Charlton County, Georgia
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Charlton County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,518. The county seat is Folkston.
History
Charlton County was created from a portion of Camden County, Georgia, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on February 18, 1854. The original county seat was at Trader's Hill, until 1901. Additional lands from Ware County, Georgia, were added to Charlton's borders by an 1855 act of the General Assembly. In 1856, an additional legislative act redefined the Charlton–Camden borders again with each county ceding land to the other.
The county is named for Robert Milledge Charlton, a U. S. Senator from Georgia.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 782 square miles (2,030 km2), of which 774 square miles (2,000 km2) is land and 8.8 square miles (23 km2) (1.1%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county by area in Georgia. It is the southernmost county in Georgia. A large portion of the county lies within the Okefenokee Swamp and its federally protected areas.
The entire central and southern portion of Charlton County is located in the St. Marys sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla basin. The county's northeastern portion, north of Homeland, is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla basin. The western portion of Charlton County is located in the Upper Suwannee River sub-basin of the larger Suwannee River basin. The county's southern region is level with the northernmost part of the central and eastern Panhandle of the Florida peninsula.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Brantley County - north
- Nassau County, Florida - south and east
- Camden County - east
- Baker County, Florida - south
- Ware County - north and west
National protected area
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,780 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,897 | 6.6% | |
| 1880 | 2,154 | 13.5% | |
| 1890 | 3,335 | 54.8% | |
| 1900 | 3,592 | 7.7% | |
| 1910 | 4,722 | 31.5% | |
| 1920 | 4,536 | −3.9% | |
| 1930 | 4,381 | −3.4% | |
| 1940 | 5,256 | 20.0% | |
| 1950 | 4,821 | −8.3% | |
| 1960 | 5,313 | 10.2% | |
| 1970 | 5,680 | 6.9% | |
| 1980 | 7,343 | 29.3% | |
| 1990 | 8,496 | 15.7% | |
| 2000 | 10,282 | 21.0% | |
| 2010 | 12,171 | 18.4% | |
| 2020 | 12,518 | 2.9% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 13,121 | 4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850-1870 1870-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 |
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980 | Pop 1990 | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 5,140 | 6,070 | 7,014 | 8,116 | 7,532 | 70.00% | 71.45% | 68.22% | 66.68% | 60.17% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,147 | 2,352 | 2,990 | 3,443 | 2,386 | 29.24% | 27.68% | 29.08% | 28.29% | 19.06% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 11 | 31 | 39 | 38 | 40 | 0.15% | 0.36% | 0.38% | 0.31% | 0.32% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3 | 8 | 35 | 76 | 109 | 0.04% | 0.09% | 0.34% | 0.62% | 0.87% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x | x | 6 | 3 | 2 | x | x | 0.06% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 30 | 0.04% | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.24% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x | x | 114 | 180 | 383 | x | x | 1.11% | 1.48% | 3.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 39 | 35 | 81 | 310 | 2,036 | 0.53% | 0.41% | 0.79% | 2.55% | 16.26% |
| Total | 7,343 | 8,496 | 10,282 | 12,171 | 12,518 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 12,518. Of the residents, 19.0% were under the age of 18 and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females there were 140.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 151.1 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 69.9% White, 21.0% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.3% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 16.3% of the population.
There were 3,993 households in the county, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. Of those households, 2,685 were families; about 27.3% were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 4,660 housing units, of which 14.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.3% were owner-occupied and 25.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.9%.
Education
Politics
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 22 | 9.95% | 150 | 67.87% | 49 | 22.17% |
| 1916 | 52 | 22.41% | 169 | 72.84% | 11 | 4.74% |
| 1920 | 28 | 15.14% | 157 | 84.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 20 | 11.24% | 151 | 84.83% | 7 | 3.93% |
| 1928 | 160 | 27.83% | 415 | 72.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 32 | 8.82% | 330 | 90.91% | 1 | 0.28% |
| 1936 | 28 | 5.63% | 468 | 94.16% | 1 | 0.20% |
| 1940 | 60 | 9.65% | 562 | 90.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 89 | 16.15% | 462 | 83.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 70 | 12.32% | 339 | 59.68% | 159 | 27.99% |
| 1952 | 288 | 26.11% | 815 | 73.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 204 | 21.38% | 750 | 78.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 289 | 28.28% | 733 | 71.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,179 | 67.26% | 574 | 32.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 332 | 17.08% | 455 | 23.41% | 1,157 | 59.52% |
| 1972 | 1,244 | 80.05% | 310 | 19.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 452 | 20.53% | 1,750 | 79.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 779 | 34.08% | 1,469 | 64.26% | 38 | 1.66% |
| 1984 | 1,368 | 55.18% | 1,111 | 44.82% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 1,327 | 57.60% | 943 | 40.93% | 34 | 1.48% |
| 1992 | 1,333 | 46.09% | 1,127 | 38.97% | 432 | 14.94% |
| 1996 | 1,374 | 45.33% | 1,368 | 45.13% | 289 | 9.53% |
| 2000 | 1,770 | 62.86% | 1,015 | 36.04% | 31 | 1.10% |
| 2004 | 2,311 | 68.15% | 1,064 | 31.38% | 16 | 0.47% |
| 2008 | 2,466 | 66.70% | 1,197 | 32.38% | 34 | 0.92% |
| 2012 | 2,527 | 67.12% | 1,197 | 31.79% | 41 | 1.09% |
| 2016 | 2,951 | 73.21% | 1,004 | 24.91% | 76 | 1.89% |
| 2020 | 3,419 | 74.85% | 1,105 | 24.19% | 44 | 0.96% |
| 2024 | 3,607 | 77.94% | 1,007 | 21.76% | 14 | 0.30% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 3,357 | 74.98% | 1,016 | 22.69% | 104 | 2.32% |
| 2020 | 2,945 | 75.30% | 966 | 24.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 334 | 7.73% | 1,621 | 37.50% | 2,368 | 54.78% |
| 2020 | 2,947 | 75.58% | 952 | 24.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2022 | 2,552 | 75.35% | 780 | 23.03% | 55 | 1.62% |
| 2022 | 2,377 | 76.50% | 730 | 23.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 2,654 | 77.94% | 728 | 21.38% | 23 | 0.68% |
As of the 2020s, Charlton County is a Republican stronghold, voting 78% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Charlton County is part of Georgia's 1st congressional district, currently represented by Buddy Carter. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Charlton County is part of District 3. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Charlton County is part of District 174.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Charlton County, Georgia
- List of counties in Georgia
External links
Media related to Charlton County, Georgia at Wikimedia Commons
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- historical marker
- historical marker
30°47′N 82°08′W/30.78°N 82.14°W/ 30.78; -82.14