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Banks County, Georgia facts for kids

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Banks County
Banks County courthouse in Homer
Banks County courthouse in Homer
Official seal of Banks County
Seal
Map of Georgia highlighting Banks County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Georgia
Founded February 1, 1859; 165 years ago (1859-02-01)
Named for Richard Banks
Seat Homer
Largest city Baldwin
Area
 • Total 234 sq mi (610 km2)
 • Land 232 sq mi (600 km2)
 • Water 1.8 sq mi (5 km2)  0.8%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2020)
19,352
 • Density 79/sq mi (31/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 9th

Banks County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,395. The county seat is Homer. The Old Banks County Courthouse is located in Homer and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A new county courthouse was constructed adjacent to the old one in 1983.

History

The law to establish Banks County was passed by the Georgia General Assembly on December, 11, 1858. It was named for Dr. Richard E. Banks. The legislation called for the creation of Banks County on February 1, 1859, from Franklin and Habersham Counties.

Ty Cobb, a Baseball Hall of Famer, was born in Banks County in 1886 in an area of the county known as The Narrows - a small farming community consisting of fewer than 100 people. The area and birthplace are on State Highway 105 in the northern part of the county near the Broad River. The legal organ for the county is The Banks County News, a member of Mainstreet News, Inc. One of the county's oldest church sites is the Hebron Presbyterian Church, established in 1796. Banks County is the home of the Atlanta Dragway, located near Banks Crossing. Banks County is also known for being the home of the former world's largest Easter Egg Hunt. (The 50th annual egg hunt in 2009 was the final)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 234 square miles (610 km2), of which 232 square miles (600 km2) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) (0.8%) is water. Banks County is entirely located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.

Major highways

  • I-85.svg Interstate 85
  • US 441.svg U.S. Route 441
  • Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
  • Georgia 51.svg State Route 51
  • Georgia 52.svg State Route 52
  • Georgia 59.svg State Route 59
  • Georgia 63.svg State Route 63
  • Georgia 98.svg State Route 98
  • Georgia 105.svg State Route 105
  • Georgia 164.svg State Route 164
  • Georgia 184.svg State Route 184
  • Georgia 198.svg State Route 198
  • Georgia 323.svg State Route 323
  • Georgia 326.svg State Route 326
  • Georgia 403.svg State Route 403 (hidden designation for I-85)

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Chattahoochee National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 4,707
1870 4,973 5.7%
1880 7,337 47.5%
1890 8,562 16.7%
1900 10,545 23.2%
1910 11,244 6.6%
1920 11,814 5.1%
1930 9,703 −17.9%
1940 8,733 −10.0%
1950 6,935 −20.6%
1960 6,497 −6.3%
1970 6,833 5.2%
1980 8,702 27.4%
1990 10,308 18.5%
2000 14,422 39.9%
2010 18,395 27.5%
2020 (est.) 19,352 5.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2019

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 18,395 people, 6,700 households, and 5,100 families living in the county. The population density was 79.3 inhabitants per square mile (30.6/km2). There were 7,595 housing units at an average density of 32.7 per square mile (12.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% white, 2.3% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 3.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.7% were American, 8.5% were Irish, and 8.5% were English.

Of the 6,700 households, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.9% were non-families, and 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age was 38.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,455 and the median income for a family was $48,606. Males had a median income of $41,444 versus $26,998 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,497. About 13.0% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

Banks County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White 15,578 86.38%
Black or African American 394 2.18%
Native American 54 0.3%
Asian 189 1.05%
Pacific Islander 8 0.04%
Other/Mixed 648 3.59%
Hispanic or Latino 1,164 6.45%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 18,035 people, 6,740 households, and 4,875 families residing in the county.

Communities

  • Alto (partly in Habersham County)
  • Banks Crossing
  • Baldwin (partly in Habersham County)
  • Gillsville (partly in Hall County)
  • Hollingsworth
  • Homer
  • Lula (partly in Hall County)
  • Maysville (partly in Jackson County)
  • Grove Level

Education

The Banks County School District is a public school district that services Banks County, and is based in Homer. There are four schools in the district, which educate 2,788 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.[5]

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Banks para niños

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