Oconee County, Georgia
| Oconee County, Georgia | |
 Oconee County Courthouse in Watkinsville
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 Location in the state of Georgia |
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 Georgia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1875 |
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| Seat | Watkinsville |
| Largest city | Watkinsville |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
186.14 sq mi (482 km²) 185.70 sq mi (481 km²) 0.44 sq mi (1 km²), |
| PopulationEst. - (2007) - Density |
31,367 141/sq mi (55/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
Oconee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 25, 1875. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,808.[1]The county seat is Watkinsville.[2]
Oconee County is included in the Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Progressive Farmer rated Oconee County as third best in the list of 2006 "Best Places to Live" in the U.S., one of two places to place in the top ten two years running.
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[edit] History
Oconee County was created from the southwestern part of Clarke County in 1875 by the Georgia General Assembly. The new county was created to satisfy southwestern Clarke County residents' demand for their own county after the county seat was moved from Watkinsville to Athens by the General Assembly in 1872. It is named for the river flowing along part of its eastern border.[3]
[edit] Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 186.37 square miles (482.7 km2), of which 184.29 square miles (477.3 km2) (or 98.88%) is land and 2.08 square miles (5.4 km2) (or 1.12%) is water.[4]
[edit] Major highways
U.S. Highway 29
U.S. Highway 78- U.S. Route 78 Business (Athens, Georgia)
U.S. Highway 129
U.S. Highway 441
Georgia State Route 8
Georgia State Route 10
Georgia State Route 10 Loop/Georgia State Route 422
Georgia State Route 15
Georgia State Route 24
Georgia State Route 53
Georgia State Route 186
Georgia State Route 316
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Clarke County (north)
- Oglethorpe County (east)
- Greene County (southeast)
- Morgan County (south)
- Walton County (west)
- Barrow County (northwest)
[edit] National protected area
- Oconee National Forest (part)
- Ebenezer Falls
- Mt. Ruby
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 26,225 people, 9,051 households, and 7,322 families residing in the county. The population density was 55/km² (141/mi²). There were 9,528 housing units at an average density of 20/km² (51/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.58% White, 6.42% Black or African American, 1.43% Asian, 0.18% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 3.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,051 households out of which 44.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.80% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.10% were non-families. 15.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the county the population was spread out with 30.20% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 8.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,211, and the median income for a family was $61,502. Males had a median income of $41,223 versus $27,271 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,153. About 4.90% of families and 6.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.40% of those under age 18 and 11.40% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
Oconee County is governed by a four-member Board of Commissioners, which holds legislative power. The Board is led by a separately-elected Chairman, who holds executive power. The Board is vested with budget and taxing authority, ordinance making authority, and control of county property, roads and facilities. The chairman and all members of the board are elected from at-large districts (called "posts") to staggered terms of four years.[6]
The Chairman of the Board is the county's Chief Executive Officer who, in consultation with the Commissioners, appoints officers and staff as needed to administer the responsibilities of the Board.[6]
The current members of the Board are:
- Chairman: Melvin Davis
- Post 1: Jim Luke
- Post 2: John Daniell
- Post 3: Margaret Hale
- Post 4: Chuck Horton
The judicial branch of government is administered through the Georgia court system.
Primary law enforcement services in the portion of the county outside the City of Watkinsville are provided by the Sheriff's office. (Law enforcement within the Watkinsville City Limits is the jurisdiction of the Watkinsville Police Department.)[7] The office of Sheriff is an elected position; since 1992, the office has been held by Scott Berry.[8] Berry is also the current President of the Georgia Sheriff's Association.[9].
[edit] Education
[edit] Oconee County School District
The Oconee County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools.[10] The district has 361 full-time teachers and over 5,615 students.[11]
[edit] Private Education
There are currently three private schools located in Oconee County. They are:
[edit] Colleges and Universities
Gainesville State College maintains a satellite campus near Watkinsville.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Residents of Note
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2011) |
- R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe and former drummer Bill Berry
- Country Music Star and Pro Golfer Colt Ford
- Country Music Star John Berry
- Zaxby's founders Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley
- University of Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt
[edit] See also
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[edit] References
- ^ "Census 2010 Population Map". United States Census. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Oconee County Chamber of Commerce, "History of Oconee County"
- ^ "Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_counties_13.txt. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b Oconee County BOC website
- ^ Official Oconee County Newcomer's Guide, 2011
- ^ Official Oconee County Sheriff's Website
- ^ Georgia Sheriff's Association website
- ^ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 24, 2010.
[edit] External links
- The Official Oconee County Tourism Website
- The Oconee Leader
- Oconee County Georgia's Official Government Website
- Oconee County School System
- Best Places to Live in 2006 from the Progressive Farmer website
- Oconee County News
- Oconee County Business Directory
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Barrow County | Clarke County | |
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| Walton County |  |
Oglethorpe County | ||
 Oconee County, Georgia  |
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| Morgan County | Greene County |
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