Echols County, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Echols County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Georgia
. It is part of the Valdosta
, Georgia
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. As of 2000, the population is 3,754. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 4,093. The county seat
is Statenville
. Statenville is not an incorporated municipality, making Echols County one of only three counties in Georgia to have an unincorporated county seat.
Established in 1858, from the parts of Lowndes
and Clinch
the county was named in honor of Robert Milner Echols (1798–1847). The county is in the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area
. Echols was born in Georgia and served in the state legislature for many years. He was killed in the Mexican-American War, and is buried in Georgia (though not in Echols County).
Echols County has become notable in recent years as it has served as a place of banishment for many of Georgia's criminals. As the Georgia State Constitution forbids banishment beyond the borders of the state, officials instead ban the offender from 158 of Georgia's 159 counties, with Echols remaining as their only option. No such criminal has been documented as actually moving to Echols.
of 2000, there were 3,754 people, 1,264 households, and 936 families residing in the county. The population density
was 9 people per square mile (4/km²). There were 1,482 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.14% White
, 6.93% Black
or African American
, 1.15% Native American
, 0.08% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 13.69% from other races
, and 0.99% from two or more races. 19.69% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 1,264 households out of which 38.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples
living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were non-families. 18.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the county, the population was spread out with 29.30% under the age of 18, 12.50% from 18 to 24, 30.80% from 25 to 44, 18.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 116.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,851, and the median income for a family was $27,700. Males had a median income of $24,650 versus $17,297 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,727. 28.70% of the population and 22.30% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 33.10% are under the age of 18 and 29.80% are 65 or older.
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...
. It is part of the Valdosta
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
, 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...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Valdosta metropolitan area
The Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties – Brooks, Echols, Lanier, and Lowndes – in south-central Georgia, anchored by the city of Valdosta...
. As of 2000, the population is 3,754. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 4,093. 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 Statenville
Statenville, Georgia
Statenville is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Echols County, Georgia, United States. Statenville is named for Capt. James W. Staten, who built the first store in the town. Statenville was previously known as Troublesome...
. Statenville is not an incorporated municipality, making Echols County one of only three counties in Georgia to have an unincorporated county seat.
Established in 1858, from the parts of Lowndes
Lowndes County, Georgia
Lowndes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia along the Florida border. It was created December 23, 1825. The 2010 Census showed a population of 109,233...
and Clinch
Clinch County, Georgia
Clinch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 14, 1850, named in honor of Duncan Lamont Clinch. As of 2000, the population is 6,878. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 6,992...
the county was named in honor of Robert Milner Echols (1798–1847). The county is in the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area
Valdosta metropolitan area
The Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties – Brooks, Echols, Lanier, and Lowndes – in south-central Georgia, anchored by the city of Valdosta...
. Echols was born in Georgia and served in the state legislature for many years. He was killed in the Mexican-American War, and is buried in Georgia (though not in Echols County).
Echols County has become notable in recent years as it has served as a place of banishment for many of Georgia's criminals. As the Georgia State Constitution forbids banishment beyond the borders of the state, officials instead ban the offender from 158 of Georgia's 159 counties, with Echols remaining as their only option. No such criminal has been documented as actually moving to Echols.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 420.8 square miles (1,089.9 km²), of which 404.13 square miles (1,046.7 km²) (or 96.04%) is land and 16.67 square miles (43.2 km²) (or 3.96%) is water.Major highways
U.S. Route 41U.S. Route 41U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
U.S. Route 129U.S. Route 129U.S. Route 129 is an offshoot route of U.S. Route 29, which it intersects near Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for 582 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Chiefland, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 and U.S. Route 98. It passes through the states of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida...
U.S. Route 441U.S. Route 441U.S. Route 441 is a spur route of U.S. Route 41. It currently runs for 939 miles from U.S. Route 41 in Miami, Florida to U.S. Route 25W in Lake City, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee...
State Route 7Georgia State Route 7State Route 7 is a north–south route located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The route is cosigned with either U.S. 41 or U.S. 341 for its entire length.-Routing:...
State Route 11Georgia State Route 11State Route 11 runs the entire length of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the longest route in the state. The route begins at the Florida state line south of Statenville. The route travels north cosigned with US 129 through Statenville, Lakeland, Nashville, Ocilla, Fitzgerald, and Abbeville, before...
State Route 89
State Route 94Georgia State Route 94State Route 94 is a state route in the U.S. state of Georgia in Lowndes, Echols, Clinch, and Charlton counties. It is long , from Valdosta to the Florida state line in Saint George, and the road continues as Florida State Road 2. It is a major highway of southeastern Georgia and extreme northern...
State Route 135
State Route 187
State Route 376
Adjacent counties
- Clinch CountyClinch County, GeorgiaClinch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 14, 1850, named in honor of Duncan Lamont Clinch. As of 2000, the population is 6,878. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 6,992...
- northeast - Columbia CountyColumbia County, FloridaColumbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 56,513. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 64,040 . Its county seat is Lake City, Florida....
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
- southeast - Hamilton CountyHamilton County, FloridaHamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,327. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 13,983 . Its county seat is Jasper, Florida.- History :...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
- south - Lowndes CountyLowndes County, GeorgiaLowndes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia along the Florida border. It was created December 23, 1825. The 2010 Census showed a population of 109,233...
- west - Lanier CountyLanier County, GeorgiaLanier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2009, the population was 8,423. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 7,847. The county seat is Lakeland. Lakeland is Lanier County's only incorporated...
- north
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 3,754 people, 1,264 households, and 936 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 9 people per square mile (4/km²). There were 1,482 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.14% 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...
, 6.93% 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...
, 1.15% 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...
, 0.08% 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...
, 13.69% 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 0.99% from two or more races. 19.69% 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 1,264 households out of which 38.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% 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, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were non-families. 18.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the county, the population was spread out with 29.30% under the age of 18, 12.50% from 18 to 24, 30.80% from 25 to 44, 18.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 116.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,851, and the median income for a family was $27,700. Males had a median income of $24,650 versus $17,297 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 $15,727. 28.70% of the population and 22.30% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 33.10% are under the age of 18 and 29.80% are 65 or older.
2005 Estimates
In 2005 63.1% of the county population was non-Hispanic whites, 27.3% Hispanics, 8.8% African-Americans and 1.0% Native Americans.Communities
- FruitlandFruitland, GeorgiaFruitland is an unincorporated community in northeastern Echols County, Georgia, United States. It lies on State Route 187 to the northeast of the unincorporated community of Statenville, the county seat of Echols County. Its elevation is 161 feet ....
- StatenvilleStatenville, GeorgiaStatenville is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Echols County, Georgia, United States. Statenville is named for Capt. James W. Staten, who built the first store in the town. Statenville was previously known as Troublesome...
- Howell
- Needmore
- Mayday