Clay County, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clay County
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Clay County Courthouse in Fort Gaines
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Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
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 Georgia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Georgia |
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| Founded | 1854 | |
| Named for | Henry Clay | |
| Seat | Fort Gaines | |
| Largest city | Fort Gaines | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 217 sq mi (560 km2) | |
| • Land | 195 sq mi (510 km2) | |
| • Water | 22 sq mi (60 km2) 10.1%% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,848 | |
| • Density | 16/sq mi (6/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Congressional district | 2nd | |
Clay County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,848, making it the fourth-least populous county in Georgia. The county seat is Fort Gaines.
Contents
History
This area was historically occupied by the Creek Indians until Indian Removal in the 1830s. European Americans pushed them out and developed the land for cotton, bringing in thousands of African slaves to work the land.
The county is named in honor of Henry Clay, famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. Part of the Black Belt geological formation of Georgia, prior to the American Civil War the county's chief commodity crop was cotton, cultivated and processed by farmers and African-American slaves. After the war, the economy continued to be agricultural, but timber was also harvested.
Clay was created by a February 16, 1854, act of the Georgia General Assembly, and organized from portions of Early and Randolph counties.
Clay County's population is one-third of what it was in 1910.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 217 square miles (560 km2), of which 195 square miles (510 km2) is land and 22 square miles (57 km2) (10.1%) is water.
The central and southwestern portions of Clay County, from west of Bluffton to northwest of Coleman, are located in the Lower Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The county's northwestern corner, which is bisected by State Route 39 running north from Fort Gaines, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Walter F. George Lake sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. Just the very southeastern corner of Clay County is located in the Spring Creek sub-basin of the same larger ACF River Basin.
Major highways
U.S. Route 27
State Route 1
State Route 37
State Route 39
State Route 266
Adjacent counties
- Quitman County - north
- Randolph County - northeast
- Calhoun County - east
- Early County - south
- Henry County, Alabama - west
- Barbour County, Alabama - northwest
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 4,893 | — | |
| 1870 | 5,493 | 12.3% | |
| 1880 | 6,650 | 21.1% | |
| 1890 | 7,817 | 17.5% | |
| 1900 | 8,568 | 9.6% | |
| 1910 | 8,960 | 4.6% | |
| 1920 | 7,557 | −15.7% | |
| 1930 | 6,943 | −8.1% | |
| 1940 | 7,064 | 1.7% | |
| 1950 | 5,844 | −17.3% | |
| 1960 | 4,551 | −22.1% | |
| 1970 | 3,636 | −20.1% | |
| 1980 | 3,553 | −2.3% | |
| 1990 | 3,364 | −5.3% | |
| 2000 | 3,357 | −0.2% | |
| 2010 | 3,183 | −5.2% | |
| 2020 | 2,848 | −10.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,853 | −10.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010 2020 |
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| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 1,282 | 1,188 | 1,143 | 38.19% | 37.32% | 40.13% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,009 | 1,920 | 1,593 | 59.85% | 60.32% | 55.93% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 4 | 11 | 1 | 0.12% | 0.35% | 0.04% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 9 | 10 | 6 | 0.27% | 0.31% | 0.21% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.03% | 0.03% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.25% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 20 | 27 | 57 | 0.60% | 0.85% | 2.00% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 32 | 26 | 41 | 0.95% | 0.82% | 1.44% |
| Total | 3,357 | 3,183 | 2,848 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,848 people, 1,242 households, and 708 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 3,183 people, 1,331 households, and 869 families living in the county. The population density was 16.3 inhabitants per square mile (6.3/km2). There were 2,102 housing units at an average density of 10.8 per square mile (4.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 60.4% black or African American, 37.6% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, and 3.3% were American.
Of the 1,331 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 22.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.7% were non-families, and 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 45.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,250 and the median income for a family was $31,354. Males had a median income of $29,440 versus $23,816 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,353. About 25.5% of families and 34.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.7% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
- Pecan
- Suttons Corner
- Zetto
Ghost town
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Clay (Georgia) para niños
