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Oconee County, Georgia
Oconee County Georgia Courthouse
Oconee County Courthouse in Watkinsville
Map of Georgia highlighting Oconee County
Location in the state of Georgia (U.S. state)
Map of the U.S
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded February 24, 1875; 149 years ago (1875-02-24)
Named for Oconee River
Seat Watkinsville
Largest town Watkinsville
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

186 sq mi (482 km²)
184 sq mi (477 km²)
2.1 sq mi (5 km²), 1.1%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

41,799
178/sq mi (69/km²)
Congressional district 10th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.oconeecounty.com

Oconee County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,799.[1] The county seat is Watkinsville.[2]

Oconee County is included in the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History[]

The county's name derives from the Oconee, a Muskogean people of central Georgia. The name exists in several variations, including Ocone, Oconi, Ocony, and Ekwoni.[3] 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.[4]

The county was ranked as the third-best rural county to live in by Progressive Farmer magazine in 2006.[5]

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 186 square miles (480 km2), of which 184 square miles (480 km2) is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) (1.1%) is water.[6] The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.

The entirety of Oconee County is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.[7]

Adjacent counties[]

National protected area[]

  • Oconee National Forest (part)

Transportation[]

Major highways[]

  • US 29 U.S. Route 29
  • US 78 U.S. Route 78
  • Business plate
    US 78 U.S. Route 78 Business
  • US 129 U.S. Route 129
  • Business plate
    US 129 U.S. Route 129 Business
  • US 441 U.S. Route 441
  • Business plate
    US 441 U.S. Route 441 Business
  • Georgia 8 State Route 8
  • Georgia 10 State Route 10
  • Georgia 10 Loop State Route 10 Loop
  • Georgia 15 State Route 15
  • Georgia 24 State Route 24
  • Georgia 24 Business State Route 24 Business
  • Georgia 53 State Route 53
  • Georgia 186 State Route 186
  • Georgia 316 State Route 316
  • Georgia 422 State Route 422

Pedestrians and cycling[]

The city has limited walkability options available. However, since 2017 plans are being discussed to develop a multi-use trail network.[8]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1880 6,351
1890 7,713 21.4%
1900 8,602 11.5%
1910 11,104 29.1%
1920 11,067 −0.3%
1930 8,082 −27.0%
1940 7,576 −6.3%
1950 7,009 −7.5%
1960 6,304 −10.1%
1970 7,915 25.6%
1980 12,427 57.0%
1990 17,618 41.8%
2000 26,225 48.9%
2010 32,666 24.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census[]

Oconee County racial composition[13]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 33,886 81.07%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,897 4.54%
Native American 31 0.07%
Asian 2,066 4.94%
Other/Mixed 1,572 3.76%
Hispanic or Latino 2,347 5.61%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 41,799 people, 13,423 households, and 10,727 families residing in the county.

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 32,808 people, 11,622 households, and 9,346 families residing in the county.[14] The population density was 178.0 inhabitants per square mile (68.7 /km2). There were 12,383 housing units at an average density of 67.2 per square mile (25.9 /km2).[15] The racial makeup of the county was 88.4% white, 5.0% black or African American, 3.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.4% of the population.[14] In terms of ancestry, 19.9% were English, 14.7% were American, 13.3% were Irish, and 12.2% were German.[16]

Of the 11,622 households, 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 19.6% were non-families, and 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age was 39.1 years.[14]

The median income for a household in the county was $74,352 and the median income for a family was $85,371. Males had a median income of $57,303 versus $39,375 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,271. About 6.3% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.[17]

In 2012, the Wisconsin Population Health Institute ranked Oconee County as one of the top 3 healthiest counties in Georgia. The study ranked the county second in the state in "Overall Health Factors" and third in "Overall Health Outcomes."[18]

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.[19]

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.

The current members of the Board are:[19]

  • Chairman: John Daniell
  • Post 1: Mark Thomas
  • Post 2: Chuck Horton
  • Post 3: Amrey Harden
  • Post 4: Mark Saxon

The judicial branch of government is administered through the Georgia court system as a part of the 10th Judicial District, Western Circuit.[20]

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.)[21] The office of Sheriff is an elected position; since 2020, the office has been held by James Hale.

Politics[]

