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Houston County
Houston County courthouse in Perry
Houston County courthouse in Perry
Map of Georgia highlighting Houston 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 May 15, 1821; 202 years ago (1821-05-15)
Named for John Houstoun
Seat Perry
Largest city Warner Robins
Area
 • Total 380 sq mi (1,000 km2)
 • Land 376 sq mi (970 km2)
 • Water 4.4 sq mi (11 km2)  1.2%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2020)
163,633
 • Density 373/sq mi (144/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 8th

Houston County ( HOW-stən) is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The estimated 2019 population is 157,863. Its county seat is Perry, although the city of Warner Robins is substantially larger in both area and population.

The county was created on May 15, 1821, along with 4 other counties in the state, and later reduced in size with the formation of Bibb, Crawford, Pike, Macon, and Peach counties. It was named after Georgia governor John Houstoun, with the spelling being a common 19th-century variation that later evolved to "Houston". The pronunciation, however, remains to this day "howston." The geographic center of the county was given the name Wattsville, which was later changed to Perry.

Houston County is included in the Warner Robins, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is included in the Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley Combined Statistical Area. Flat Creek Public Fishing Area is in Houston County, south west of Perry.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 380 square miles (980 km2), of which 376 square miles (970 km2) is land and 4.4 square miles (11 km2) (1.2%) is water.

The vast majority of Houston County is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The very northern edge of the county, north of Centerville and Warner Robins, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The very southwestern corner of Houston County, well west of Interstate 75, is located in the Middle Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).

Major highways

  • I-75.svg Interstate 75
  • US 41.svg U.S. Route 41
  • US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
  • US 341.svg U.S. Route 341
  • Georgia 7.svg State Route 7
  • Georgia 7 Spur.svg State Route 7 Spur
  • Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
  • Georgia 11 Business.svg State Route 11 Business
  • Georgia 11 Connector.svg State Route 11 Connector
  • Georgia 26.svg State Route 26
  • Georgia 49.svg State Route 49
  • Georgia 96.svg State Route 96
  • Georgia 127.svg State Route 127
  • Georgia 224.svg State Route 224
  • Georgia 247.svg State Route 247
  • Georgia 247 Connector.svg State Route 247 Connector
  • Georgia 247 Spur.svg State Route 247 Spur
  • Georgia 329.svg State Route 329
  • Georgia 401.svg State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 7,369
1840 9,711 31.8%
1850 16,450 69.4%
1860 15,611 −5.1%
1870 20,406 30.7%
1880 22,414 9.8%
1890 21,613 −3.6%
1900 22,641 4.8%
1910 23,609 4.3%
1920 21,964 −7.0%
1930 11,280 −48.6%
1940 11,303 0.2%
1950 20,964 85.5%
1960 39,154 86.8%
1970 62,924 60.7%
1980 77,605 23.3%
1990 89,208 15.0%
2000 110,765 24.2%
2010 139,900 26.3%
2020 163,633 17.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2019

2020 census

Houston County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 86,211 52.69%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 51,992 31.77%
Native American 339 0.21%
Asian 4,905 3.0%
Pacific Islander 124 0.08%
Other/Mixed 8,255 5.04%
Hispanic or Latino 11,807 7.22%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 163,633 people, 58,417 households, and 39,810 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 139,900 people, 53,051 households, and 37,874 families residing in the county. The population density was 372.5 inhabitants per square mile (143.8/km2). There were 58,325 housing units at an average density of 155.3 per square mile (60.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 63.3% white, 28.6% black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 12.9% were American, 10.3% were German, 10.0% were English, and 9.1% were Irish.

Of the 53,051 households, 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.6% were non-families, and 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 34.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $55,098 and the median income for a family was $67,227. Males had a median income of $47,557 versus $34,239 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,206. About 10.3% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Census-designated place

  • Robins Air Force Base

Education

Houston County Board of Education, Perry
Houston County Schools headquarters

Houston County Schools operates public schools.

Flat Creek Public Fishing Area sign
Flat Creek Public Fishing Area

Transportation

Major highways

  • I-75.svg Interstate 75
  • US 41.svg U.S. Route 41
  • US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
  • US 341.svg U.S. Route 341
  • Georgia 7.svg State Route 7
  • Georgia 7 Spur.svg State Route 7 Spur
  • Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
  • Georgia 11 Business.svg State Route 11 Business
  • Georgia 11 Connector.svg State Route 11 Connector
  • Georgia 26.svg State Route 26
  • Georgia 49.svg State Route 49
  • Georgia 96.svg State Route 96
  • Georgia 127.svg State Route 127
  • Georgia 224.svg State Route 224
  • Georgia 247.svg State Route 247
  • Georgia 247 Connector.svg State Route 247 Connector
  • Georgia 247 Spur.svg State Route 247 Spur
  • Georgia 329.svg State Route 329
  • Georgia 401.svg State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)

Pedestrians and cycling

  • Big Indian Creek Trail (Proposed)
  • Walker's Pond Trail
  • Wellston Trail
  • The Walk at Sandy Run Creek

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Houston (Georgia) para niños

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