Jefferson County, Georgia - Wikipedia

County in Georgia, United States Not to be confused with Jefferson, Georgia or Jeffersonville, Georgia. County in Georgia

Jefferson County, Georgia
County
County courthouse in Louisville
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°03′N 82°25′W / 33.05°N 82.42°W / 33.05; -82.42
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	February 20, 1796; 229 years ago (1796-02-20)
Named after	Thomas Jefferson
Seat	Louisville
Largest city	Louisville
Area
• Total	530 sq mi (1,400 km2)
• Land	526 sq mi (1,360 km2)
• Water	3.2 sq mi (8.3 km2)  0.6%
Population (2020)
• Total	15,709
• Estimate (2024)	15,019
• Density	29.9/sq mi (11.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	12th
Website	Jefferson County, Georgia

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,709.[1] The county seat and largest city is Louisville.[2] The county was created on February 20, 1796, and named for Thomas Jefferson, the main author of the Declaration of Independence who became the third president of the United States.[3]

Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 530 square miles (1,400 km2), of which 526 square miles (1,360 km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) (0.6%) is water.[4]

The small northern portion of Jefferson County, defined by a line running from Stapleton southeast and just south of State Route 80, is located in the Brier Creek sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. The entire rest of the county is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.[5]

Major highways

[edit]

• US 1 / SR 4
  • US 1 Bus. (Wadley)
  • US 1 Bus. (Louisville)
• US 221
• US 319
• SR 17
• SR 24
• SR 47
• SR 78
• SR 80
• SR 88
• SR 102
• SR 171
• SR 242
• SR 296
• SR 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Adjacent counties

[edit]

• McDuffie County - north
• Richmond County - northeast
• Burke County - east
• Emanuel County - south
• Johnson County - southwest
• Glascock County - northwest
• Washington County - west
• Warren County - northwest

Communities

[edit]

Cities

[edit]

• Avera
• Louisville (county seat)
• Stapleton
• Wadley
• Wrens

Towns

[edit]

• Bartow

Census-designated place

[edit]

• Matthews

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	5,684	—
1810	6,111	7.5%
1820	7,056	15.5%
1830	7,309	3.6%
1840	7,254	−0.8%
1850	9,131	25.9%
1860	10,219	11.9%
1870	12,190	19.3%
1880	15,671	28.6%
1890	17,213	9.8%
1900	18,212	5.8%
1910	21,379	17.4%
1920	22,602	5.7%
1930	20,727	−8.3%
1940	20,040	−3.3%
1950	18,855	−5.9%
1960	17,468	−7.4%
1970	17,174	−1.7%
1980	18,403	7.2%
1990	17,408	−5.4%
2000	17,266	−0.8%
2010	16,930	−1.9%
2020	15,709	−7.2%
2024 (est.)	15,019	[6]	−4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]1790-1880[8] 1890-1910[9] 1920-1930[10] 1930-1940[11] 1940-1950[12] 1960-1980[13] 1980-2000[14] 2010[15] 2020[16]

Jefferson County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic compositionNote: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[17]	Pop 2010[15]	Pop 2020[16]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	7,215	7,015	6,834	41.79%	41.44%	43.50%
Black or African American alone (NH)	9,663	9,187	7,970	55.97%	54.26%	50.74%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	21	18	21	0.12%	0.11%	0.13%
Asian alone (NH)	27	64	70	0.16%	0.38%	0.45%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	2	0	0.01%	0.01%	0.00%
Other race alone (NH)	16	13	25	0.09%	0.08%	0.16%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	64	114	327	0.37%	0.67%	2.08%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	259	517	462	1.50%	3.05%	2.94%
Total	17,266	16,930	15,709	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 15,709. The median age was 43.4 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.1 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[18][19][20]

The racial makeup of the county was 44.2% White, 50.8% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.7% from some other race, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.9% of the population.[20]

There were 6,170 households, including 3,598 families, in the county, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 36.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]

There were 7,148 housing units, of which 13.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 66.9% were owner-occupied and 33.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.0%.[19]

Education

[edit]

There is one school district in the county: Jefferson County School District, which has its boundaries paralleling that of the county.[21]

Politics

[edit]

The county has been depopulating since 1980, and the Democratic Party vote share has fluctuated since then. Jefferson County leans Democratic in presidential elections; it voted for Democrats in every presidential election from 1992 to 2020. In 2024, Donald Trump became the first Republican since George H. W. Bush in 1988 to carry the county. It is now a Democratic-leaning swing county.

For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Jefferson County is part of Georgia's 12th congressional district, currently represented by Rick Allen. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Jefferson County is part of District 23.[22] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Jefferson County is part of District 132.[23]

