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Sylvester, Georgia
Sylvester City Hall
Sylvester City Hall
Flag of Sylvester, Georgia
Flag
Official seal of Sylvester, Georgia
Seal
Official logo of Sylvester, Georgia
Logo
Motto(s): 
"Small Town. Big Heart."
Location in Worth County and the state of Georgia
Location in Worth County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Worth
Settled 1893
Incorporated (City) December 21st, 1898
Area
 • Total 6.60 sq mi (17.09 km2)
 • Land 6.56 sq mi (16.99 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation
387 ft (118 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,644
 • Density 860.37/sq mi (332.21/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31791
Area code(s) 229
FIPS code 13-75188
GNIS feature ID 0356576

Sylvester is the county seat of Worth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,644 in 2020. The city is the county seat and business center of Worth County and is claimed to be the Peanut Capital of the World due to its peanut production.

History

Sylvester was platted in 1893. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Sylvester as a town in 1898.

Geography

Sylvester is located at 31°31′53″N 83°50′10″W / 31.53139°N 83.83611°W / 31.53139; -83.83611 (31.531425, -83.836233). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (15 km2), of which 5.7 square miles (15 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.52%) is water.

Sylvester is located on US 82.svg U.S. Highway 82 at the junction of Georgia 33.svg Georgia State Route 33. Georgia 256.svgGeorgia State Route 256 enters into southeast Sylvester, where it is co-designated Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 552
1910 1,447 162.1%
1920 1,547 6.9%
1930 1,984 28.2%
1940 2,191 10.4%
1950 2,623 19.7%
1960 3,610 37.6%
1970 4,226 17.1%
1980 5,860 38.7%
1990 5,702 −2.7%
2000 5,990 5.1%
2010 6,188 3.3%
2020 5,644 −8.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
Sylvester racial composition as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 2,023 35.84%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,342 59.21%
Native American 6 0.11%
Asian 47 0.83%
Pacific Islander 6 0.11%
Other/Mixed 129 2.29%
Hispanic or Latino 91 1.61%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,644 people, 2,346 households, and 1,709 families residing in the city.

Education

The Worth County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 296 full-time teachers and over 4,354 students.

  • Worth County Elementary School
  • Worth County Primary School
  • Worth County Middle School
  • Worth County High School

Notable people

  • Marion Butts - NFL running back who played for the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, and Houston Oilers; born in Sylvester.
  • Rickey Claitt - NFL running back who played for the Washington Redskins; born in Sylvester.
  • Meshak Williams - NFL defensive end who played for the Baltimore Ravens; born in Sylvester.
  • Mary Hood - award-winning author of How Far She Went, And Venus Is Blue and Familiar Heat. Graduated from Worth County High School.
  • Ray Jenkins - Newspaper editor and deputy press secretary to President Jimmy Carter; born in Sylvester.
  • Sue Monk Kidd - author of the New York Times bestseller, The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair. Born in Sylvester.
  • Frank Park - Congressman (1913–1935)
  • Bob Sikes - U.S. Representative for Florida, born in Isabella.
  • Sonny Skinner - PGA golf pro.
  • Michael Carter - Musician, Songwriter, Producer (Lead guitarist for Luke Bryan), graduated from Worth County High School.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sylvester (Georgia) para niños

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