Elbert County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,637. The county seat is Elberton. The county was established on December 10, 1790, and was named for Samuel Elbert.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 374 square miles (970 km2), of which 351 square miles (910 km2) is land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (6.2%) is water. The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.
The northern half of Elbert County, north of a line made by following State Route 17 from Bowman southeast to Elberton, and then following State Route 72 east to just before the South Carolina border, and then heading south along the shores of Lake Richard B. Russell & Clarkes Hill to the county's southeastern tip, is located in the Upper Savannah River sub-basin of the larger Savannah River basin. The portion of the county south of this line is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.
Major highways
State Route 17
State Route 72
State Route 77
State Route 77 Connector
State Route 79
State Route 172
State Route 368
Communities
Cities
Bowman
Elberton
Census-designated place
Dewy Rose
Unincorporated communities
Beverly
Centerville
Coldwater
Hard Cash
Heardmont
Montevideo
Rice Town
Rock Branch
Ruckersville
Ghost town
Huguenot
Petersburg
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 19,637 people and 5,065 families residing in the county. The median age was 44.8 years; 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older.
For every 100 females there were 91.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.3 males age 18 and over. 29.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.0% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 65.3% White, 26.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.6% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.1% of the population.
There were 8,016 households in the county, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 9,248 housing units, of which 13.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.5% were owner-occupied and 28.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.
Judiciary and government
Elbert County is part of the Northern Judicial Circuit of Georgia, which also includes the counties of Hart, Franklin, Madison, and Oglethorpe. Elbert County's governing authority, the Elbert County Board of Commissioners, has five Commissioners elected in districts, a Chairperson elected County-wide, and an appointed County Administrator.
Politics
As of the 2020s, Elbert County is a Republican voting county, voting 71% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Elbert County is part of Georgia's 10th congressional district, currently represented by Mike Collins. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Elbert County is part of District 24. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Elbert County is part of district District 123.
Education
The Elbert County School District has six schools, including the Elbert County High School.
Historical and cultural sites
Historical and cultural sites in Elbert County include the Nancy Hart cabin, the Dan Tucker gravesite, the Stephen Heard Cemetery, the Petersburg Township site, Vans Creek Church, the Elbert County Courthouse, the Elberton Seaboard-Airline Depot, the Rock Gym, the Granite Bowl, the Elberton Granite Museum and Exhibit, the Richard B. Russell Dam, the Elbert Theatre, Richard B. Russell State Park, and Bobby Brown Park. The Georgia Guidestones stood in Elbert County from 1980 until their destruction in 2022.
Notable people
Warren Akin Sr., member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Confederate States Congress
Milton Alexander, brigadier general during the Black Hawk War
William J. Alston, U.S. House of Representatives, Alabama House of Representatives, and Alabama Senate
Richard E. Banks, physician and surgeon
William Barnett, U.S. House of Representatives
William Augustus Bell, academic and president of Miles College
Fred Bond Jr., tobacco industry representative and mayor Cary, North Carolina
Nathaniel J. Hammond, United States House of Representatives and Georgia Attorney General
Mecole Hardman, professional football player
Derek Harper, professional basketball player
Corra Mae Harris, journalist and war correspondent
Sampson Willis Harris, U.S. House of Representatives and Georgia House of Representatives
Nancy Hart, rebel heroine of the American Revolutionary War
William Henry Heard, clergyman and diplomat
R. H. Hunt, architect
Mammy Kate, enslaved women