Thomas County, Georgia

Thomas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 45,798. The county seat is Thomasville. Thomas County comprises the Thomasville, GA micropolitan statistical area.

History

Thomas County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 23, 1825, from portions of Decatur and Irwin Counties. Colquitt (1856), Brooks (1858), and Grady (1905) Counties all were formed partially from lands within Thomas County's original borders.

The county is named for Jett Thomas, an officer in the War of 1812 who is also known for overseeing the construction of the first building at the University of Georgia (originally referred to as Franklin College and known today as Old College) as well as the state capital at Milledgeville.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.4%) is water.

The northwestern half of Thomas County, bordered by U.S. Route 319 southwest of Thomasville, and a line that ends up bisecting the distance between Coolidge and Pavo in the northeast, is located in the Upper Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. The northeastern edge of the county, from north of Pavo to Boston, is located in the Withlacoochee River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The southeastern portion of Thomas County, running southeast from Thomasville, is located in the Aucilla River sub-basin of the larger Aucilla-Waccasassa basin. Almost all of the southwestern portion of the county is located in the Apalachee Bay-St. Marks sub-basin of the Ochlockonee River basin, except for the tiny southwesternmost corner, which is located in the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin.

The Aucilla River rises in Thomas County. The Red Hills Region is centered on Thomas County.

Major highways

20px U.S. Route 19
20px U.S. Route 84
20px 20px U.S. Route 84 Business
23px U.S. Route 319
20px State Route 3
20px State Route 3 Alternate
20px State Route 33
20px State Route 35
20px State Route 35 Connector
20px State Route 38
20px State Route 38 Business
23px State Route 111
23px State Route 122
23px State Route 188
23px State Route 202
23px State Route 300

Adjacent counties

Colquitt County - northeast
Brooks County - east
Jefferson County, Florida - south
Leon County, Florida - southwest
Grady County - west
Mitchell County - northwest

Communities

Cities

Barwick (partly in Brooks County)
Boston
Coolidge
Meigs (partly in Mitchell County)
Pavo (partly in Brooks County)
Thomasville

Town

Ochlocknee

Unincorporated community

Metcalfe

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

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

|+Thomas County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!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)

|23,234

|23,816

|24,875

|26,081

|style='background: #ffffe6; |25,994

|60.98%

|61.09%

|58.20%

|58.32%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |56.76%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|14,358

|14,719

|16,497

|16,416

|style='background: #ffffe6; |16,259

|37.69%

|37.75%

|38.60%

|36.71%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |35.50%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|50

|93

|116

|166

|style='background: #ffffe6; |150

|0.13%

|0.24%

|0.27%

|0.37%

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

|Asian alone (NH)

|43

|62

|172

|306

|style='background: #ffffe6; |406

|0.11%

|0.16%

|0.40%

|0.68%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.89%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|14

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9

|0.03%

|0.02%

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

|Other race alone (NH)

|35

|26

|49

|style='background: #ffffe6; |124

|0.09%

|0.02%

|0.06%

|0.11%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.27%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|303

|420

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,279

|0.71%

|0.94%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.79%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|378

|289

|734

|1,275

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,577

|0.99%

|0.74%

|1.72%

|2.85%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.44%

|Total

|38,098

|38,986

|42,737

|44,720

|style='background: #ffffe6; |45,798

|100.00%

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

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 45,798 in 18,440 households, including 12,161 families.

The median age was 40.8 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 female,s there were 90.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males age 18 and over.

55.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 44.9% lived in rural areas.

Among those households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, and 34.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Thomasville City School District (areas in Thomasville City)
Thomas County School District (areas not in Thomasville City)

Private schools:

Brookwood School

Politics

As of the 2020s, Thomas County is a Republican stronghold, voting 62% for Donald Trump in 2024. Similar to other Georgia counties on the Florida border, Thomas County is reliably Republican in presidential elections, having last voted for a Democrat in 1980 when the Democratic candidate was native Georgian Jimmy Carter.

For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Thomas County is part of Georgia's 2nd congressional district, currently represented by Sanford Bishop. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Thomas County is part of District 11. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Thomas County is part of District 172 and 173.

References

External links

Thomas County
University of Georgia Thomas County Cooperative Extension Website
Thomasville Landmarks - Historic preservation organization
Thomas County Historical Society & Museum of History