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Wheeler_County,_Georgia Latitude and Longitude:

32°07′N 82°43′W / 32.12°N 82.72°W / 32.12; -82.72
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wheeler County
Wheeler County Courthouse (built 1917), Alamo
Wheeler County Courthouse (built 1917), Alamo
Map of Georgia highlighting Wheeler County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°07′N 82°43′W / 32.12°N 82.72°W / 32.12; -82.72
Country United States
State  Georgia
FoundedNovember 5, 1912; 112 years ago (1912)
Named for Joseph Wheeler
Seat Alamo
Largest cityAlamo
Area
 • Total300 sq mi (800 km2)
 • Land295 sq mi (760 km2)
 • Water4.8 sq mi (12 km2)  1.6%
Population
 ( 2020)
 • Total7,471
 • Density25/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 ( Eastern)
 • Summer ( DST) UTC−4 ( EDT)
Congressional district 12th
Website wheelercounty.georgia.gov

Wheeler County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,471. [1] The county seat is Alamo. [2] The county is one of the most impoverished counties in the nation. The American Community Survey's 2009–2013 average reports that the county's per-capita income of $8,948 makes it the poorest county in the United States by this metric. [3] The measurement however is misleading as Wheeler County is the site of Wheeler Correctional Facility, a large prison with a capacity of 2,874 prisoners, [4] about 40 percent of the county's total population. Most prisoners have little income. The prison was opened in 1998 and the prison population may also account for the increased population of the county in the early 2000s. [5]

History

Wheeler County is named after Confederate General Joseph Wheeler. [6] The constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed August 14, 1912, and ratified November 5, 1912.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 300 square miles (780 km2), of which 295 square miles (760 km2) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km2) (1.6%) is water. [7]

The eastern portion of Wheeler County, defined by a line running from north of Alamo to the southern border of the county, due south of Mount Vernon, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The bulk of the rest of the county is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin, except for a small southern portion of Wheeler County, east of Lumber City, which is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the larger Altamaha River basin. [8]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Communities

City

Town

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.Note
19209,817
19309,149−6.8%
19408,535−6.7%
19506,712−21.4%
19605,342−20.4%
19704,596−14.0%
19805,15512.2%
19904,903−4.9%
20006,17926.0%
20107,42120.1%
20207,4710.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]
1790-1880 [10] 1890-1910 [11]
1920-1930 [12] 1930-1940 [13]
1940-1950 [14] 1960-1980 [15]
1980-2000 [16] 2010 [17]
Wheeler County racial composition as of 2020 [18]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 4,157 55.64%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,875 38.48%
Native American 9 0.12%
Asian 17 0.23%
Other/Mixed 141 1.89%
Hispanic or Latino 272 3.64%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,471 people, 1,862 households, and 1,159 families residing in the county.

Politics

United States presidential election results for Wheeler County, Georgia [19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 1,583 69.28% 689 30.15% 13 0.57%
2016 1,421 67.60% 646 30.73% 35 1.67%
2012 1,366 63.09% 772 35.66% 27 1.25%
2008 1,408 63.60% 794 35.86% 12 0.54%
2004 1,192 58.03% 847 41.24% 15 0.73%
2000 813 51.62% 752 47.75% 10 0.63%
1996 460 33.90% 751 55.34% 146 10.76%
1992 601 35.37% 880 51.80% 218 12.83%
1988 709 51.64% 658 47.92% 6 0.44%
1984 833 51.84% 774 48.16% 0 0.00%
1980 550 25.16% 1,599 73.15% 37 1.69%
1976 344 19.98% 1,378 80.02% 0 0.00%
1972 1,093 78.80% 294 21.20% 0 0.00%
1968 251 15.00% 488 29.17% 934 55.83%
1964 849 46.42% 980 53.58% 0 0.00%
1960 226 18.90% 970 81.10% 0 0.00%
1956 149 13.06% 992 86.94% 0 0.00%
1952 261 16.94% 1,280 83.06% 0 0.00%
1948 39 4.41% 560 63.28% 286 32.32%
1944 151 22.60% 517 77.40% 0 0.00%
1940 117 19.02% 495 80.49% 3 0.49%
1936 94 13.64% 594 86.21% 1 0.15%
1932 29 2.51% 1,127 97.41% 1 0.09%
1928 101 24.46% 312 75.54% 0 0.00%
1924 0 0.00% 772 88.84% 97 11.16%
1920 101 22.39% 350 77.61% 0 0.00%
1916 40 9.03% 372 83.97% 31 7.00%

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Wheeler County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ United States counties by per capita income
  4. ^ "Georgia Department of Corrections". Georgia Department of Corrections. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "Wheeler Correctional Facility". Correctional Corporation of America. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  6. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 251. ISBN  0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2003.
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  11. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
  12. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  13. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  14. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  15. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  16. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  17. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 27, 2014.[ permanent dead link]
  18. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 24, 2018.

32°07′N 82°43′W / 32.12°N 82.72°W / 32.12; -82.72