Manchester is a city in Meriwether and Talbot counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, although primarily in Meriwether. The population was 3,584 at the 2020 census, The city was named after Manchester, England. Even today, the railroad remains an important fixture in Manchester as CSX Transportation maintains a rail yard in the city, newly renovated in 2019.
Geography
Manchester is located in west central Georgia, primarily in southeastern Meriwether County, with a small portion extending south into extreme northern Talbot County. The city is located in the Piedmont physiographic region, with its downtown lying at an elevation of ~ above sea level. The ridge of Pine Mountain runs along Manchester's southern edge, rising to an elevation of nearly above sea level.
Georgia State Route 41 and Georgia State Route 85 intersect in the middle of Manchester. Georgia 41 leads southeast to Woodland and northwest to Warm Springs. Georgia 41 also connects Manchester to its two county seats, north to the Meriwether County seat of Greenville and south also to Talbotton, the Talbot County seat. Georgia 85 heads southwest from Manchester to Waverly Hall and to Columbus and north to Woodbury. Atlanta is north of Manchester, most directly via Georgia 85 and I-75. Georgia 85 intersects Georgia 190 in the southern part of the city, which leads west along the scenic Pine Mountain ridge to U.S. Route 27 just south of the city of Pine Mountain.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Manchester has a total area of , of which , or 0.45%, are water.<br> 1850-1870 1880<br> 1890-1910 1920-1930<br> 1930-1940 1940-1950<br> 1960-19801980-2000
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200px|thumb|right|The Manchester Community Building was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Meriwether County, Georgia|National Register of Historic Places on January 28, 2002.]]
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Manchester had a population of 3,584. The median age was 39.8 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 78.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 73.0 males age 18 and over.
There were 1,509 households in Manchester, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 31.5% were married-couple households, 17.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 44.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Residents in Talbot County are in the Talbot County School District.
Notable people
- Bill Mathis, former Clemson and Super Bowl-winning New York Jets football player
- Stuart Woods, novelist. Manchester, dubbed Delano, was the setting for his first best-seller, Chiefs, and most of his subsequent books have a character who comes from the city.