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Randolph County, Georgia

Coordinates: 31°46′N 84°46′W / 31.76°N 84.76°W / 31.76; -84.76
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Randolph County
County
The Randolph County Courthouse in Cuthbert was placed on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's 2012 list of "Places in Peril" due to extensive termite damage and general disrepair. It has since been restored.
The Randolph County Courthouse in Cuthbert was placed on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's 2012 list of "Places in Peril" due to extensive termite damage and general disrepair. It has since been restored.
Official seal of Randolph County
Seal
Map of Georgia highlighting Randolph County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°46′N 84°46′W / 31.76°N 84.76°W / 31.76; -84.76
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedDecember 20, 1828; 195 years ago (1828-12-20)
Named forJohn Randolph of Roanoke
SeatCuthbert
Largest cityCuthbert
Area
 • Total
431 sq mi (1,120 km2)
 • Land428 sq mi (1,110 km2)
 • Water2.6 sq mi (7 km2)  0.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
6,425
 • Density15/sq mi (6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websiterandolphcountyga.com

Randolph County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia and is considered part of the Black Belt, historically an area of plantations. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,425,[1] roughly one-third of its peak population in 1910, when there were numerous agricultural workers. The county seat is Cuthbert.[2]

History

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Randolph County was created on December 20, 1828, and named after the Virginia planter and politician John Randolph.[3]

He was honored originally as the namesake of present-day Jasper County but, because of his opposition to U.S. entry into the War of 1812, the Georgia General Assembly changed the county name on December 10, 1812. Eventually, John Randolph's reputation was restored. In 1828, the General Assembly organized the current Randolph County in the west of the state.[4] Most of the historic tribe of Muscogee people (Creek) were forced from the area to Indian Territory during Indian Removal.

Lumpkin, Georgia was the original county seat. It was within the portion of Randolph County that was reassigned in 1830 to form Stewart County, and Lumpkin was designated as the latter's county seat.

This area is considered part of the Black Belt, upland areas across the Deep South that were developed in the 19th century as plantations after invention of the cotton gin made processing of short-staple cotton profitable. Enslaved Blacks made up the vast majority of workers on the plantations, with hundreds of thousands being transported through the domestic slave trade from the coast and Upper South. After the American Civil War, many freedmen and their descendants continued to work on plantations in the county and region, comprising the majority of county population until the 1930s.

Like other areas of the rural South, workers in Randolph County lost jobs due to mechanization, invasion of the boll weevil, and the decline in agriculture. In the 20th century, many black families moved from the county to cities in the North and Midwest for work and less oppressive conditions during the Great Migration. However, the rural counties of the Black Belt continue to have substantial African-American populations. Agriculture has been industrialized and depends on relatively few workers.

By mid April 2020 Randolph County (including nearby Albany) hosted the third highest density of COVID-19 outbreaks in the nation, and as of May 2020, next to the New York Metro Area, and Boston, Massachusetts and metro area. [citation needed] Health department records showed an infection rate of 1.9 for every 100 citizens in Randolph County.[5] The Randolph county outbreak was largely composed of an outbreak in a nursing home and may have had connections to the Procter & Gamble toilet paper factory in Albany, Georgia, which was deemed an essential service.[6][7]

This county also has a history of poverty and has recently been ranked as the 2nd poorest county in the entire United States, behind Issaquena County, Mississippi. The poverty rate soared to a whopping 28.1% in the past few years. It doesn't get much better with money, where the median household income here is just $24,638.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 431 square miles (1,120 km2), of which 428 square miles (1,110 km2) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) (0.6%) is water.[8]

More than half of Randolph County, roughly east of U.S. Route 27, is located in the Ichawaynochaway Creek sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint River Basin). The northwestern portion of the county, from just south of Cuthbert north, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River–Walter F. George Lake sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. The southwestern corner, centered on Coleman, is located in the Lower Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the same larger ACF River Basin.[9]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Communities

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Cities

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Census-designated place

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Other unincorporated communities

