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Greene County, Georgia facts for kids

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Greene County
Greene County courthouse in Greensboro
Greene County courthouse in Greensboro
Map of Georgia highlighting Greene County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Georgia
Founded 1786; 238 years ago (1786)
Named for Nathanael Greene
Seat Greensboro
Largest city Greensboro
Area
 • Total 406 sq mi (1,050 km2)
 • Land 387 sq mi (1,000 km2)
 • Water 19 sq mi (50 km2)  4.6%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 18,915
 • Density 49/sq mi (19/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 10th
White Plains Georgia
Unidentified building near White Plains, Georgia, ca. 1941

Greene County is a county located in the east central portion & the Lake country region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,915. The county seat is Greensboro. The county was created on February 3, 1786, and is named for Nathanael Greene, an American Revolutionary War major general.

History

Greene County was formed on February 3, 1786, from land given by Washington County. It was named in honor of General Nathanael Greene, a hero of the American Revolutionary War.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 406 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 387 square miles (1,000 km2) is land and 19 square miles (49 km2) (4.6%) is water.

The majority of Greene County, west of a line between Woodville, Union Point, and White Plains, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northern half of the remainder of the county is located in the Little River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin, while the southern half is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.

Major highways

  • I-20.svg Interstate 20
  • US 278.svg U.S. Route 278
  • Georgia 12.svg State Route 12
  • Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
  • Georgia 44.svg State Route 44
  • Georgia 77.svg State Route 77
  • State Route 402 (unsigned designation for I-20)

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Oconee National Forest (part)

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

  • Bairdstown

Other

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 5,405
1800 10,761 99.1%
1810 11,679 8.5%
1820 13,589 16.4%
1830 12,549 −7.7%
1840 11,690 −6.8%
1850 13,068 11.8%
1860 12,652 −3.2%
1870 12,454 −1.6%
1880 17,547 40.9%
1890 17,051 −2.8%
1900 16,542 −3.0%
1910 18,512 11.9%
1920 18,972 2.5%
1930 12,616 −33.5%
1940 13,709 8.7%
1950 12,843 −6.3%
1960 11,193 −12.8%
1970 10,212 −8.8%
1980 11,391 11.5%
1990 11,793 3.5%
2000 14,406 22.2%
2010 15,994 11.0%
2020 18,915 18.3%
2023 (est.) 20,722 29.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1880 1890-1910
1920-1930 1930-1940
1940-1950 1960-1980
1980-2000 2010 2020
Greene County racial composition as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 11,126 58.82%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 5,783 30.57%
Native American 28 0.15%
Asian 174 0.92%
Pacific Islander 2 0.01%
Other/Mixed 513 2.71%
Hispanic or Latino 1,289 6.81%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,915 people, 7,132 households, and 4,975 families residing in the county.

Education

The county supports the Greene County School Board, Lake Oconee Academy and Nathanael Greene Academy.

Role in passage of the Georgia Indigent Defense Act

In 2001, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Benham convened a committee to investigate indigent defense in the state of Georgia. An avalanche of complaints about the state of public defense in Greene County, along with a number of lawsuits filed by Stephen Bright and the Southern Center for Human Rights, contributed to the formation of this commission. The commission discovered during its investigation that indigent defendants in Greene County were routinely pleaded guilty by judges without the presence of counsel and sometimes without even being present in court to make their pleas, violations of the Sixth Amendment. Excessive bail, e.g. $50,000 for loitering, was often set as well, a violation of the Eighth Amendment. After two years of investigation, the committee's recommendations led to the passage of the Georgia Indigent Defense Act.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Greene (Georgia) para niños

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