Ben Hill County, Georgia

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Ben Hill County

| state = Georgia

| seal = Seal of Ben Hill County, Georgia.png

| seal size = 90px

| founded = {{start date and age|1906}}

| seat wl = Fitzgerald

| largest city wl = Fitzgerald

| area_total_sq_mi = 254

| area_land_sq_mi = 250

| area_water_sq_mi = 3.8

| area percentage = 1.5%

| census yr = 2020

| pop = 17194

| density_sq_mi = 69

| time zone = Eastern

| website = {{URL|https://www.benhillcounty-ga.gov/|benhillcounty-ga.gov}}

| ex image = Ben Hill County Courthouse.jpg

| ex image cap = Ben Hill County Courthouse, Fitzgerald

| district = 8th

| named for = Benjamin Harvey Hill

}}

Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,194.{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Ben Hill County, Georgia|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Ben_Hill_County,_Georgia?g=0500000US13017|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 26, 2022}} The county seat is Fitzgerald.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }} The county was organized in 1906. It is named after Benjamin Harvey Hill, a former Confederate and United States Senator.{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/b.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030917072724/http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/b.pdf |archive-date=September 17, 2003 |url-status=live | title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=16 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}}

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

Ben Hill County was organized in 1906.{{Cite web |title=Ben Hill County - Georgia Historical Society |url=https://georgiahistory.com/ghmi_marker_updated/ben-hill-county/ |access-date=December 28, 2023 |website=Georgia Historical Society |language=en-US}} It was created from Irwin and Wilcox counties.{{Cite web |title=Ben Hill County |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/ben-hill-county/ |access-date=December 28, 2023 |website=New Georgia Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|254|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|250|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.8|sqmi}} (1.5%) is water.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/ |title=Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience |publisher=Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission |access-date=November 27, 2015 |archive-date=October 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003004639/http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/ |url-status=dead }} Ben Hill County is part of the Southeast Georgia region.

=Major highways=

=Adjacent counties=

Wilcox County - north
Telfair County - northeast
Coffee County - east
Irwin County - south
Turner County - west

= Communities =

== City ==

Fitzgerald (county seat)

== Unincorporated communities ==

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1910= 11863

|1920= 14599

|1930= 13047

|1940= 14523

|1950= 14879

|1960= 13633

|1970= 13171

|1980= 16000

|1990= 16245

|2000= 17484

|2010= 17634

|2020= 17194

|estyear=2023

|estimate=17128

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 31, 2024}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1790-1880{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800 |website=US Census Bureau|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-08.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}} 1890-1910{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1910 Census of Population - Georgia |website=US Census Bureau|date= 1910|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ga.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}
1920-1930{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1930 Census of Population - Georgia |website=US Census Bureau|date= 1930|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}} 1930-1940{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1940 Census of Population - Georgia |website=US Census Bureau|date= 1940|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}
1940-1950{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1950 Census of Population - Georgia - |website=US Census Bureau|date= 1950|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/37779083v2p11ch2.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1960-1980{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia |website=US Census Bureau|date= 1980|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_gaABC-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}
1980-2000{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia |website=US Census Bureau|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 2010{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13017.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607121842/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13017.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011|url-status=dead}}

}}

class="wikitable"

|+Ben Hill County racial composition as of 2020{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13017&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 18, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}

!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.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }} The population density was {{convert|69|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 7,623 housing units at an average density of {{convert|30|/mi2|/km2}}. In 2010, there were 17,634 people, 6,794 households, and 4,730 families living in the county.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US13017

|title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data

|access-date=December 27, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213031624/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US13017

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} 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.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US13017

|title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

|access-date=December 27, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213021608/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US13017

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Census profile: Ben Hill County, GA |url=http://censusreporter.org/profiles/05000US13017-ben-hill-county-ga/ |access-date=December 28, 2023 |website=Census Reporter |language=en}}

Religiously, the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020 denoted Christianity as the predominant religion, being part of the Bible Belt.{{Cite web |title=Congregational Membership Reports {{!}} US Religion |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=0&c=13017 |access-date=December 28, 2023 |website=www.thearda.com}} 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

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

{{PresHead|place=Ben Hill County, Georgia|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 18, 2018}}}}