Oconee County, Georgia
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Oconee County is a county located in the East Central region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,799. The county seat is Watkinsville.
Oconee County is included in the Athens-Clarke County metropolitan area.
History
The county's name derives from the Oconee, a Muskogean people of central Georgia. The name exists in several variations, including Ocone, Oconi, Ocony, and Ekwoni. Oconee County was created from the southwestern part of Clarke County in 1875 by the Georgia General Assembly. The new county was created to satisfy southwestern Clarke County residents' demand for their own county after the county seat was moved from Watkinsville to Athens by the General Assembly in 1872. It is named for the river flowing along part of its eastern border.
The county was ranked as the third-best rural county to live in by Progressive Farmer magazine in 2006.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 186 square miles (480 km2), of which 184 square miles (480 km2) is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) (1.1%) is water. The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.
The entirety of Oconee County is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.
Adjacent counties
- Clarke County (north)
- Oglethorpe County (east)
- Greene County (southeast)
- Morgan County (south)
- Walton County (west)Southwest
- Barrow County (northwest)
National protected area
- Oconee National Forest (part)
Communities
Towns
Unincorporated community
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 6,351 | — | |
| 1890 | 7,713 | 21.4% | |
| 1900 | 8,602 | 11.5% | |
| 1910 | 11,104 | 29.1% | |
| 1920 | 11,067 | −0.3% | |
| 1930 | 8,082 | −27.0% | |
| 1940 | 7,576 | −6.3% | |
| 1950 | 7,009 | −7.5% | |
| 1960 | 6,304 | −10.1% | |
| 1970 | 7,915 | 25.6% | |
| 1980 | 12,427 | 57.0% | |
| 1990 | 17,618 | 41.8% | |
| 2000 | 26,225 | 48.9% | |
| 2010 | 32,666 | 24.6% | |
| 2020 | 41,799 | 28.0% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 44,893 | 7.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010 |
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) | 11,056 | 16,015 | 23,112 | 28,306 | 33,886 | 88.97% | 90.90% | 88.13% | 86.28% | 81.07% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,255 | 1,309 | 1,653 | 1,610 | 1,897 | 10.10% | 7.43% | 6.30% | 4.91% | 4.54% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 8 | 33 | 40 | 31 | 31 | 0.06% | 0.19% | 0.15% | 0.09% | 0.07% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 13 | 80 | 373 | 1,016 | 2,066 | 0.10% | 0.45% | 1.42% | 3.10% | 4.94% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x | x | 11 | 4 | 0 | x | x | 0.04% | 0.01% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 5 | 3 | 14 | 35 | 171 | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.11% | 0.41% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x | x | 189 | 370 | 1,401 | x | x | 0.72% | 1.13% | 3.35% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 90 | 178 | 833 | 1,436 | 2,347 | 0.72% | 1.01% | 3.18% | 4.38% | 5.61% |
| Total | 12,427 | 17,618 | 26,225 | 32,808 | 41,799 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 41,799, and the census counted 10,727 families residing in the county.
The median age was 39.7 years, 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 15.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.8 males age 18 and over. 45.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 54.1% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 82.4% White, 4.6% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.0% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.1% from some other race, and 5.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.6% of the population.
There were 14,360 households in the county, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 19.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 14,998 housing units, of which 4.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 82.0% were owner-occupied and 18.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.3%.
Government
Oconee County is governed by a four-member board of commissioners, which holds legislative power. The board is led by a separately-elected chairman, who holds executive power. The board is vested with budget and taxing authority, ordinance-making authority, and control of county property, roads and facilities. The chairman and all members of the board are elected from at-large districts (called "posts") to staggered terms of four years.
The chairman of the board is the county's chief executive officer who, in consultation with the commissioners, appoints officers and staff as needed to administer the responsibilities of the board.
The current members of the Board are:
- Chairman: John Daniell
- Post 1: Mark Thomas
- Post 2: Chuck Horton
- Post 3: Amrey Harden
- Post 4: Mark Saxon
The judicial branch of government is administered through the Georgia court system as a part of the 10th Judicial District, Western Circuit.
Primary law enforcement services in the portion of the county outside the City of Watkinsville are provided by the sheriff's office. (Law enforcement within the Watkinsville City Limits is the jurisdiction of the Watkinsville Police Department.) The office of Sheriff is an elected position; since 2020, the office has been held by James Hale.
