Ben Hill County, Georgia
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,194.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Fitzgerald.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was organized in 1906. It is named after Benjamin Harvey Hill, a former Confederate and United States Senator.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Ben Hill County comprises the Fitzgerald micropolitan statistical area. The Ben Hill County Courthouse and Ben Hill County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
[edit]Ben Hill County was organized in 1906.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was created from Irwin and Wilcox counties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
[edit]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 (1.5%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
The majority of Ben Hill County, its northern and eastern portions, are located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northwestern corner of the county, east of Rebecca, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The southeastern corner of the county, east of Fitzgerald, is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ben Hill County is part of the Southeast Georgia region.
Major highways
[edit]- File:US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
- File:US 319.svg U.S. Route 319
- File:Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
- File:Georgia 90.svg State Route 90
- File:Georgia 107.svg State Route 107
- File:Georgia 125.svg State Route 125
- File:Georgia 182.svg State Route 182
- File:Georgia 206.svg State Route 206
- File:Georgia 215.svg State Route 215
- File:Georgia 233.svg State Route 233
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Wilcox County - north
- Telfair County - northeast
- Coffee County - east
- Irwin County - south
- Turner County - west
Communities
[edit]City
[edit]- Fitzgerald (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
[edit]Demographics
[edit]| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 9,219 | 53.62% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 6,222 | 36.19% |
| Native American | 57 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 116 | 0.67% |
| Other/Mixed | 526 | 3.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,054 | 6.13% |
In 2000, there were 17,484 people, 6,673 households, and 4,631 families living in the county.<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 7,623 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. In 2010, there were 17,634 people, 6,794 households, and 4,730 families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> By the 2020 United States census, there were 17,194 people, 6,443 households, and 4,019 families residing in the county.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $27,100, and the median income for a family was $33,023. Males had a median income of $26,750 versus $19,547 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,093. 22.30% of the population and 18.70% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 33.30% are under the age of 18 and 17.60% are 65 or older. In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $30,134 and the median income for a family was $35,868. Males had a median income of $32,613 versus $23,320 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,529. About 22.7% of families and 26.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref> According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the county's median household income was $38,255 with a per capita income of $22,625. An estimated 26.5% of the county lived at or below the poverty line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Religiously, the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020 denoted Christianity as the predominant religion, being part of the Bible Belt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Among its Christian population, the majority formed the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Baptist tradition was the county's dominant Christian affiliation. The National Baptist Convention, USA was the second-largest Baptist denomination in Ben Hill County. One notable non-Christian religion for the county has been the Baha'i Faith.
Education
[edit]The Ben Hill County School District operates schools serving the county.
- Ben Hill Preschool
- Ben Hill County Primary School
- Ben Hill County Elementary School
- Ben Hill County Middle School
- Fitzgerald High School
Politics
[edit]Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot
Transportation
[edit]- Fitzgerald Municipal Airport is a public use airport located 2 miles southwest of Fitzgerald.
See also
[edit]- National Register of Historic Places listings in Ben Hill County, Georgia
- List of counties in Georgia
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Ben Hill County historical marker
Template:Geographic Location Template:Ben Hill County, Georgia Template:Georgia (U.S. state) Template:Authority control Template:Coord