Upson County, Georgia
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Upson County is a county in the West Central region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,700. The county seat is Thomaston. The county was created on December 15, 1824.
Upson County comprises the Thomaston, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs CSA.
History
Upson County was formed in 1824 and named after Stephen Upson, a state legislator.
Emancipation Day
On May 29, 1865, following the conclusion of the American Civil War, enslaved African Americans in the county were notified in Thomaston that they had been emancipated. By the following year, celebrations were held on that date, which continue to this day. It is considered one of the largest Emancipation Day celebrations in Georgia and one of the oldest continuously celebrated ones in the United States.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 328 square miles (850 km2), of which 323 square miles (840 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km2) (1.3%) is water. Upson County boasts the lowest average summer humidity in the state.
The vast majority of Upson County is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin), with just a tiny northeastern corner of the county, north of Yatesville, located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.
Major highways
- U.S. Route 19
- U.S. Route 80
- State Route 3
- State Route 22
- State Route 36
- State Route 74
- State Route 74 Alternate
Adjacent counties
- Lamar County - north
- Pike County - north
- Monroe County - east
- Crawford County - southeast
- Taylor County - south
- Talbot County - southwest
- Meriwether County - northwest
Communities
City
Town
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 7,013 | — | |
| 1840 | 9,408 | 34.2% | |
| 1850 | 9,424 | 0.2% | |
| 1860 | 9,910 | 5.2% | |
| 1870 | 9,430 | −4.8% | |
| 1880 | 12,400 | 31.5% | |
| 1890 | 12,188 | −1.7% | |
| 1900 | 13,670 | 12.2% | |
| 1910 | 12,757 | −6.7% | |
| 1920 | 14,786 | 15.9% | |
| 1930 | 19,509 | 31.9% | |
| 1940 | 25,064 | 28.5% | |
| 1950 | 25,078 | 0.1% | |
| 1960 | 23,800 | −5.1% | |
| 1970 | 23,505 | −1.2% | |
| 1980 | 25,998 | 10.6% | |
| 1990 | 26,300 | 1.2% | |
| 2000 | 27,597 | 4.9% | |
| 2010 | 27,153 | −1.6% | |
| 2020 | 27,700 | 2.0% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 28,500 | 2.9% | |
| 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) | 18,716 | 18,833 | 19,271 | 18,522 | 18,009 | 71.99% | 71.61% | 69.83% | 68.21% | 65.01% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 7,083 | 7,266 | 7,675 | 7,544 | 7,851 | 27.24% | 27.63% | 27.81% | 27.78% | 28.34% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 15 | 34 | 67 | 61 | 63 | 0.06% | 0.13% | 0.24% | 0.22% | 0.23% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 40 | 63 | 102 | 124 | 151 | 0.15% | 0.24% | 0.37% | 0.46% | 0.55% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x | x | 6 | 3 | 1 | x | x | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 4 | 6 | 11 | 19 | 106 | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.07% | 0.38% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x | x | 138 | 292 | 886 | x | x | 0.50% | 1.08% | 3.20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 140 | 98 | 327 | 588 | 633 | 0.54% | 0.37% | 1.18% | 2.17% | 2.29% |
| Total | 25,998 | 26,300 | 27,597 | 27,153 | 27,700 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 27,700, 11,173 households, and 6,100 families residing in the county. The median age was 42.7 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.0 males age 18 and over. 53.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 46.7% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 65.5% White, 28.5% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.3% from some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.3% of the population.
There were 11,173 households in the county, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 33.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 12,301 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 62.1% were owner-occupied and 37.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%.
Politics
As of the 2020s, Upson County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 70% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Upson County is part of Georgia's 3rd congressional district, currently represented by Brian Jack. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Upson County is part of District 18. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Upson County is part of District 134.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 7 | 1.19% | 445 | 75.42% | 138 | 23.39% |
| 1916 | 18 | 1.78% | 734 | 72.60% | 259 | 25.62% |
| 1920 | 170 | 15.08% | 957 | 84.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 37 | 6.37% | 484 | 83.30% | 60 | 10.33% |
| 1928 | 221 | 23.46% | 721 | 76.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 20 | 1.19% | 1,660 | 98.57% | 4 | 0.24% |
| 1936 | 138 | 8.57% | 1,471 | 91.37% | 1 | 0.06% |
| 1940 | 159 | 6.64% | 2,235 | 93.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 243 | 9.33% | 2,362 | 90.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 262 | 8.75% | 2,432 | 81.26% | 299 | 9.99% |
| 1952 | 648 | 14.45% | 3,837 | 85.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 712 | 17.22% | 3,422 | 82.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,001 | 23.48% | 3,262 | 76.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 3,103 | 48.61% | 3,275 | 51.30% | 6 | 0.09% |
| 1968 | 1,494 | 22.73% | 1,480 | 22.52% | 3,599 | 54.75% |
| 1972 | 4,892 | 84.52% | 896 | 15.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,897 | 40.71% | 4,219 | 59.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 2,788 | 36.52% | 4,713 | 61.73% | 134 | 1.76% |
| 1984 | 4,803 | 62.01% | 2,943 | 37.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 4,614 | 63.05% | 2,666 | 36.43% | 38 | 0.52% |
| 1992 | 4,053 | 45.03% | 3,740 | 41.55% | 1,208 | 13.42% |
| 1996 | 3,783 | 47.08% | 3,491 | 43.45% | 761 | 9.47% |
| 2000 | 5,019 | 60.60% | 3,158 | 38.13% | 105 | 1.27% |
| 2004 | 6,634 | 65.72% | 3,424 | 33.92% | 36 | 0.36% |
| 2008 | 7,291 | 63.77% | 4,061 | 35.52% | 82 | 0.72% |
| 2012 | 7,230 | 64.10% | 3,959 | 35.10% | 90 | 0.80% |
| 2016 | 7,292 | 66.69% | 3,475 | 31.78% | 167 | 1.53% |
| 2020 | 8,606 | 66.68% | 4,203 | 32.56% | 98 | 0.76% |
| 2024 | 9,528 | 69.74% | 4,098 | 30.00% | 36 | 0.26% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 8,568 | 66.32% | 4,000 | 30.96% | 351 | 2.72% |
| 2020 | 8,498 | 68.92% | 3,833 | 31.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 4,239 | 33.30% | 3,079 | 24.19% | 5,411 | 42.51% |
| 2020 | 8,608 | 67.20% | 4,201 | 32.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2022 | 6,685 | 66.42% | 3,173 | 31.53% | 206 | 2.05% |
| 2022 | 6,043 | 67.78% | 2,872 | 32.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 7,096 | 70.01% | 2,969 | 29.29% | 70 | 0.69% |
Education
The Thomaston-Upson County School District has four schools, including the Upson-Lee High School.
Notable people
See also
32°53′N 84°18′W/32.88°N 84.30°W/ 32.88; -84.30