Washington County, Georgia


Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 [United States census|2020 census], the population was 19,988. The county seat is Sandersville. The county was established on February 25, 1784. It was named for Revolutionary War general and President of the United States George Washington.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
The western portion of Washington County, west of a north-to-south line running through Sandersville, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northeastern portion of the county, north of Riddleville, is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, while the southeastern portion, centered on Harrison, is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Major highways

Cities

2020 Census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 19,988. The median age was 42.2 years, with 21.4% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.1% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.8 males age 18 and over. 35.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 64.5% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 42.4% White, 53.7% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.7% of the population.
There were 7,506 households in the county, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 37.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Of those households, 5,315 were families.
There were 8,556 housing units, of which 12.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.6% were owner-occupied and 32.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%.

Education

The county is served by the Washington County School District, which includes:
The county is also the location of one privately run school:
The 1933 short story "The People's Choice" by Erskine Caldwell is set in Washington County, where the story's protagonist is a popular local politician elected again and again as the county's tax assessor.
In 1992, the Pig Monument was erected in the county, near Oconee off of Georgia State Route 272. The monument commemorates a 1933 event where several residents of the county gathered together to help a local farmer rescue a pig that had fallen down a dry well.
The biography of one of the main characters in the 2011 console game X-Men: Destiny states that they were born in Sandersville, Georgia.

Politics

Like most other majority-minority counties in the South, Washington County has primarily backed Democratic Party candidates for most of its history. Democratic margins of victory in presidential elections were far greater prior to 1964, but the county has only failed to back a Democratic presidential candidate five times in its history. However, no candidate of any party since Bill Clinton in 1996 has managed to win the county by a margin of 1,000 votes or greater. It was the most Black county in Georgia to vote for Donald Trump in 2024.
For elections to the United States [House of Representatives], Washington County is part of Georgia's 12th congressional district, currently represented by Rick Allen. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Washington County is part of District 26. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Washington County is part of Georgia's 128th [House of Representatives district|District 128].