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Atkinson County
Atkinson County
County
	Atkinson County Courthouse in Pearson
	Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
	Georgia's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 31°17′N 82°52′W / 31.29°N 82.87°W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	August 15, 1917; 107 years ago
Named for	William Yates Atkinson
Seat	Pearson
Largest city	Pearson
Area
• Total	345 sq mi (890 km2)
• Land	339 sq mi (880 km2)
• Water	5.2 sq mi (13 km2) 1.5%
Population (2020)
• Total	8,286
• Density	24/sq mi (9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	8th
Website	atkinsoncounty.org

Atkinson County is a county located in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 8,286.^[1] The county seat is Pearson.^[2] The county was formed in 1917 from parts of Coffee and Clinch counties. It is named for William Yates Atkinson, Democratic governor of Georgia from 1894 to 1898.^[3] In 2003, it had the highest illiteracy rate of any U.S. county at 36%.^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 345 square miles (890 km²), of which 339 square miles (880 km²) is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km²) (1.5%) is water.^[5] Atkinson County forms a part of Southeast Georgia.^[6]

The vast majority of Atkinson County is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. The entire narrow western border area, in a line parallel to the western border and running through Willacoochee, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. A small southeastern corner of the county is located in the Upper Suwannee River sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin.^[7]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Coffee County - north
Ware County - east
Clinch County - south
Lanier County - southwest
Berrien County - west

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	7,656		—
1930	6,894		−10.0%
1940	7,093		2.9%
1950	7,362		3.8%
1960	6,188		−15.9%
1970	5,879		−5.0%
1980	6,141		4.5%
1990	6,213		1.2%
2000	7,609		22.5%
2010	8,375		10.1%
2020	8,286		−1.1%
2023 (est.)	8,293	^[8]	0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census^[9] 1790-1880^[10]1890-1910^[11] 1920-1930^[12] 1930-1940^[13] 1940-1950^[14] 1960-1980^[15] 1980-2000^[16] 2010-2019^[17]

Atkinson County racial composition as of 2020^[18]
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	4,801	57.94%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,208	14.58%
Native American	30	0.36%
Asian	12	0.14%
Pacific Islander	4	0.05%
Other/Mixed	183	2.21%
Hispanic or Latino	2,048	24.72%

Since the county's 1920 population of 7,656 residents, its population has fluctuated between more than 7,000 to a low of 6,213 in 1990; the lowest population for the county was 5,879 in 1970. By the 2020 United States census, its population increased to 8,286,^[18] although in 2010 its population reached a historic high of 8,375.^[19] In 2010, there were 3,522 housing units at an average density of 10.4 per square mile (4.0/km²).^[20]

According to the 2010 U.S. census, the racial makeup of the county was 62.2% white, 17.3% black or African American, 0.6% American Indian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.3% Asian, 17.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Altogether, those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 24.3% of the population.^[19] In terms of ancestry, 16.1% were English, 16.0% were Irish, and 7.5% were American.^[21] Although its racial and ethnic makeup has been predominantly non-Hispanic white up to the 2010 census, in 2020 its non-Hispanic white population declined to 57.94%,^[18] and its African American population also declined to 14.58%. The Hispanic or Latino American population grew to 24.72% of the county-area population, reflecting nationwide trends of greater diversification.^[22]^[23]

In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $26,470, and the median income for a family was $32,688. Males had a median income of $24,763 versus $18,434 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,178. By 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $33,834 and the median income for a family was $34,859. Males had a median income of $29,286 versus $25,705 for females.^[24] In 2020, the county's median household income was an estimated $35,703 per the American Community Survey.^[25] Families had a median income of $46,086; married-couple families $50,475; and nonfamily households $23,306. Among its 2022 population estimates, 27.5% of the county lived at or below the poverty line.^[26]

As of 2022's American Community Survey, Atkinson County's 3,063 households had an average of 2.7 people per household. Approximately 66% were married couples, 6% male households and 17% female households. These households were spread throughout 3,494 housing units, and 67% were owner-occupied. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $77,100 with 62% of its properties valued at under $100,000.^[27]

As part of the Bible Belt, the majority of the county's religious or spiritual population professed Christianity. Among the Christian population in 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives determined the largest single Christian denomination for Atkinson County was the Southern Baptist Convention, followed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church and United Methodist Church.^[28] As a whole tradition, Pentecostalism encompassed the following, with Catholicism remaining a minority.

Education

Atkinson County is serviced along with Coffee County by the Satilla Regional Library System.

Politics

Historically, Atkinson County has primarily voted for Democratic Party candidates in U.S. presidential elections up to 1960. Since then, the county has remained reliably Republican.

United States presidential election results for Atkinson County, Georgia^[29]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	2,300	72.90%	825	26.15%	30	0.95%
2016	1,878	71.95%	697	26.70%	35	1.34%
2012	1,938	66.67%	930	31.99%	39	1.34%
2008	1,941	66.77%	938	32.27%	28	0.96%
2004	1,666	67.37%	799	32.31%	8	0.32%
2000	1,228	59.30%	821	39.64%	22	1.06%
1996	784	42.94%	823	45.07%	219	11.99%
1992	779	35.65%	1,056	48.33%	350	16.02%
1988	1,126	55.60%	887	43.80%	12	0.59%
1984	944	51.17%	901	48.83%	0	0.00%
1980	747	33.62%	1,449	65.21%	26	1.17%
1976	347	18.20%	1,560	81.80%	0	0.00%
1972	924	74.94%	309	25.06%	0	0.00%
1968	288	11.39%	686	27.14%	1,554	61.47%
1964	1,157	58.76%	811	41.19%	1	0.05%
1960	239	15.55%	1,298	84.45%	0	0.00%
1956	122	6.63%	1,719	93.37%	0	0.00%
1952	194	11.06%	1,560	88.94%	0	0.00%
1948	66	5.89%	938	83.75%	116	10.36%
1944	90	10.51%	766	89.49%	0	0.00%
1940	66	8.57%	703	91.30%	1	0.13%
1936	29	2.94%	958	97.06%	0	0.00%
1932	41	5.17%	747	94.20%	5	0.63%
1928	121	25.69%	350	74.31%	0	0.00%
1924	25	5.73%	394	90.37%	17	3.90%
1920	119	20.80%	453	79.20%	0	0.00%