Bleckley County, Georgia

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Bleckley County, Georgia
County
BLECKLEY COUNTY COURTHOUSE.jpg
Bleckley County Courthouse in Cochran
Map of Georgia highlighting Bleckley County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°26′N83°20′W / 32.44°N 83.33°W / 32.44; -83.33
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg Georgia
Founded1912;113 years ago (1912)
Named after Logan Edwin Bleckley
Seat Cochran
Largest cityCochran
Government
 • County CommissionerMike Davis
Area
 • Total
219 sq mi (570 km2)
 • Land216 sq mi (560 km2)
 • Water3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2)  1.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
12,583
 • Density58/sq mi (22/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 8th
Website bleckley.org

Bleckley County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,583. [1] The county seat is Cochran. [2]

Contents

History

The county was named for Logan Edwin Bleckley, a soldier and Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. [3] The state constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed by the Georgia General Assembly on July 30, 1912, and ratified November 5, 1912. Bleckley County was formerly home to Middle Georgia College, the oldest two-year public college in the nation. In 2013 it merged with Macon State College to become Middle Georgia State University. [4]

Bleckley County High School made news in March 2010 for allowing a same-sex couple to attend its senior prom, after another same-sex couple in Mississippi were denied attendance at another senior prom. [5]

Government

Bleckley County is one of eight remaining counties in Georgia that operates under a sole commissioner form of government, with a single county commissioner acting as the county executive and legislative branches. The current County Commissioner is Mike Davis, the Sheriff is Daniel Cape, the Fire Chief is Brock Wilcher, the Clerk of Superior Court is Dianne C. Brown, the Tax Commissioner is Paige Baggs, and the Probate Judge is Hon. Jonathan Fordham.

Bleckly County's sole commissioner form of government was discussed in Holder v. Hall, [6] decided by the United States Supreme Court on June 30, 1994.

Politics

As of the 2020s, Bleckley County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 77% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Bleckley County is part of Georgia's 8th congressional district, currently represented by Austin Scott. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Bleckley County is part of District 20. [7] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Bleckley County is part of district District 133. [8]

United States presidential election results for Bleckley County, Georgia [9]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
№ %№ %№ %
1916 61.57%36294.76%143.66%
1920 00.00%262100.00%00.00%
1924 215.19%36790.62%174.20%
1928 719.97%64190.03%00.00%
1932 372.69%1,33897.24%10.07%
1936 699.58%64990.14%20.28%
1940 10011.26%78588.40%30.34%
1944 21320.72%81579.28%00.00%
1948 718.47%53663.96%23127.57%
1952 18710.97%1,51789.03%00.00%
1956 1368.13%1,53791.87%00.00%
1960 63326.55%1,75173.45%00.00%
1964 2,57872.50%97827.50%00.00%
1968 75620.94%39710.99%2,45868.07%
1972 2,30885.96%37714.04%00.00%
1976 97227.17%2,60572.83%00.00%
1980 1,26136.66%2,01458.55%1654.80%
1984 1,91256.62%1,46543.38%00.00%
1988 1,95062.14%1,17537.44%130.41%
1992 1,57039.69%1,71043.23%67617.09%
1996 1,63249.33%1,36541.26%3119.40%
2000 2,43664.98%1,27333.96%401.07%
2004 3,16770.83%1,28128.65%230.51%
2008 3,65771.93%1,38027.14%470.92%
2012 3,58772.91%1,26925.79%641.30%
2016 3,71974.77%1,10122.14%1543.10%
2020 4,32975.81%1,31222.98%691.21%
2024 4,68577.45%1,33922.14%250.41%

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 219 square miles (570 km2), of which 216 square miles (560 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (1.5%) is water. [10] The county is located in the upper Atlantic coastal plain region of the state.

The eastern quarter of Bleckley County, roughly in a line from west of Danville running southeast, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The central quarter of the county, between Cochran and the previous line, is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The western half of the county, west of Cochran, is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same larger Altamaha River basin. [11]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1920 10,532—
1930 9,133−13.3%
1940 9,6555.7%
1950 9,218−4.5%
1960 9,6424.6%
1970 10,2916.7%
1980 10,7674.6%
1990 10,430−3.1%
2000 11,66611.9%
2010 13,06312.0%
2020 12,583−3.7%
2024 (est.)12,626 [13] 0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [14]
1790-1880 [15] 1890-1910 [16]
1920-1930 [17] 1930-1940 [18]
1940-1950 [19] 1960-1980 [20]
1980-2000 [21] 2010 [22]
Bleckley County racial composition as of 2020 [23]
RaceNum.Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)8,86770.47%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)2,78822.16%
Native American 110.09%
Asian 1531.22%
Pacific Islander 80.06%
Other/Mixed 2872.28%
Hispanic or Latino 4693.73%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 12,583, with 4,547 households and 2,727 families. Of the residents, 23.6% were under the age of 18 and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.4 males. 48.9% of residents lived in urban areas and 51.1% lived in rural areas. [24] [25] [26]

The racial makeup of the county was 71.7% White, 22.4% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.6% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.7% of the population. [26]

There were 4,547 households in the county, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 30.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [25]

There were 5,176 housing units, of which 12.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.6% were owner-occupied and 29.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%. [25]

Education

The only school district in the county is the Bleckley County School District. [27]

Points of interest

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Census - Geography Profile: Bleckley County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 20. ISBN   0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2003.
  4. ↑ "Middle Georgia State College Now a Reality". mgsc.edu. Archived from the original on February 20, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Bleckley school officials allowing gay prom date - Local & State - Macon.com". Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  6. ↑ 512 U.S. 874 (1994)
  7. ↑ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  9. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  10. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Bleckley County GA - Cities, Towns, Neighborhoods, & Subdivisions". georgia.hometownlocator.com.
  13. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  15. ↑ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). US Census Bureau . 1880.
  16. ↑ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau . 1910.
  17. ↑ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau . 1930.
  18. ↑ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau . 1940.
  19. ↑ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). US Census Bureau . 1950.
  20. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau . 1980.
  21. ↑ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau . 2000.
  22. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  24. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  25. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  26. 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  27. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Bleckly County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list

32°26′N83°20′W / 32.44°N 83.33°W / 32.44; -83.33

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