Franklin County, Georgia

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Franklin County is a county in the Northeast region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,424.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Carnesville.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> On February 25, 1784, Franklin and Washington became Georgia's eighth and ninth counties,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with Franklin named in honor of patriot Benjamin Franklin.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In its original form, Franklin County included all of the territory now in Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Oconee, and Stephens counties, and parts of the modern-day Gwinnett, Hall, Hart, and Madison counties, as well as three counties that are now part of South Carolina. Franklin County has several miles of shoreline on Lake Hartwell.

Economic development

The Franklin County Industrial Building Authority, one of only seven created by a Georgia constitutional amendment,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> actively seeks and recruits new industries to the county. The Authority consists of seven members: each of the five mayors from the cities within Franklin County, and two at-large members selected by the Board of Commissioners.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.9%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.

The majority of Franklin County is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin, with just the northeastern corner, north of Lavonia, located in the Tugaloo River sub-basin of the same Savannah River basin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Franklin County is also located on Lake Hartwell.

Adjacent counties

Stephens County (north)
Oconee County, South Carolina (northeast)
Hart County (east)
Elbert County (southeast)
Madison County (south)
Banks County (west)

Education

Franklin County School system

The Franklin County School District (Georgia) supports grades from kindergarten to grade twelve. The system consists of three elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative school. The Franklin County School System has a staff of over 600 and an enrollment of 3570 as of 2020. The system boasts a 90.7% graduation rate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> FCSS is the largest employer in Franklin County.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link Template:Title missing</ref>

Private schools

Shepherd's Hill Academy, a Christian private school for grades 7–12

Colleges

Emmanuel University is a private, Christian, liberal arts college located in Franklin Springs. The college is a member of the NCAA Division II.

Attractions

Lake Hartwell, a man-made lake covering 56,000 acres built for flood control and recreation.
Tugaloo State Park which is a 393-acre state park on the lake featuring a beach, campsites, and several nature trails.
Victoria Bryant State Park, a 502-acre state park featuring a large 18-hole golf course, a swimming area on the Broad River, campsites, and an archery range.
Cromer's Mill Covered Bridge
Ty Cobb museum in Royston, Georgia.

Transportation

Major highways

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Airports

Franklin County Airport (18A), featuring a Template:Convert runway and self-service 100LL and Jet A fuel.
Broad River Air Park (3GE3), a private airport community featuring a Template:Convert runway parallel to Interstate 85.

Infrastructure

Railroad

The Hartwell Railroad operates freight service through the eastern portion of Franklin County throughout the Martin, Lavonia, Canon, and Royston areas on the former Norfolk Southern line from Toccoa to Elberton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Utilities

Electric service in Franklin County is provided by two customer-owned electric cooperatives, Hart EMC and Jackson EMC, as well as by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company. Water utilities are provided by the cities of Lavonia, Martin, Royston, and Carnesville as well as by Franklin County in rural areas. Natural gas is supplied by the cities of Toccoa and Royston.

Hospital

St. Mary's Healthcare System operates St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia which is the only hospital in Franklin County. The hospital features 56 inpatient beds, a 24/7 Emergency Department, a Critical Care Unit, 4 surgical suites, and an open to the public gym.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

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2020 census

Franklin County Racial Composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White	19,262	82.23%
Black or African American	1,888	8.06%
Native American	34	0.15%
Asian	261	1.11%
Pacific Islander	3	0.01%
Other/Mixed	855	3.65%
Hispanic or Latino	1,121	4.79%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 23,424 people, 8,460 households, and 6,123 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 22,084 people, 8,540 households, and 5,979 families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 10,553 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 87.3% white, 8.4% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.9% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.9% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 17.6% were American, 9.7% were Irish, 9.7% were English, and 8.0% were German.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 8,540 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.0% were non-families, and 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 40.9 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $36,739 and the median income for a family was $44,667. Males had a median income of $33,718 versus $28,713 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,276. About 14.3% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 20,285 people, 7,888 households, and 5,695 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 9,303 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 89.49% White, 8.83% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,888 households, out of which 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,134, and the median income for a family was $38,463. Males had a median income of $29,474 versus $21,051 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,767. About 11.00% of families and 13.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 18.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Franklin County is governed by a five-member board of commissioners, whose members are elected from multi-member districts. They serve alternating four-year terms. The county has a county manager system of government, in which day-to-day operation of the county is handled by a manager appointed by the board. The chairman of the Board of Commissioners is elected by the citizens of the county.

Communities

Cities

Town

Martin

Census-designated place

Gumlog

Notable people

Ernest Vandiver - Former Georgia Governor 1959–1963)
FPS Russia, YouTube personality
Ty Cobb, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Dee Dowis, Air Force Academy quarterback, Heisman Trophy finalist, Air Force career rushing yard record holder
Pauline Bray Fletcher, nurse and camp director
Tony Jones, professional football player in the NFL
Gary Walker, professional football player in the NFL
Terry Kay, author
Omer Clyde "O.C." Aderhold, former president of the University of Georgia during racial integration
D. W. Brooks, farmer and businessman

Politics

References

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External links

Franklin County historical marker
Hebron Presbyterian Church historical marker
Poplar Springs Methodist Camp Ground historical marker

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