United States presidential election results for Jefferson County, Georgia[24]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1912	45	3.31%	899	66.15%	415	30.54%
1916	63	7.91%	588	73.87%	145	18.22%
1920	82	8.92%	837	91.08%	0	0.00%
1924	103	15.10%	502	73.61%	77	11.29%
1928	1,057	56.98%	798	43.02%	0	0.00%
1932	65	4.23%	1,454	94.66%	17	1.11%
1936	168	11.85%	1,238	87.31%	12	0.85%
1940	171	13.72%	1,068	85.71%	7	0.56%
1944	274	20.80%	1,043	79.20%	0	0.00%
1948	137	7.98%	544	31.70%	1,035	60.31%
1952	744	33.51%	1,476	66.49%	0	0.00%
1956	512	27.48%	1,351	72.52%	0	0.00%
1960	986	43.71%	1,270	56.29%	0	0.00%
1964	2,950	70.15%	1,253	29.80%	2	0.05%
1968	1,227	23.51%	1,901	36.43%	2,090	40.05%
1972	2,777	70.11%	1,184	29.89%	0	0.00%
1976	1,309	29.59%	3,115	70.41%	0	0.00%
1980	1,605	32.24%	3,305	66.39%	68	1.37%
1984	2,999	51.57%	2,816	48.43%	0	0.00%
1988	2,788	54.13%	2,346	45.54%	17	0.33%
1992	2,077	34.68%	3,220	53.77%	692	11.55%
1996	2,077	35.86%	3,404	58.77%	311	5.37%
2000	2,559	45.98%	2,973	53.41%	34	0.61%
2004	3,066	46.89%	3,447	52.71%	26	0.40%
2008	3,061	42.31%	4,149	57.35%	25	0.35%
2012	2,999	41.08%	4,261	58.36%	41	0.56%
2016	3,063	43.91%	3,821	54.77%	92	1.32%
2020	3,537	46.30%	4,058	53.12%	44	0.58%
2024	3,765	50.24%	3,674	49.03%	55	0.73%

United States Senate election results for Jefferson County, Georgia2

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	3,539	46.85%	3,913	51.80%	102	1.35%
2020	3,174	45.83%	3,752	54.17%	0	0.00%

United States Senate election results for Jefferson County, Georgia3

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	1,847	24.75%	2,487	33.33%	3,128	41.92%
2020	3,159	45.61%	3,767	54.39%	0	0.00%
2022	3,041	48.63%	3,158	50.50%	54	0.86%
2022	2,896	48.47%	3,079	51.53%	0	0.00%

Georgia Gubernatorial election results for Jefferson County

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2022	3,162	50.37%	3,089	49.20%	27	0.43%

See also

[edit]

• Central Savannah River Area
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Georgia
• List of counties in Georgia

References

[edit]

1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Jefferson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 168.
4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
5. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
6. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
7. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
8. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
9. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2024.
10. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
11. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
12. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
13. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
14. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
15. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jefferson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
16. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jefferson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
17. ^ "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Jefferson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
18. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
19. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
20. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
21. ^ Geography Division (December 26, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jefferson County, GA (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2025. - Text list
22. ^ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
23. ^ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
24. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 20, 2018.

External links

[edit]

• The Jefferson County Information Center Website
• The Friends of Historic Downtown Louisville Website
• The Fire House Gallery Website - Contemporary art in Jefferson County
• Videos about life in Jefferson County by Fire Team Productions
• A genealogy table for Jefferson County, Georgia ←Broken link, December 2015.
• USA Today Q&A with Jefferson County High principal Molly Howard
• The News and Farmer and Wadley Herald/ Jefferson Reporter, the county's weekly newspaper and the oldest weekly in Georgia
• The Official Jefferson County Economic Development Website
• General Wood's Fort historical marker
• Old Savannah Road historical marker
• Old Town Plantation historical marker
• Rocky Comfort Creek historical marker
• Yazoo Fraud historical marker

Places adjacent to Jefferson County, Georgia
Glascock County and Warren County McDuffie County Richmond County Washington County Jefferson County, Georgia Burke County Johnson County Emanuel County

v t e Municipalities and communities of Jefferson County, Georgia, United States
County seat: Louisville
Cities	Avera Keysville‡ Louisville Stapleton Wadley Wrens
Town	Bartow
CDP	Matthews
Unincorporated communities	Moxley Noah Stellaville
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Georgia portal United States portal

v t e Central Savannah River Area (CSRA)
Central Savannah River Area of Georgia and South Carolina
Georgia South Carolina Burke County: Keysville Midville Waynesboro Girard Sardis Vidette Columbia County: Grovetown Harlem ApplingCDP EvansCDP MartinezCDP Glascock County: Edge Hill Gibson Mitchell Hancock County: Sparta CulvertonU JewellU Jefferson County: Avera Louisville Stapleton Wadley Wrens Bartow Jenkins County: Millen PerkinsU Lincoln County: Lincolnton ChennaultU McDuffie County: Thomson Dearing Richmond County: Augusta Blythe Hephzibah Taliaferro County: Crawfordville Sharon Warren County: Norwood Warrenton Camak JewellU Washington County: Davisboro Oconee Sandersville Tennille Deepstep Harrison Riddleville WarthenCDP EnnisU HamburgU VealU Wilkes County: Washington Rayle Tignall Aiken County: Aiken North Augusta Jackson Burnettown Monetta New Ellenton Perry Salley Wagener Windsor BelvedereCDP ClearwaterCDP GlovervilleCDP BathU Beech IslandU GranitevilleU LangleyU VaucluseU WarrenvilleU Edgefield County: Edgefield Johnston Trenton Murphys EstatesCDP Allendale County: Allendale Fairfax Sycamore Ulmer MartinU Barnwell County: Barnwell Blackville Elko Hilda Kline Snelling Williston McCormick County: McCormick Parksville Plum Branch Clarks HillCDP ModocCDP Mount CarmelCDP WillingtonCDP
CDP Census-designated place U Unincorporated area

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33°03′N 82°25′W / 33.05°N 82.42°W / 33.05; -82.42