Lincoln County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,690. The county seat is Lincolnton. The county was created on February 20, 1796. Lincoln County is included in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metropolitan statistical area, the Savannah River forming its northeastern border. Located above the fall line, it is part of the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) and a member of the CSRA Regional Development Center.
History
On February 20, 1796, Lincoln County was established as the twenty-fourth county in the state of Georgia. Before then, its territory was part of Wilkes County, now on its western side. The new county was named after General Benjamin Lincoln (1733–1810), a Revolutionary War hero notable for receiving Gen. Cornwallis's sword at Yorktown, Virginia.
On January 22, 1852, the legislature changed the location of the line between Wilkes County and Lincoln County, although there is no extant record as to why the legislature made the change.
From before the American Revolutionary War until the 1950s, Lincoln County was primarily a farming and agricultural area. The development and creation of Clarks Hill Dam created a large reservoir that covered portions of Lincoln and nearby counties. Developers have created many residential neighborhoods and subdivisions in areas near the lake.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (18.2%) is water. The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state just above the fall line of the eastern United States.
The bulk of Lincoln County, from just south of Lincolnton heading north, is located in the Upper Savannah River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin, with the exception of a tiny sliver of the northernmost section of the county, which is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the larger Savannah River basin. The southern portion of the county is located in the Little River sub-basin of the same Savannah River basin.
Major highways
- 24px U.S. Route 378
- 20px State Route 43
- 20px State Route 43 Connector
- 20px State Route 44
- 20px State Route 47
- 20px State Route 79
- 23px State Route 220
Adjacent counties
- Elbert County, Georgia - north
- McCormick County, South Carolina - northeast
- Columbia County, Georgia - south
- McDuffie County, Georgia - southwest
- Wilkes County, Georgia - west
Communities
City
- Lincolnton
Unincorporated community
- Chennault
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Lincoln 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)
|3,820
|4,573
|5,321
|5,201
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,196
|56.88%
|61.45%
|63.74%
|65.05%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |67.57%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|2,795
|2,801
|2,857
|2,562
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,116
|41.62%
|37.64%
|34.22%
|32.04%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |27.52%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|3
|3
|30
|27
|style='background: #ffffe6; |18
|0.04%
|0.04%
|0.36%
|0.34%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.23%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|6
|9
|7
|32
|style='background: #ffffe6; |20
|0.09%
|0.12%
|0.08%
|0.40%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.26%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|x
|x
|4
|1
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3
|x
|x
|0.05%
|0.01%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.04%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|0
|0
|3
|9
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10
|0.00%
|0.00%
|0.04%
|0.11%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.13%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|x
|x
|45
|66
|style='background: #ffffe6; |235
|x
|x
|0.54%
|0.83%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.06%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|92
|56
|81
|98
|style='background: #ffffe6; |92
|1.37%
|0.75%
|0.97%
|1.23%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.20%
|-
|Total
|6,716
|7,442
|8,348
|7,996
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7,690
|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 7,690 and 2,142 families residing in the county. The median age was 48.7 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.5 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 68.1% White, 27.6% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.3% from some other race, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.2% of the population.
There were 3,245 households in the county, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Lincoln County is part of district District 123.
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Education
The Lincoln County School District has three schools, including the Lincoln County High School.
See also
- Central Savannah River Area
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Georgia
- List of counties in Georgia
References
Further reading
- Perryman, Clinton J. History of Lincoln County, Georgia, Tignall, GA: 1985
External links
- "Lincoln County Red Devils"
- "Biography", The Lewis Family Singers Website
- [https://www.jeffandsherieaster.com/] Jeff & Sheri Easter
- Lincoln County Georgia Government
- Georgia Historic Commission Markers in Lincoln County