Thomas County, Georgia

Thomas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 45,798. The county seat is Thomasville. Thomas County comprises the Thomasville, GA micropolitan statistical area.

History Thomas County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 23, 1825, from portions of Decatur and Irwin Counties. Colquitt (1856), Brooks (1858), and Grady (1905) Counties all were formed partially from lands within Thomas County's original borders.

The county is named for Jett Thomas, an officer in the War of 1812 who is also known for overseeing the construction of the first building at the University of Georgia (originally referred to as Franklin College and known today as Old College) as well as the state capital at Milledgeville.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.4%) is water.

The northwestern half of Thomas County, bordered by U.S. Route 319 southwest of Thomasville, and a line that ends up bisecting the distance between Coolidge and Pavo in the northeast, is located in the Upper Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. The northeastern edge of the county, from north of Pavo to Boston, is located in the Withlacoochee River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The southeastern portion of Thomas County, running southeast from Thomasville, is located in the Aucilla River sub-basin of the larger Aucilla-Waccasassa basin. Almost all of the southwestern portion of the county is located in the Apalachee Bay-St. Marks sub-basin of the Ochlockonee River basin, except for the tiny southwesternmost corner, which is located in the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin.

The Aucilla River rises in Thomas County. The Red Hills Region is centered on Thomas County.

Major highways

U.S. Route 19 U.S. Route 84 U.S. Route 84 Business U.S. Route 319 State Route 3 State Route 3 Alternate State Route 33 State Route 35 State Route 35 Connector State Route 38 State Route 38 Business State Route 111 State Route 122 State Route 188 State Route 202 State Route 300

Adjacent counties Colquitt County - northeast Brooks County - east Jefferson County, Florida - south Leon County, Florida - southwest Grady County - west Mitchell County - northwest

Communities Cities Barwick (partly in Brooks County) Boston Coolidge Meigs (partly in Mitchell County) Pavo (partly in Brooks County) Thomasville

Town Ochlocknee

Unincorporated community Metcalfe Quality, Georgia Quality

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Thomas County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)23,23423,81624,87526,08125,99460.98%61.09%58.20%58.32%56.76%Black or African American alone (NH)14,35814,71916,49716,41616,25937.69%37.75%38.60%36.71%35.50%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)50931161661500.13%0.24%0.27%0.37%0.33%Asian alone (NH)43621723064060.11%0.16%0.40%0.68%0.89%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census1479xx0.03%0.02%0.02%Other race alone (NH)35726491240.09%0.02%0.06%0.11%0.27%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census3034201,279xx0.71%0.94%2.79%Hispanic or Latino (any race)3782897341,2751,5770.99%0.74%1.72%2.85%3.44%Total38,09838,98642,73744,72045,798 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 45,798 in 18,440 households, including 12,161 families.

The median age was 40.8 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 female,s there were 90.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males age 18 and over.

55.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 44.9% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 57.6% White, 35.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.6% from some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.4% of the population.

Among those households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, and 34.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 20,668 housing units, of which 10.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.5% were owner-occupied, and 36.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%, and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.

Education Colleges and universities: Thomas University Southern Regional Technical College

There are two school districts: - Text list Thomasville City School District (areas in Thomasville City) Thomas County School District (areas not in Thomasville City)

Private schools: Brookwood School

Politics

As of the 2020s, Thomas County is a Republican stronghold, voting 62% for Donald Trump in 2024. Similar to other Georgia counties on the Florida border, Thomas County is reliably Republican in presidential elections, having last voted for a Democrat in 1980 when the Democratic candidate was native Georgian Jimmy Carter. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Thomas County is part of Georgia's 2nd congressional district, currently represented by Sanford Bishop. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Thomas County is part of District 11. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Thomas County is part of District 172 and 173.

Thomas County, Georgia

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