Elbert County, Georgia


Elbert County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,637. The county seat is Elberton. The county was established on December 10, 1790, and was named for Samuel Elbert.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.
The northern half of Elbert County, north of a line made by following Georgia [State Route 17|State Route 17] from Bowman southeast to Elberton, and then following State Route 72 east to just before the South Carolina border, and then heading south along the shores of Lake Richard B. Russell & Clarkes Hill to the county's southeastern tip, is located in the Upper Savannah River sub-basin of the larger Savannah River basin. The portion of the county south of this line is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Ghost town

Demographics

RaceNum.Perc.
White12,61064.22%
Black or African American5,25326.75%
Native American260.13%
Asian1820.93%
Pacific Islander30.02%
Other/Mixed5672.89%
Hispanic or Latino9965.07%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 19,637 people and 5,065 families residing in the county. The median age was 44.8 years; 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older.
For every 100 females there were 91.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.3 males age 18 and over. 29.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.0% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 65.3% White, 26.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.6% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 5.1% of the population.
There were 8,016 households in the county, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 9,248 housing units, of which 13.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.5% were owner-occupied and 28.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.

Judiciary and government

Elbert County is part of the Northern Judicial Circuit of Georgia, which also includes the counties of Hart, Franklin, Madison, and Oglethorpe. Elbert County's governing authority, the Elbert County Board of Commissioners, has five Commissioners elected in districts, a Chairperson elected County-wide, and an appointed County Administrator.

Politics

As of the 2020s, Elbert County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 71% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Elbert County is part of Georgia's 10th congressional district, currently represented by Mike Collins. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Elbert County is part of District 24. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Elbert County is part of district Georgia's 123rd [House of Representatives district|District 123].

Historical and cultural sites

Historical and cultural sites in Elbert County include the Nancy Hart cabin, the Dan Tucker gravesite, the Stephen Heard Cemetery, the Petersburg Township site, Vans Creek Church, the Elbert County Courthouse, the Elberton Seaboard-Airline Depot, the Rock Gym, the Granite Bowl, the Elberton Granite Museum and Exhibit, the Richard B. Russell Dam, the Elbert Theatre, Richard B. Russell State Park, and Bobby Brown Park. The Georgia Guidestones stood in Elbert County from 1980 until their destruction in 2022.

Notable people