Lanier County, Georgia

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Lanier County, Georgia
County
Lanier County Courthouse, Lakeland, GA, US.jpg
Lanier County Courthouse in Lakeland
Map of Georgia highlighting Lanier County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°02′16″N83°03′46″W / 31.0378937°N 83.0626534°W / 31.0378937; -83.0626534
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg Georgia
FoundedAugust 7, 1920
Named after Sidney Lanier
Seat Lakeland
Largest cityLakeland
Area
 • Total
200 sq mi (520 km2)
 • Land185 sq mi (480 km2)
 • Water15 sq mi (39 km2)  7.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
9,877
 • Density53/sq mi (20/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 8th
Website laniercountyboc.com
[1]

Lanier County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. At the 2020 census, the population was 9,877. [2] The county seat is Lakeland. [3] It is named after Georgia poet Sidney Lanier. [4]

Contents

Lanier County is part of the Valdosta metropolitan area and shares Moody Air Force Base with Lowndes County on its western boundary.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 200 square miles (520 km2), of which 185 square miles (480 km2) is land and 15 square miles (39 km2) (7.3%) is water. [5]

The vast majority of Lanier County is in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. Just a narrow section of the western border of the county, northeast and southeast of Ray City, is in the Withlacoochee River sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin, and a very narrow section of the eastern border of Lanier County is in the Upper Suwannee River sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin. [6]

Major highways

Major waterways

Railways

Previous

Defunct

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge sign Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge Sign.jpg
Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge sign

The Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1985, hosts approximately 20,000 visitors annually. It provides hiking, fishing, and boating opportunities on more than 4,000 acres (16 km2) of water, Banks Lake marsh, and swamp. The Robert Simpson III Nature Trail, dedicated in August 2001, is in the Lakeland, Georgia city limits on 75 acres (300,000 m2) of pine and hardwood forests. The county is known for its excellent fishing in the Alapaha River, Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge as well as in its many small lakes.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1930 5,190—
1940 5,6328.5%
1950 5,151−8.5%
1960 5,097−1.0%
1970 5,031−1.3%
1980 5,65412.4%
1990 5,531−2.2%
2000 7,84741.9%
2010 10,07828.4%
2020 9,877−2.0%
2024 (est.)10,464 [7] 5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]
1790-1880 [9] 1890-1910 [10]
1920-1930 [11] 1930-1940 [12]
1940-1950 [13] 1960-1980 [14]
1980-2000 [15] 2010 [16]
Lanier County racial composition as of 2020 [17]
RaceNum.Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)6,59566.77%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)2,13821.65%
Native American 310.31%
Asian 810.82%
Pacific Islander 140.14%
Other/Mixed 4464.52%
Hispanic or Latino 5725.79%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 9,877 people, 3,570 households, and 2,536 families residing in the county. [18] The median age was 35.1 years, 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18, and 13.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. [18]

For every 100 females there were 100.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.5 males age 18 and over. [18] 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. [19]

The racial makeup of the county was 66.77% White (non-Hispanic), 21.65% Black or African American (non-Hispanic), 0.31% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 4.52% Other/Mixed, and 5.79% Hispanic or Latino residents of any race. [20]

There were 3,570 households in the county, of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [18]

There were 4,069 housing units, of which 12.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.9% were owner-occupied and 35.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. [18]

Economy

The county's economy has remained rural in nature, but the educational, health and social service sector was the largest employment category in 2006. Factors contributing to this economy include the presence of Moody Air Force Base (shared by adjoining Lowndes County), the several lakes and nature reserve, the hospital, and a large state correctional facility.

The top ten employers in Lanier County are:[ citation needed ]

Media

Historic sites

Historic sites include Governor Eurith D. Rivers' home, which was moved from its original spot on Banks Lake to West Main Street in Lakeland in the early 1980s; Union Baptist Church, located near Georgia Highway 135; and Fender Cemetery, located east of Lakeland at the junction of U.S. 221 and Georgia Highway 37 on land that once belonged to David Fender. The site of the cemetery, in which many of the area's first settlers are buried, was chosen so that mourners would not have to ferry their dead across the river for burial. Also, the "Murals of Milltown," which depict community life in the 1920s, grace the exteriors of buildings in downtown Lakeland.

Education

Lanier County School District headquarters Lanier County Board of Education.JPG
Lanier County School District headquarters

The Lanier County School District, the only school district in the county, [21] operates four schools: Lanier County Primary School, Lanier County Elementary School, Lanier County Middle School, and Lanier County High School.

Politics

United States presidential election results for Lanier County, Georgia [22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
№ %№ %№ %
1924 4611.41%35688.34%10.25%
1928 13831.29%30368.71%00.00%
1932 31.38%21197.24%31.38%
1936 303.59%80095.81%50.60%
1940 162.56%60797.12%20.32%
1944 406.02%62593.98%00.00%
1948 9213.53%48671.47%10215.00%
1952 17016.75%84583.25%00.00%
1956 15214.59%89085.41%00.00%
1960 19815.88%1,04984.12%00.00%
1964 71952.10%66147.90%00.00%
1968 24115.63%27717.96%1,02466.41%
1972 85081.50%19318.50%00.00%
1976 20714.02%1,26985.98%00.00%
1980 47029.30%1,11669.58%181.12%
1984 85253.48%74146.52%00.00%
1988 72550.81%69848.91%40.28%
1992 60035.03%81147.34%30217.63%
1996 51934.55%81854.46%16510.99%
2000 1,04855.04%83243.70%241.26%
2004 1,64163.38%93135.96%170.66%
2008 1,78762.05%1,06236.88%311.08%
2012 1,82061.11%1,11437.41%441.48%
2016 1,98469.10%80628.07%812.82%
2020 2,50970.16%1,01928.50%481.34%
2024 2,72672.97%99526.63%150.40%

As of the 2020s, Lanier County is a Republican stronghold, voting 77% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Lanier County is part of Georgia's 8th congressional district, currently represented by Austin Scott. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Lanier County is part of District 8. [23] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Lanier County is part of District 176. [24]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Lanier County Act Amended, No. 505". Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia. 1920. pp. 45–48. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Census - Geography Profile: Lanier County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 129. ISBN   0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 14, 2004.
  5. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ↑ "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 27, 2015.
  7. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  9. ↑ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  10. ↑ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2024.
  11. ↑ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  12. ↑ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  13. ↑ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  14. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  15. ↑ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  16. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  19. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  20. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  21. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lanier County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 26, 2024. - Text list
  22. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.

References

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