Rochelle is a city in Wilcox County, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1887 following the construction of the Americus, Preston, and Lumpkin Railroad through Wilcox County, it was incorporated by the Georgia General Assembly in 1888 and named after La Rochelle, a port city in France. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,167.

History The area that would become Rochelle was settled in the early nineteenth century by migrants primarily of Scots-Irish descent moving southward from the Carolinas. The settlement appeared on early maps under the name "Vineyard"Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. Map of Georgia. Retrieved April 24, 2026. before later being referred to as "Center." Modern development began in 1887, when the Americus, Preston, and Lumpkin Railroad established an east-to-west line through Wilcox County, spurring the growth of a new town at the railroad crossing. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the community as Rochelle in 1888, naming it after La Rochelle, the port city in France. Laid out as a cross-rail community, a town plan centered on the intersection of roads and the railroad line Rochelle grew rapidly, reaching a population of 793 by 1900. Just a decade after its founding, however, a fire destroyed much of the nascent downtown; the city was rebuilt and continued to expand. In 1913, municipal bonds were issued to establish a water supply and electrical system. Cotton remained the dominant crop in the surrounding county through World War I, when a sharp drop in prices, followed by the Great Depression and World War II, dampened the city's growth for several decades.

Geography Rochelle is located at (31.948993, -83.453875).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Rochelle city, Georgia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)59356650.51%48.50%Black or African American alone (NH)54154946.08%47.04%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)000.00%0.00%Asian alone (NH)9130.77%1.11%Pacific Islander alone (NH)000.00%0.00%Other race alone (NH)020.00%0.17%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3130.26%1.11%Hispanic or Latino (any race)28242.39%2.06%Total1,1741,167100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Rochelle had a population of 1,167, down from 1,174 in 2010. The median age was 42.8 years. 21.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.0 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 481 households in Rochelle, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.2% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 574 housing units, of which 16.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%. Education The Wilcox County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 30, 2010. The district has 90 full-time teachers and over 1,439 students.School Stats , Retrieved June 30, 2010.

The schools, located in Rochelle, are: Wilcox County Elementary School Wilcox County Middle School Wilcox County High School

Higher education Wiregrass Georgia Technical College - Wilcox Learning CenterWiregrass Technical College , Retrieved June 30, 2010.

Notable people John Bahnsen - United States Army brigadier general and decorated veteran of the Vietnam War Alfonzo Dennard - NFL free agent Nick Marshall - NFL cornerback for Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback for Auburn Tigers Bug Howard - NFL tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

References