Laurens County, Georgia

Laurens County, Georgia
Location in the state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded	December 10, 1807
Named for	John Laurens
Seat	Dublin
Largest city	Dublin
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	818.51 sq mi (2,120 km²) 812.27 sq mi (2,104 km²) 6.24 sq mi (16 km²), 0.76%
PopulationEst.  - (2005)  - Density	46,896 55/sq mi (21/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.laurenscoga.org/

Laurens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 10, 1807. As of 2000, the population was 44,874. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 47,520. The county seat is Dublin.

Laurens County is part of the Dublin Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Laurens County was formed on December 10, 1807, from portions of Wilkinson County and Washington County. The county was named for Colonel John Laurens, a soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 818.51 square miles (2,119.9 km²), of which 812.27 square miles (2,103.8 km²) (or 99.24%) is land and 6.24 square miles (16.2 km²) (or 0.76%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 16
• U.S. Highway 80
• U.S. Highway 319
• U.S. Highway 441
• Georgia State Route 19
• Georgia State Route 26
• Georgia State Route 29
• Georgia State Route 31
• Georgia State Route 86
• Georgia State Route 117
• Georgia State Route 128
• Georgia State Route 199
• Georgia State Route 257
• Georgia State Route 338

Adjacent counties

• Johnson County, Georgia – northeast
• Emanuel County, Georgia – northeast
• Treutlen County, Georgia – east
• Wheeler County, Georgia – south
• Dodge County, Georgia – southwest
• Bleckley County, Georgia – west
• Wilkinson County, Georgia – northwest
• Twiggs County, Georgia – northwest

See also: List of counties bordering eight or more counties

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 44,874 people, 17,083 households, and 12,180 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile (21 per km²). There were 19,687 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9 per km²). The racial makeup of the county was 63.44% White, 34.53% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 1.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 17,083 households out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.30% were married couples living together, 17.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.80% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,010, and the median income for a family was $38,586. Males had a median income of $29,412 versus $21,711 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,763. About 14.70% of families and 18.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.30% of those under age 18 and 18.90% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Allentown
• Cadwell
• Dexter
• Dublin
• Dudley
• East Dublin
• Lovett (Unincorporated)
• Montrose
• Rentz

See also

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