Metter, Georgia

Metter, Georgia, USA
City
Location in Candler County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Candler
Government
• Mayor:	Billy Trapnell
• Preceded By:	Paul Williams
Area
• Total	7.4 sq mi (7.4 km2)
• Land	7.3 sq mi (7.3 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	220 ft (67 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	3,879
• Density	529.8/sq mi (529.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30439
Area code	912
FIPS code	13-51072Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	0318060Template:GR

Metter is a city in Candler County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,879 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Candler CountyTemplate:GR.

Geography

File:MetterGeorgiaCandlerCountyCourthouse.jpg

Candler County Courthouse located in Metter.

Downtown view of Metter. A tree shaded park is to the left.

Part of the Christmas display at Guido Gardens.

Part of the Christmas display at Guido Gardens looking towards the parking lot from inside the grounds.

A metal work fountain of herons located in the tree shaded park downtown.

A view across the central, downtown parking area.

Metter is located at 32°23′47″N 82°3′45″W (32.396253, -82.062414)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.1 km²), of which, 7.3 square miles (19.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.95%) is water.

Longtime residents use the slogan "Everything's Better in Metter." It appears on license plates and bumper stickers, and residents generally seem to agree that it's true; Metter is relatively prosperous as compared to other towns its size in southern Georgia.

It is also home to the state champion Metter Tigers and other nearby teams like the the David Emanuel Academy Eagles in the nearby town of Stillmore, GA.

Located on I-16 which connects Savannah and Macon, Metter is located about half way between Savannah and Dublin and shares with Dublin the distinction of being one of the few highly developed interchanges on I-16, with numerous restaurants and gas stations. A short, tree-lined parkway leads to the downtown area, which is pleasantly well-preserved and is a nice (but not Disneyfied) example of small town America.

Metter may be best known as the home of "The Sower", Michael Guido, who has delivered short evangelical PSAs on late-night television nationwide for decades. His studios are located here at Guido Gardens where a large holiday light show takes place each Christmas season. The multiple camera angles and delightful introduction music in his commercials are of high acclaim.

Another prominent event in Metter is Another Bloomin Festival, an arts and crafts festival held the day before Easter. Impressively, the festival draws thousands of out-of-town residents, who flock to enjoy homemade desserts, BBQ, and crafts. In addition, it serves as a bit of a homecoming celebration for former residents who have returned to celebrate the holiday with their families.

Metter seems to have prospered from the growth of nearby Statesboro (home of Georgia Southern University), 20 miles away, and Savannah, 65 miles away. Easy interstate access makes it a viable option as a bedroom community, and indeed, numerous residents work in these cities and take advantage of the very affordable housing prices in this tree-lined city.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,879 people, 1,371 households, and 919 families residing in the city. The population density was 529.8 people per square mile (204.6/km²). There were 1,522 housing units at an average density of 207.9/sq mi (80.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.04% White, 40.99% African American, 0.44% Asian, 3.07% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.26% of the population.

There were 1,371 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% 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 3.16.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,288, and the median income for a family was $28,073. Males had a median income of $24,935 versus $18,311 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,308. About 26.5% of families and 33.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 57.7% of those under age 18 and 28.6% of those age 65 or over.