob Birky (R), District 3's Vance Posey (D) and District 4's Sammy Lewis Robinson (D). The current sheriff of Haralson County is Eddie Mixon. Judge J. Edward "Eddie" Hulsey, Jr. is the current probate judge.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 283.16 square miles (733.4 km²), of which 282.11 square miles (730.7 km²) (or 99.63%) is land and 1.05 square miles (2.7 km²) (or 0.37%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 20
• U.S. Route 27
• U.S. Route 78
• State Route 1
• State Route 8
• State Route 16
• State Route 100
• State Route 113
• State Route 120

Adjacent counties

• Polk County, Georgia - north
• Paulding County, Georgia - northeast
• Carroll County, Georgia - south
• Cleburne County, Alabama - west

Economy

The Haralson County Chamber of Commerce represents many businesses operating in the county. The Haralson County Development Authority is concerned with economic development. A quantitative economic history of the county between 1969 and 2003 appears here.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 25,690 people, 9,826 households, and 7,192 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile (35/km²). There were 10,719 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.97% White, 5.40% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,826 households out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 23.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.10% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,656, and the median income for a family was $38,373. Males had a median income of $31,816 versus $20,821 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,823. About 11.40% of families and 15.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.10% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the county is largely provided by the Haralson_County_School_District. However, the City of Bremen, which straddles the border of Haralson and Carroll Counties, operates the independent Bremen_City_School_District.

Cities and towns

• Bremen
• Buchanan
• Budapest
• Draketown
• Felton
• Tallapoosa
• Waco

See also

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