Ray City, Georgia

Ray City, Georgia
City
Ray City Municipal Building
Seal
Location in Berrien County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°4′32″N83°11′51″W / 31.07556°N 83.19750°W / 31.07556; -83.19750
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Counties	Berrien, Lanier
Government
• Mayor	Brenda Exum
Area [1]
• Total	1.15 sq mi (2.97 km2)
• Land	1.15 sq mi (2.97 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	190 ft (58 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	956
• Density	834.21/sq mi (322.03/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	31645
Area code	229
FIPS code	13-63728 [2]
GNIS feature ID	0332800 [3]

Ray City is a city in Berrien County and Lanier County, Georgia, United States. The population was 956 in 2020. ^{[4] [5]}

History

Early variant names were "Ray's Pond" and "Ray's Mill". ^[6] The community was named after Thomas M. Ray, the proprietor of a local mill. ^[7]

Geography

Ray City is in southern Berrien County, with a small portion extending south into Lanier County. U.S. Route 129 passes through the city, leading north 10 miles (16 km) to Nashville, the Berrien county seat, and east 8 miles (13 km) to Lakeland, the Lanier county seat. Georgia State Route 125 leads south from Ray City 18 miles (29 km) to Valdosta, and State Route 37 leads west 14 miles (23 km) to Adel.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ray City has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²), of which 0.52 acres (2,119 m²), or 0.07%, are water. ^[8] Beaverdam Creek flows through the middle of the city, and Batterbee Branch flows through the west side. The two streams join west of Ray City to form Cat Creek, a south-flowing tributary of the Withlacoochee River, part of the Suwannee River watershed.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	300		—
1920	700		133.3%
1930	602		−14.0%
1940	638		6.0%
1950	576		−9.7%
1960	713		23.8%
1970	617		−13.5%
1980	658		6.6%
1990	603		−8.4%
2000	746		23.7%
2010	1,090		46.1%
2020	956		−12.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [9] 1850-1870 [10] 1870-1880 [11] 1890-1910 [12] 1920-1930 [13] 1940 [14] 1950 [15] 1960 [16] 1970 [17] 1980 [18] 1990 [19] 2000 [20] 2010 [21]

Ray City racial composition as of 2020 ^[4]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	621	64.94%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	205	21.44%
Native American	1	0.1%
Asian	9	0.94%
Other/Mixed	39	4.08%
Hispanic or Latino	81	8.47%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 956 people, 484 households, and 313 families residing in the city.

Education

Residents of Barrien County are in the Berrien County School District. ^[22]

Residents of Lanier County are in the Lanier County School District. ^[23]

Gallery

• 
  Ray City Hotel, circa 1912
• 
  Historic Ray City High School
• 
  Fire Department
• 
  Juanelle Wilson Senior Citizen Center

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
5. "City of Ray City - History". www.raycityga.gov. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
6. Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 185. ISBN   0-915430-00-2.
7. "Ray City". GeorgiaGov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
8. "U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
9. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
10. "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1870.
11. "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
12. "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2024.
13. "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930. pp. 251–256.
14. "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
15. "1950 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
16. "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1960.
17. "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1970.
18. "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
19. "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1990.
20. "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
21. "2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2010.
22. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Berrien County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 26, 2024. - Text list
23. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lanier County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 26, 2024. - Text list