Grady County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,236. The county seat is Cairo.

History

Grady County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on August 17, 1905, from portions of Decatur and Thomas counties. The county is named for Henry W. Grady, editor of the Atlanta Constitution and noted orator.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.2%) is water.

The bulk of Grady County, centered on Cairo, is located on the Upper Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. The county's northwestern corner is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). Grady County's western border, from Whigham south, and all of its southern border, is located in the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin. Finally, a very small chunk of the county's southeastern portion, bisected by U.S. Route 319, is located in the Apalachee Bay-St. Marks sub-basin of the Ochlockonee River basin.

Grady County includes part of the Red Hills Region.

Major highways

  • 20px U.S. Route 84
  • 25px U.S. Route 319
  • 20px State Route 35
  • 20px State Route 38
  • 20px State Route 38 Spur
  • 20px State Route 93
  • 25px State Route 111
  • 25px State Route 112
  • 25px State Route 188
  • 20px State Route 262

Adjacent counties

  • Mitchell County - north
  • Thomas County - east
  • Leon County, Florida - south
  • Gadsden County, Florida - southwest
  • Decatur County - west

Communities

Cities

  • Cairo
  • Whigham

Census-designated place

  • Calvary

Unincorporated communities

  • Beachton
  • Spence

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Grady County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>

!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|-

|White alone (NH)

|13,354

|13,538

|14,954

|14,879

|style='background: #ffffe6; |14,715

|67.29%

|66.76%

|63.21%

|59.49%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |56.09%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|6,214

|6,356

|7,074

|7,129

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7,285

|31.31%

|31.34%

|29.90%

|28.50%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |27.77%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|108

|75

|185

|135

|style='background: #ffffe6; |89

|0.54%

|0.37%

|0.78%

|0.54%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.34%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|17

|19

|72

|94

|style='background: #ffffe6; |110

|0.09%

|0.09%

|0.30%

|0.38%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.42%

|-

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|x

|x

|1

|10

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6

|x

|x

|0.00%

|0.04%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|5

|2

|5

|31

|style='background: #ffffe6; |86

|0.03%

|0.01%

|0.02%

|0.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.33%

|-

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|x

|x

|146

|233

|style='background: #ffffe6; |672

|x

|x

|0.62%

|0.93%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.56%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|147

|289

|1,222

|2,500

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,273

|0.74%

|1.43%

|5.17%

|10.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |12.48%

|-

|Total

|19,845

|20,279

|23,659

|25,011

|style='background: #ffffe6; |26,236

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

|}

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 26,236, along with 10,316 households and 6,320 families residing there.

The median age was 40.6 years, 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 92.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 57.4% White, 28.0% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 8.0% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 12.5% of the population.

Of those households, 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Grady County is part of District 171.

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See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Grady County, Georgia
  • List of counties in Georgia

References

  • Grady County historical marker
  • GeorgiaInfo Grady County Courthouse history
  • The New Georgia Encyclopedia entry for Grady County