Bleckley County, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Bleckley County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Georgia
. As of 2000, the population is 11,666. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 12,306. The county seat
is Cochran
.
, a soldier and Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. This town is home to Middle Georgia College
, the oldest two-year public college in the nation. The state constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed by the Georgia General Assembly
on July 30, 1912, and ratified November 5, 1912.
form of government, with a single county commissioner acting as the county executive and legislative branches. The current County Commissioner is Robert Brockman. The Sheriff of Bleckley County is Harold O. Lancaster, the Clerk of Superior Court is Dianne C. Brown, the Tax Commissioner is J. David Brown, and the Probate Judge is Hon. Kenneth Powell.
Click this link for information about the Cochran-Bleckley Chamber of Commerce and Cochran's Festivals and Events.
of 2000, there were 11,666 people, 4,372 households, and 3,121 families residing in the county. The population density
was 54 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 4,866 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 73.24% White
, 24.59% Black
or African American
, 0.09% Native American
, 0.93% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 0.48% from other races
, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 4,372 households out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% were married couples
living together, 15.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 11.30% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,448, and the median income for a family was $41,095. Males had a median income of $30,917 versus $22,912 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,934. About 11.70% of families and 15.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.10% of those under age 18 and 17.80% of those age 65 or over.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. As of 2000, the population is 11,666. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 12,306. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Cochran
Cochran, Georgia
Cochran is a city in Bleckley County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,150. The city is the county seat of Bleckley County.- History :...
.
History
The county was named for Logan Edwin BleckleyLogan Edwin Bleckley
Logan Edwin Bleckley was an American lawyer and jurist.Born in 1827 on Screamer Mountain in Rabun County, Georgia, Bleckley became a self-taught lawyer. At age eleven, he started working in his father's office Logan Edwin Bleckley (July 3, 1827 – March 6, 1907) was an American lawyer and...
, a soldier and Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. This town is home to Middle Georgia College
Middle Georgia College
Middle Georgia College is a publicly supported, residential,charter unit of the University System of Georgia, in the city Cochran in the U.S. state of Georgia. Founded in 1884, the school is the oldest two-year college in the United States. It is currently being transformed into a 4 year college...
, the oldest two-year public college in the nation. The state constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed by the Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
on July 30, 1912, and ratified November 5, 1912.
Government
Bleckley County is one of 8 remaining counties in Georgia that operates under a Sole CommissionerSole commissioner
In local government in the United States, sole commissioner government is a county commission with only one seat. The sole commissioner typically holds all legislative and executive powers in the county...
form of government, with a single county commissioner acting as the county executive and legislative branches. The current County Commissioner is Robert Brockman. The Sheriff of Bleckley County is Harold O. Lancaster, the Clerk of Superior Court is Dianne C. Brown, the Tax Commissioner is J. David Brown, and the Probate Judge is Hon. Kenneth Powell.
Click this link for information about the Cochran-Bleckley Chamber of Commerce and Cochran's Festivals and Events.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 219.14 square miles (567.6 km²), of which 217.39 square miles (563 km²) (or 99.20%) is land and 1.74 square miles (4.5 km²) (or 0.79%) is water.Major highways
-
Interstate 16Interstate 16Interstate 16 , also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway or State Route 404 , is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Georgia, United States... -
U.S. Route 23 -
U.S. Route 129 Alternate -
State Route 26 -
State Route 87 -
State Route 112 -
State Route 126 -
State Route 257 -
State Route 278
Adjacent counties
- Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County, GeorgiaWilkinson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on May 11, 1803. As of 2000, the population was 10,220. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,064...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- north - Twiggs CountyTwiggs County, GeorgiaTwiggs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 14, 1809. As of 2000, the population was 10,590. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,280...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- north - Laurens CountyLaurens County, GeorgiaLaurens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 10, 1807. As of 2000, the population was 44,874. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 47,520...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- east - Dodge CountyDodge County, GeorgiaDodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 19,171. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 20,042. The county seat is Eastman. Dodge County lies in the Historic South region of Georgia, an area that has architectural wonders and shows the...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- southeast - Pulaski CountyPulaski County, GeorgiaPulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 9,588. The 2010 U.S. Census reports the population at 12,010, with a growth rate of 25.3% from 2000 to 2010, while surpassing Georgia's change of 18.3%., making it one of Georgia's fastest growing...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- southwest - Houston CountyHouston County, GeorgiaHouston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on May 15, 1821, as one of five huge counties, later reduced in the formation of Bibb, Crawford, Pike, Macon and Peach counties. As of the 2000 census, the population is 110,765...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- west
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,666 people, 4,372 households, and 3,121 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 54 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 4,866 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 73.24% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 24.59% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.09% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.93% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.48% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 4,372 households out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 11.30% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,448, and the median income for a family was $41,095. Males had a median income of $30,917 versus $22,912 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $15,934. About 11.70% of families and 15.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.10% of those under age 18 and 17.80% of those age 65 or over.