Politics
As of the 2020s, Oconee County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 67% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Oconee County is part of Georgia's 10th congressional district, currently represented by Mike Collins. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Oconee County is part of District 46. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Oconee County is part of districts 120 and 121.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 1 | 0.26% | 208 | 53.47% | 180 | 46.27% |
| 1916 | 0 | 0.00% | 497 | 74.96% | 166 | 25.04% |
| 1920 | 108 | 24.05% | 341 | 75.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 46 | 11.89% | 279 | 72.09% | 62 | 16.02% |
| 1928 | 300 | 46.58% | 344 | 53.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 39 | 5.43% | 664 | 92.48% | 15 | 2.09% |
| 1936 | 173 | 26.25% | 483 | 73.29% | 3 | 0.46% |
| 1940 | 177 | 21.66% | 635 | 77.72% | 5 | 0.61% |
| 1944 | 195 | 25.49% | 570 | 74.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 94 | 10.05% | 579 | 61.93% | 262 | 28.02% |
| 1952 | 337 | 22.19% | 1,182 | 77.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 314 | 21.36% | 1,156 | 78.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 297 | 19.60% | 1,218 | 80.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,241 | 53.63% | 1,073 | 46.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 713 | 28.16% | 414 | 16.35% | 1,405 | 55.49% |
| 1972 | 2,029 | 81.39% | 464 | 18.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,184 | 34.70% | 2,228 | 65.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 2,065 | 47.29% | 2,141 | 49.03% | 161 | 3.69% |
| 1984 | 3,471 | 70.29% | 1,467 | 29.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 4,265 | 67.89% | 1,990 | 31.68% | 27 | 0.43% |
| 1992 | 4,125 | 51.08% | 2,745 | 33.99% | 1,206 | 14.93% |
| 1996 | 5,116 | 58.05% | 2,992 | 33.95% | 705 | 8.00% |
| 2000 | 7,611 | 68.15% | 3,184 | 28.51% | 373 | 3.34% |
| 2004 | 10,276 | 72.37% | 3,789 | 26.68% | 134 | 0.94% |
| 2008 | 12,120 | 70.57% | 4,825 | 28.09% | 229 | 1.33% |
| 2012 | 13,098 | 73.34% | 4,421 | 24.76% | 340 | 1.90% |
| 2016 | 13,425 | 65.96% | 5,581 | 27.42% | 1,347 | 6.62% |
| 2020 | 16,595 | 65.87% | 8,162 | 32.40% | 436 | 1.73% |
| 2024 | 18,424 | 67.31% | 8,620 | 31.49% | 326 | 1.19% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 17,108 | 68.05% | 7,465 | 29.69% | 569 | 2.26% |
| 2020 | 16,220 | 68.90% | 7,322 | 31.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 9,914 | 39.80% | 5,448 | 21.87% | 9,547 | 38.33% |
| 2020 | 16,041 | 68.15% | 7,496 | 31.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2022 | 14,681 | 65.88% | 6,987 | 31.36% | 615 | 2.76% |
| 2022 | 13,543 | 67.23% | 6,600 | 32.77% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 16,553 | 73.64% | 5,783 | 25.73% | 142 | 0.63% |
Education
Oconee County School District
The Oconee County School District provides education for grades pre-school to twelve and consists of six elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. The district has 361 full-time teachers and over 5,615 students.
Private schools
There are currently three private schools located in the county. They are:
Colleges and universities
The University of North Georgia maintains a satellite campus near Watkinsville. It was a Gainesville State College campus until the 2012 merger of Gainesville State College with North Georgia College and State University.
The College of Athens (CoA) is a private Christian college that was established in 2012 near Watkinsville. CoA currently offers certificates, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in nine various major areas.
Media
There is one weekly-published newspaper in Oconee County: .
Cox Media Group also operates a radio broadcast facility on Tower Place in northeast Oconee County. Four radio stations are operated from this facility:
- WNGC 106.1 FM
- WGMG 102.1 FM (Magic 102.1)
- WPUP 100.1 FM (Power 100.1)
- WRFC 960 AM (The Ref)
Transportation
Major highways
- U.S. Route 29
- U.S. Route 78
- U.S. Route 78 Business
- U.S. Route 129
- U.S. Route 129 Business
- U.S. Route 441
- U.S. Route 441 Business
- State Route 8
- State Route 10
- State Route 10 Loop
- State Route 15
- State Route 24
- State Route 24 Business
- State Route 53
- State Route 186
- State Route 316
- State Route 422
Pedestrians and cycling
The city has limited walkability options available. However, since 2017 plans are being discussed to develop a multi-use trail network.
Notable people
- Nathan Crawford Barnett, member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Secretary of State for more than 30 years.
- Phil Campbell, farmer
- Adam Frazier, Baltimore Orioles second baseman
- Gavin Adcock, country music singer
- John Wes Townley, former NASCAR Driver
- Joe Scelfo, college football coach
See also
External links
33°50′N 83°26′W/33.84°N 83.44°W/ 33.84; -83.44