Decatur County, Georgia


Decatur County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,367. The county seat is Bainbridge.
Decatur County comprises the Bainbridge, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Tallahassee—Bainbridge, FL-GA Combined Statistical Area.

History

The county was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 8, 1823, from a portion of Early County. Three other counties were created from land that was originally part of Decatur County.
In 1825, a portion of Decatur was used in the creation of Thomas County. In 1905, another portion of Decatur was used in the creation of part of Grady County. In 1920, the western portion of Decatur County was used to form Seminole County in its entirety.
Decatur County is named for United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur, a hero of the War of 1812.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
The bulk of Decatur County, from northeast to southwest, and centered on Bainbridge, is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin. Almost all of the county's western border is located in the Spring Creek sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. The southwestern portion of Decatur County, centered on Attapulgus, and bordered on the west by State Route 302, is located on the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. Finally, the county's southwestern corner, west of State Route 302, is located in the Apalachicola River sub-basin of the same larger ACF River basin.

Major highways

U.S. Route 27 Business
  • U.S. Route 84
U.S. Route 84 Business

Cities

RaceNum.Perc.
White14,28048.63%
Black or African American12,20041.54%
Native American640.22%
Asian1830.62%
Pacific Islander160.05%
Other/Mixed7132.43%
Hispanic or Latino1,9116.51%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 29,367 people and 7,113 families residing in the county. The median age was 40.0 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.3 males age 18 and over. 47.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 52.8% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 49.6% White, 41.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.1% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.5% of the population.
There were 11,466 households in the county, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 34.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 13,036 housing units, of which 12.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 61.9% were owner-occupied and 38.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.

Education

is the local school district with Bainbridge High School being the local high school.
Spring Creek Charter Academy was formed in 2019 and includes grades Pre-K through 9th Grade as of 2023–2024 school year with the next year being added as each grade progresses through the years.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College has a satellite campus in Bainbridge. Southern Regional Technical College has a satellite campus in Bainbridge serving the county.

Politics

As of the 2020s, Decatur County is a Republican stronghold, voting 62% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Decatur County is part of Georgia's 2nd congressional district, currently represented by Sanford Bishop. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Decatur County is part of District 11. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Decatur County is part of District 171.