Wilcox County, Georgia
Wilcox County is a county located in the [South Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia (region)|southern portion] of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,766. The county seat is Abbeville.
History
Wilcox County was formed on December 22, 1857, from parts of Irwin, Pulaski, and Dooly counties. The county was named for General Mark Wilcox, a Georgia state legislator and one of the founders of the Georgia Supreme Court.The first county courthouse was built in 1858; the present courthouse dates from 1903.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.The northern and eastern three-quarters of Wilcox County, from State Route 215 southeast to Rochelle, then due south, are located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The southwestern portion of the county, west of Rochelle, and roughly centered on Pitts, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin.
Adjacent counties
- Pulaski County - north
- Dodge County - east
- Telfair County - east
- Ben Hill County - south
- Turner County - southwest
- Crisp County - west
- Dooly County - northwest
Major highways
- U.S. Route 129
- U.S. Route 280
- State Route 11
- State Route 30
- State Route 90
- State Route 112
- State Route 159
- State Route 215
- State Route 233
- State Route 257
Communities
Cities
Town
Census-designated place
Demographics
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | % 2000 | % 2010 | ||
| White alone | 5,299 | 5,544 | 5,185 | 61.78% | 59.90% | 59.15% |
| Black or African American alone | 3,091 | 3,233 | 3,096 | 36.04% | 34.93% | 35.32% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 8 | 15 | 3 | 0.09% | 0.16% | 0.03% |
| Asian alone | 14 | 41 | 49 | 0.16% | 0.44% | 0.56% |
| Pacific Islander alone | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone | 0 | 12 | 9 | 0.00% | 0.13% | 0.10% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial | 25 | 71 | 149 | 0.29% | 0.77% | 1.70% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 139 | 338 | 272 | 1.62% | 3.65% | 3.10% |
| Total | 8,577 | 9,255 | 8,766 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,766, 2,811 households, and 1,807 families residing in the county. The median age was 42.3 years, 17.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 18.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 144.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 152.1 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.The racial makeup of the county was 59.9% White, 35.4% Black or African American, 0.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.1% of the population.
There were 2,811 households in the county, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 3,440 housing units, of which 18.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.0% were owner-occupied and 25.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%.