Newton County, Georgia

Newton County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,483.[1] The county seat is Covington.[2] Newton County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA.

Newton County
Newton County Courthouse
Newton County Courthouse
Flag of Newton County
Official seal of Newton County
Map of Georgia highlighting Newton County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°35′57″N 83°51′31″W / 33.599243°N 83.858729°W / 33.599243; -83.858729
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedDecember 24, 1821; 203 years ago (1821)
Named forJohn Newton
SeatCovington
Largest cityCovington
Area
 • Total
279 sq mi (720 km2)
 • Land272 sq mi (700 km2)
 • Water7.0 sq mi (18 km2)  2.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
112,483
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts4th, 10th
Websiteco.newton.ga.us

History

edit

Newton county is named after Sgt. John Newton, who served under Gen. Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox", in the American Revolutionary War. It was created on December 24, 1821.[3]

During the American Civil War, the county provided the Lamar Infantry, which was a part of Cobb's Legion. The 1860 census shows the enslaved population was nearly half, 45.2 percent.[4] Newton County adjoins Jasper County: Georgia is one of many states that have a Newton County and a Jasper County that border each other.

In late 1978, the first five episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard were filmed in and around Covington, Georgia. The TV series In The Heat of the Night was filmed in Covington from 1988 to 1995. Also, in Remember the Titans, there were many scenes shot on "The Square" and the final football scene was shot at Homer Sharp Stadium, which is located near downtown Covington. Currently part of the new series The Vampire Diaries is being filmed on "The Square". Additionally, major films including My Cousin Vinny, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and Halloween II, Rob Zombie's sequel to his 2007 film Halloween, were also filmed near and around "The Square" in downtown Covington.

Newton County claims to be the birthplace of Georgia 4-H. Actually, the Girls Canning and Boys Corn Clubs in 1904 by G.C. Adams was renamed the 4-H Club in 1906, after the original 4-H Club that opened in Iowa in 1905.

Geography

edit

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 279 square miles (720 km2), of which 272 square miles (700 km2) is land and 7.0 square miles (18 km2) (2.5%) is water.[5] The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.

The majority of Newton County is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. A small eastern portion of the county, from southwest of Social Circle to southwest of Newborn, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin.[6]

Major highways

edit

Adjacent counties

edit

Communities

edit

Cities

edit

Towns

edit

Unincorporated community

edit

Demographics

edit
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
183011,155
184011,6284.2%
185013,29614.3%
186014,3207.7%
187014,6152.1%
188013,623−6.8%
189014,3105.0%
190016,73416.9%
191018,44910.2%
192021,68017.5%
193017,290−20.2%
194018,5767.4%
195020,1858.7%
196020,9994.0%
197026,28225.2%
198034,48931.2%
199041,80821.2%
200062,00148.3%
201099,95861.2%
2020112,48312.5%
2023 (est.)120,135[7]6.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1880[9] 1890-1910[10]
1920-1930[11] 1930-1940[12]
1940-1950[13] 1960-1980[14]
1980-2000[15] 2010[16] 2020[17]
Newton County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[18] Pop 2010[16] Pop 2020[17] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 46,007 51,995 46,746 74.20% 52.02% 41.56%
Black or African American alone (NH) 13,690 40,371 52,246 22.08% 40.39% 46.45%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 131 199 175 0.21% 0.20% 0.16%
Asian alone (NH) 444 881 1,044 0.72% 0.88% 0.93%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 9 34 114 0.01% 0.03% 0.10%
Other race alone (NH) 70 169 734 0.11% 0.17% 0.65%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 493 1,674 4,260 0.80% 1.67% 3.79%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,157 4,635 7,164 1.87% 4.64% 6.37%
Total 62,001 99,958 112,483 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 112,483 people, 37,867 households, and 28,095 families residing in the county.

Education

edit

Most of Newton County is in the Newton County School System. Portions in Social Circle are in the Social Circle City School District.[19]

Politics

edit

For the first half of the 20th century, Newton County followed the regular Solid South pattern of voting Democratic. It would later become a state bellwether from 1968 to 2004—meaning that Newton's voting was an accurate predictor of the overall statewide winner. From 2008 to 2016 Newton had been narrowly won by Democrats thanks to its location within the Atlanta metro and the influx of progressive voters both the region and Newton have experienced in recent years. This margin ballooned to a double digit percentage in 2020 as Joe Biden flipped the state as a whole back into the Democratic column.

United States presidential election results for Newton County, Georgia[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 23,869 43.99% 29,789 54.90% 605 1.11%
2016 20,913 47.27% 21,943 49.60% 1,382 3.12%
2012 20,982 48.45% 21,851 50.45% 476 1.10%
2008 20,337 49.03% 20,827 50.21% 318 0.77%
2004 18,095 61.99% 10,939 37.47% 157 0.54%
2000 11,127 60.56% 6,703 36.48% 545 2.97%
1996 7,274 47.10% 6,759 43.77% 1,410 9.13%
1992 5,804 42.49% 5,811 42.54% 2,044 14.96%
1988 5,809 64.77% 3,111 34.69% 49 0.55%
1984 5,810 63.16% 3,389 36.84% 0 0.00%
1980 3,206 35.40% 5,611 61.96% 239 2.64%
1976 2,137 25.35% 6,294 74.65% 0 0.00%
1972 4,647 77.10% 1,380 22.90% 0 0.00%
1968 1,660 24.87% 1,998 29.93% 3,017 45.20%
1964 2,678 42.52% 3,620 57.48% 0 0.00%
1960 708 18.19% 3,185 81.81% 0 0.00%
1956 532 14.13% 3,232 85.87% 0 0.00%
1952 431 10.88% 3,529 89.12% 0 0.00%
1948 243 9.72% 2,113 84.52% 144 5.76%
1944 123 5.73% 2,022 94.27% 0 0.00%
1940 95 5.90% 1,512 93.85% 4 0.25%
1936 123 5.79% 1,994 93.79% 9 0.42%
1932 45 2.61% 1,672 96.82% 10 0.58%
1928 698 44.43% 873 55.57% 0 0.00%
1924 139 14.63% 716 75.37% 95 10.00%
1920 349 31.67% 753 68.33% 0 0.00%
1916 39 3.60% 943 86.99% 102 9.41%
1912 43 4.57% 840 89.36% 57 6.06%
1908 303 30.15% 643 63.98% 59 5.87%
1904 354 25.99% 928 68.14% 80 5.87%
1900 294 26.56% 790 71.36% 23 2.08%
1896 580 36.05% 973 60.47% 56 3.48%
1892 611 36.41% 1,005 59.89% 62 3.69%
1888 398 32.65% 788 64.64% 33 2.71%
1884 792 49.69% 802 50.31% 0 0.00%
1880 581 43.88% 743 56.12% 0 0.00%
Board of Commissioners
District Commissioner Party
CHAIR (at-large) Marcello Banes (chairman) Democratic
District 1 Stan Edwards Republican
District 2 T. Demond Mason Democratic
District 3 Alana Sanders Democratic
District 4 J.C. Henderson Democratic
District 5 Ronnie Cowan Republican

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 158. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2003.
  4. ^ "Big Slavery Map Slate.com".
  5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  7. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  8. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
  9. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  10. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
  11. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  12. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  13. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  14. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  15. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  16. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Newton County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  17. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Newton County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  18. ^ "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Newton County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  19. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Newton County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 7, 2023. - Text list
  20. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
edit

33°35′57″N 83°51′31″W / 33.599243°N 83.858729°W / 33.599243; -83.858729