United States presidential election results for Oconee County, Georgia[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 16,595 65.87% 8,162 32.40% 436 1.73%
2016 13,425 65.96% 5,581 27.42% 1,347 6.62%
2012 13,098 73.34% 4,421 24.76% 340 1.90%
2008 12,120 70.57% 4,825 28.09% 229 1.33%
2004 10,276 72.37% 3,789 26.68% 134 0.94%
2000 7,611 68.15% 3,184 28.51% 373 3.34%
1996 5,116 58.05% 2,992 33.95% 705 8.00%
1992 4,125 51.08% 2,745 33.99% 1,206 14.93%
1988 4,265 67.89% 1,990 31.68% 27 0.43%
1984 3,471 70.29% 1,467 29.71% 0 0.00%
1980 2,065 47.29% 2,141 49.03% 161 3.69%
1976 1,184 34.70% 2,228 65.30% 0 0.00%
1972 2,029 81.39% 464 18.61% 0 0.00%
1968 713 28.16% 414 16.35% 1,405 55.49%
1964 1,241 53.63% 1,073 46.37% 0 0.00%
1960 297 19.60% 1,218 80.40% 0 0.00%
1956 314 21.36% 1,156 78.64% 0 0.00%
1952 337 22.19% 1,182 77.81% 0 0.00%
1948 94 10.05% 579 61.93% 262 28.02%
1944 195 25.49% 570 74.51% 0 0.00%
1940 177 21.66% 635 77.72% 5 0.61%
1936 173 26.25% 483 73.29% 3 0.46%
1932 39 5.43% 664 92.48% 15 2.09%
1928 300 46.58% 344 53.42% 0 0.00%
1924 46 11.89% 279 72.09% 62 16.02%
1920 108 24.05% 341 75.95% 0 0.00%
1916 166 25.04% 497 74.96% 0 0.00%
1912 1 0.26% 208 53.47% 180 46.27%
1908 51 11.94% 136 31.85% 240 56.21%
1904 99 18.03% 198 36.07% 252 45.90%
1900 148 29.31% 251 49.70% 106 20.99%
1896 358 51.96% 330 47.90% 1 0.15%
1892 178 19.35% 282 30.65% 460 50.00%
1888 156 29.05% 380 70.76% 1 0.19%
1884 314 41.98% 434 58.02% 0 0.00%
1880 329 41.80% 458 58.20% 0 0.00%



Education[]

Oconee County School District[]

The Oconee County School District provides education for grades pre-school to twelve and consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools.[23] The district has 361 full-time teachers and over 5,615 students.[24]

Private schools[]

There are currently three private schools located in the county. They are:

  • Westminster Christian Academy[25]
  • Prince Avenue Christian School[26]
  • Athens Academy[27]

Colleges and universities[]

The University of North Georgia maintains a satellite campus near Watkinsville. It was a Gainesville State College campus until the 2012 merger of Gainesville State College with North Georgia College and State University.[28]

The Athens College of Ministry (ACMin) is a private Christian college that was established in 2012 near Watkinsville. ACMin currently offers certificates, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in nine various major areas.[29]

Media[]

There is one weekly-published newspaper in Oconee County: The Oconee Enterprise. Oconee Patch is a community website offering daily news and events.

Cox Media Group also operates a radio broadcast facility on Tower Place in northeast Oconee County. Four radio stations are operated from this facility:[30]

  • WNGC 106.1 FM
  • WGMG 102.1 FM (Magic 102.1)
  • WPUP 100.1 FM (Power 100.1)
  • WRFC 960 AM (The Ref)

Communities[]

Notable people[]

  • Nathan Crawford Barnett, member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Secretary of State for more than 30 years.
  • John Berry, country music singer
  • Phil Campbell, farmer
  • Colt Ford, country music singer and professional golfer
  • Lottie Moon, Southern Baptist missionary who spend nearly 40 years working in China

See also[]

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

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13219.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1999) (PDF). Georgia Place-names. Macon, GA.: Winship Press. pp. 163–164. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/o.pdf. 
  4. ^ Oconee County Chamber of Commerce, "History of Oconee County" Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Steve Hargreaves (February 2, 2006). "Best places to live: Rural America". CNNMoney.com. https://money.cnn.com/2006/02/01/pf/best_rural_counties/. 
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html. 
  7. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/. 
  8. ^ "Plans for Oconee County taking shape". Gate House Media LLC. 2017-06-14. http://www.onlineathens.com/local-news/oconee/2017-06-14/plan-oconee-county-future-taking-shape. 
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ga190090.txt. 
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  13. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13219&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  14. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US13219. 
  15. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US13219. 
  16. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US13219. 
  17. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US13219. 
  18. ^ Stephanie Gross (April 3, 2012). "Oconee Among Top 3 Healthiest Georgia Counties". Oconee Patch. Patch Network. http://oconee.patch.com/articles/study-ranks-oconee-third-healthiest-georgia-county. 
  19. ^ a b Board Of Commissioners Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine section of Oconee County website. Last accessed 2012-04-04.
  20. ^ Official website Archived 2013-08-12 at the Wayback Machine of the 10th Judicial District of Georgia, Western Circuit
  21. ^ 2011 Official Oconee County Newcomer's Guide Last accessed 2012-04-04.
  22. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  23. ^ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  24. ^ School Stats Archived April 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  25. ^ Founding Principles Archived 2011-02-13 at the Wayback Machine section of Westminster Christian Academy website. Last accessed 2012-04-04.
  26. ^ Who we are Archived 2012-03-31 at the Wayback Machine section of Prince Avenue website. Last accessed 2012-04-04.
  27. ^ History Archived 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine section of Athens Academy website. Last accessed 2012-04-04.
  28. ^ History of GSC Archived 2013-04-01 at the Wayback Machine section of Gainesville State College website. Last accessed 2012-04-04.
  29. ^ College of Athens Retrieved July 5, 2022
  30. ^ Athens location information Archived 2012-04-23 at the Wayback Machine, Cox Media Group website. Last accessed 2012-04-04.

External links[]

Coordinates: 33°50′N 83°26′W / 33.84, -83.44


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Oconee County, Georgia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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