Mitchell County, Georgia

Mitchell County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 [United States census|2020 census], the population was 21,755. The county seat is Camilla. Mitchell County was created on December 21, 1857.

Etymology

Sources conflict as to whether Mitchell County was named for David Brydie Mitchell, the 27th Governor of Georgia, or for Henry Mitchell, a general in the Revolutionary War. However, it is most likely that the county was named for General Henry Mitchell, as a marker outside of the Mitchell County Courthouse says, "However, the Georgia Laws of 1857, creating Mitchell County, say the county was named in honor of Gen. Henry Mitchell...."

History

Mitchell County was created out of Baker County on December 21, 1857. It is the state's 123rd county.

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 Mitchell County is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin. The county's southeastern corner, bordered by a line from Sale City southwest through Pelham, is located in the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin.

Major highways

U.S. [Route 19 in Georgia|U.S. Route 19]
State Route 3
State Route 37
State Route 37 Connector (Camilla)|State Route 37 Connector]
State Route 65
State Route 93
State Route 97
State Route 111
State Route 112
State Route 262
State Route 270
State Route 300
State Route 311

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Towns

Sale City

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2000	Pop 2010		% 2000	% 2010
White alone	11,746	10,894	10,106	49.08%	46.36%	46.45%
Black or African American alone	11,423	11,185	10,054	47.73%	47.60%	46.21%
Native American or Alaska Native alone	41	60	37	0.17%	0.26%	0.17%
Asian alone	61	120	108	0.25%	0.51%	0.50%
Pacific Islander alone	8	4	0	0.03%	0.02%	0.00%
Race and ethnicity in [the United States census\|Other race] alone	8	18	41	0.03%	0.08%	0.19%
Mixed race or Multiracial	154	189	445	0.64%	0.80%	2.05%
Hispanic or Latino	491	1,028	964	2.05%	4.37%	4.43%
Total	23,932	23,498	21,755	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 21,755 people, 8,156 households, and 5,454 families residing in the county. The median age was 42.3 years, with 21.6% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.0% of residents aged 65 years or older.
For every 100 females there were 103.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.2 males. 24.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 75.8% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 47.2% White, 46.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.8% from some other race, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.4% of the population.
Among the 8,156 households in the county, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 36.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 9,036 housing units, of which 9.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.5% were owner-occupied and 36.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.

Education

The Mitchell County School District operates public schools in the majority of the county, although Pelham City School District includes the city limits of Pelham.
Andersonville Theological Seminary has its headquarters based in Camilla. The seminary's headquarters consists of two administrative buildings. Most of the seminary's students take online classes to complete their degree programs, but in January 2020 the school started to provide on-site courses at their location in Camilla.

Politics

As of the 2020s, Mitchell County is a Republican stronghold, voting 58% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Mitchell County is part of Georgia's 2nd congressional district, currently represented by Sanford Bishop. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Mitchell County is part of District 12. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Mitchell County is part of District Georgia's 171st [House of Representatives district|171].

Notable people

George Thornewell Smith - former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia and state court judge