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18302,191—
18408,276277.7%
185012,86855.5%
18609,571−25.6%
187010,56110.3%
188013,34126.3%
189015,26714.4%
190016,84710.3%
191018,84111.8%
192016,721−11.3%
193017,1742.7%
194016,609−3.3%
195013,804−16.9%
196011,078−19.7%
19708,734−21.2%
19809,5999.9%
19908,023−16.4%
20007,791−2.9%
20107,719−0.9%
20206,425−16.8%
2023 (est.)6,078[10]−5.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1880[12] 1890-1910[13]
1920-1930[14] 1930-1940[15]
1940-1950[16] 1960-1980[17]
1980-2000[18] 2010[19] 2020[20]
Randolph County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: 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[21] Pop 2010[19] Pop 2020[20] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 3,016 2,781 2,250 38.71% 36.03% 35.02%
Black or African American alone (NH) 4,609 4,747 3,862 59.16% 61.50% 60.11%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 27 5 9 0.35% 0.06% 0.14%
Asian alone (NH) 12 22 21 0.15% 0.29% 0.33%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 9 0 3 0.12% 0.00% 0.05%
Other race alone (NH) 4 4 23 0.05% 0.05% 0.36%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 22 41 114 0.28% 0.53% 1.77%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 92 119 143 1.18% 1.54% 2.23%
Total 7,791 7,719 6,425 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

At the 2020 United States census, there were 6,425 people, 2,553 households, and 1,611 families residing in the county. In 2010, there were 7,719 people, 3,187 households, and 2,011 families living in the county.[22]

Among its 2020 population, the racial and ethnic makeup was 35.02% non-Hispanic white, 60.11% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.36% some other race, 1.77% multiracial, and 2.23% Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2010, the racial makeup of the county was 61.8% black or African American, 36.6% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population.[22] In terms of European-American ancestry, 11.7% identified as English, 8.1% were Irish, and 2.4% were American.[23]

Politics

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United States presidential election results for Randolph County, Georgia[24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 1,390 45.23% 1,671 54.38% 12 0.39%
2016 1,271 43.84% 1,598 55.12% 30 1.03%
2012 1,271 41.54% 1,770 57.84% 19 0.62%
2008 1,370 42.59% 1,833 56.98% 14 0.44%
2004 1,418 46.49% 1,612 52.85% 20 0.66%
2000 1,174 45.70% 1,381 53.76% 14 0.54%
1996 816 34.24% 1,438 60.34% 129 5.41%
1992 887 29.98% 1,756 59.34% 316 10.68%
1988 1,319 48.94% 1,369 50.80% 7 0.26%
1984 1,578 52.04% 1,454 47.96% 0 0.00%
1980 879 32.05% 1,861 67.85% 3 0.11%
1976 747 25.47% 2,186 74.53% 0 0.00%
1972 1,603 66.76% 798 33.24% 0 0.00%
1968 502 16.91% 1,028 34.64% 1,438 48.45%
1964 1,656 63.18% 962 36.70% 3 0.11%
1960 457 24.14% 1,436 75.86% 0 0.00%
1956 547 25.69% 1,582 74.31% 0 0.00%
1952 507 26.32% 1,419 73.68% 0 0.00%
1948 134 13.81% 575 59.28% 261 26.91%
1944 106 8.38% 1,159 91.62% 0 0.00%
1940 143 9.91% 1,298 89.95% 2 0.14%
1936 74 5.75% 1,208 93.86% 5 0.39%
1932 31 2.24% 1,344 97.18% 8 0.58%
1928 177 18.06% 803 81.94% 0 0.00%
1924 88 13.41% 518 78.96% 50 7.62%
1920 51 8.72% 534 91.28% 0 0.00%
1916 23 3.23% 645 90.72% 43 6.05%
1912 44 7.18% 514 83.85% 55 8.97%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Randolph County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 185. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2003.
  4. ^ "GeorgiaInfo.com – Georgia Counties in Order of Creation". Archived from the original on February 18, 2008.
  5. ^ "Coronavirus US cases by County". New York Times. April 14, 2020.
  6. ^ "P&G Toilet Paper Factory Keeps Delivering as Coronavirus Strikes Its Town". Wall Street Journal. April 16, 2020.
  7. ^ "New data shows Randolph County with new COVID-19 ranking". WFXL. April 15, 2020.
  8. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  9. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  10. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  11. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  13. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
  14. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  15. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  16. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  17. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  18. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  19. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Randolph County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  20. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Randolph County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  21. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Randolph County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  23. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  24. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
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Media related to Randolph County, Georgia at Wikimedia Commons

31°46′N 84°46′W / 31.76°N 84.76°W / 31.76; -84.76

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