Grady County, Georgia | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 30°53′N84°14′W / 30.88°N 84.23°W | |
| Country | |
| State | |
| Founded | August 17, 1905 |
| Named after | Henry W. Grady |
| Seat | Cairo |
| Largest city | Cairo |
| Area | |
• Total | 460 sq mi (1,200 km2) |
| • Land | 455 sq mi (1,180 km2) |
| • Water | 5.7 sq mi (15 km2) 1.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 26,236 |
| • Density | 58/sq mi (22/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | gradycountyga.gov |
Grady County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,236. [1] The county seat is Cairo. [2]
Grady County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on August 17, 1905, from portions of Decatur and Thomas counties. The county is named for Henry W. Grady, editor of the Atlanta Constitution and noted orator. [3]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 460 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 455 square miles (1,180 km2) is land and 5.7 square miles (15 km2) (1.2%) is water. [4]
The bulk of Grady County, centered on Cairo, is located on the Upper Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. The county's northwestern corner is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). Grady County's western border, from Whigham south, and all of its southern border, is located in the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin. Finally, a very small chunk of the county's southeastern portion, bisected by U.S. Route 319, is located in the Apalachee Bay-St. Marks sub-basin of the Ochlockonee River basin. [5]
Grady County includes part of the Red Hills Region.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 18,457 | — | |
| 1920 | 20,306 | 10.0% | |
| 1930 | 19,200 | −5.4% | |
| 1940 | 19,654 | 2.4% | |
| 1950 | 18,928 | −3.7% | |
| 1960 | 18,015 | −4.8% | |
| 1970 | 17,826 | −1.0% | |
| 1980 | 19,845 | 11.3% | |
| 1990 | 20,279 | 2.2% | |
| 2000 | 23,659 | 16.7% | |
| 2010 | 25,011 | 5.7% | |
| 2020 | 26,236 | 4.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 26,271 | [6] | 0.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790-1880 [8] 1890-1910 [9] 1920-1930 [10] 1930-1940 [11] 1940-1950 [12] 1960-1980 [13] 1980-2000 [14] 2010 [15] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 14,715 | 56.09% |
| Black or African American | 7,285 | 27.77% |
| Native American | 89 | 0.34% |
| Asian | 110 | 0.42% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 758 | 2.89% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,273 | 12.48% |
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 26,236, along with 10,316 households and 6,320 families residing there. [17]
The median age was 40.6 years, 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 92.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males age 18 and over. [17]
39.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 60.6% lived in rural areas. [18]
The racial makeup of the county was 57.4% White, 28.0% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 8.0% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 12.5% of the population. [19]
Of those households, 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [17]
There were 11,539 housing units, of which 10.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.2% were owner-occupied and 35.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%. [17]
Grady County Schools operates public schools.
As of the 2020s, Grady County is a Republican stronghold, voting 68.9% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Grady County is part of Georgia's 1st congressional district, currently represented by Buddy Carter. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Grady County is part of District 11. [20] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Grady County is part of District 171. [21]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| № | % | № | % | № | % | |
| 1912 | 8 | 1.66% | 452 | 93.97% | 21 | 4.37% |
| 1916 | 84 | 10.53% | 675 | 84.59% | 39 | 4.89% |
| 1920 | 232 | 20.73% | 887 | 79.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 100 | 6.35% | 1,449 | 92.06% | 25 | 1.59% |
| 1928 | 439 | 27.25% | 1,172 | 72.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 60 | 2.66% | 2,184 | 96.89% | 10 | 0.44% |
| 1936 | 163 | 8.91% | 1,659 | 90.71% | 7 | 0.38% |
| 1940 | 224 | 13.20% | 1,461 | 86.09% | 12 | 0.71% |
| 1944 | 223 | 11.84% | 1,661 | 88.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 244 | 11.19% | 1,516 | 69.54% | 420 | 19.27% |
| 1952 | 643 | 18.77% | 2,782 | 81.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 496 | 15.53% | 2,697 | 84.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 592 | 18.90% | 2,541 | 81.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,983 | 61.25% | 1,887 | 38.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 561 | 9.67% | 1,425 | 24.56% | 3,817 | 65.78% |
| 1972 | 3,732 | 81.02% | 874 | 18.98% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,209 | 24.34% | 3,758 | 75.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 2,018 | 39.44% | 3,023 | 59.08% | 76 | 1.49% |
| 1984 | 3,886 | 63.22% | 2,261 | 36.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 2,989 | 61.10% | 1,883 | 38.49% | 20 | 0.41% |
| 1992 | 2,370 | 39.28% | 2,520 | 41.77% | 1,143 | 18.95% |
| 1996 | 2,674 | 43.23% | 2,862 | 46.27% | 649 | 10.49% |
| 2000 | 3,894 | 58.09% | 2,721 | 40.59% | 88 | 1.31% |
| 2004 | 5,068 | 61.80% | 3,092 | 37.70% | 41 | 0.50% |
| 2008 | 5,775 | 61.63% | 3,539 | 37.77% | 57 | 0.61% |
| 2012 | 5,924 | 62.93% | 3,419 | 36.32% | 70 | 0.74% |
| 2016 | 6,053 | 65.33% | 3,013 | 32.52% | 199 | 2.15% |
| 2020 | 7,034 | 65.70% | 3,619 | 33.80% | 54 | 0.50% |
| 2024 | 7,385 | 68.90% | 3,290 | 30.70% | 43 | 0.40% |