| Towns County, Georgia | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Georgia |
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 Georgia's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | information needed |
|---|---|
| Seat | Hiawassee |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
172 sq mi (446 km²) 167 sq mi (432 km²) 5 sq mi (14 km²), |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
9,319 |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Named for: George W. Towns | |
 Towns County courthouse in Hiawassee, Georgia
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Towns County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on March 6, 1856. As of the 2000 census, the population was 9,319. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,894.[1] Its county seat is Hiawassee.[2]
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History
The County is named for United States lawyer, legislator, and politician George W. Towns.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 172 square miles (446 km²), of which, 167 square miles (432 km²) of it is land and 5 square miles (14 km²) of it (3.11%) is water.
Towns County is located amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains, (part of the Appalachian Mountains), some of which are protected by the Chattahoochee National Forest. Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in Georgia, rises in southwest Towns County, straddling the Union County line. The source of the Hiwassee River is located in eastern Towns County, from which it flows northward into North Carolina. Chatuge Lake, an artificial reservoir created by the completion of Chatuge Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1940s, dominates the northeastern section of Towns County. State Route 515 from north of Atlanta ends here at the North Carolina state line near Young Harris.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Clay County, North Carolina (north)
- Rabun County (east)
- Habersham County (southeast)
- White County (south)
- Union County (west)
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Clay County, North Carolina | |
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| Union County |  |
Rabun County | ||
 Towns County, Georgia  |
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| White County | Habersham County |
National protected area
- Appalachian Trail (part)
- Chattahoochee National Forest (part)
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 9,319 people, 3,998 households, and 2,826 families residing in the county. The population density was 56 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 6,282 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.80% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,998 households out of which 20.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% were married couples living together, 6.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.61.
In the county the population was spread out with 16.30% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 20.50% from 25 to 44, 28.30% from 45 to 64, and 25.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 89.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,950, and the median income for a family was $37,295. Males had a median income of $28,657 versus $21,813 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,221. About 8.80% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over. Towns County is inside the Bible Belt.
Government
Towns County's Sole Commissioner is Bill Kendall, who has served since 2005.[4]
Towns County's Sheriff, Chris Clinton, was elected in a special election in 2007. Sheriff Clinton was re-elected in the general election in 2008, where he ran unopposed after serving only four months in office. He is credited with making Towns County safer by taking a strong stance against illegal drugs and criminal activity. [5]
Cities and towns
Notable natives
- Zell Miller — former Georgia governor and U.S. senator
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ The man in the driver’s seat of Towns County, Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition
- ^ www.townscountysheriffsoffice.com
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