Chattahoochee County, also known asCusseta-Chattahoochee County,[1] is acounty located on the western border in centralGeorgia. As of the2020 census, the population was 9,565.[2] Thecounty seat isCusseta,[3] with which the county shares aconsolidated city-county government. The city of Cusseta remains a geographically distinct municipality within Chattahoochee County.[1][4] The county was created on February 13, 1854. Chattahoochee County is included in theColumbus, Georgia metropolitan area.
This area was occupied by the historicMuscogee people (also known as the Creek) at the time of European encounter. They had a large confederacy in the Southeast. They were among theFive Civilized Tribes who were forcibly removed toIndian Territory in the 1830s during the administration of PresidentAndrew Jackson. European Americans moved into their former areas, in some cases acquiring land through lotteries run by the state.
The Georgia General Assembly created Chattahoochee County on February 13, 1854, from portions ofMuscogee andMarion counties. It is named for theChattahoochee River that forms its western boundary.[5] The county seat was named Cusseta to commemorate the historicCreek Indian town of that name that long existed nearby. In 2004–2005, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a 6.2% population decline, making this county at the top of those nationally with shrinking populations.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 251 square miles (650 km2), of which 249 square miles (640 km2) is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) (1.0%) is water.[7]
The vast majority of Chattahoochee County is located in the MiddleChattahoochee River-Walter F. George Lake subbasin of theACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The very small southeastern corner of the county is located in theKinchafoonee-Muckalee subbasin of the same larger ACF Basin.[8] The county forms part of theWest Georgia region.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 9,565, with 2,625 households and 1,886 families residing in the county. Of the residents, 24.7% were under the age of 18 and 4.8% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 23.8 years. For every 100 females there were 155.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 180.8 males. 59.9% of residents lived in urban areas and 40.1% lived in rural areas.[20][21][22]
Among these households, 49.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 16.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]
There were 3,242 housing units, of which 19.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 27.0% were owner-occupied and 73.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.1%.[21]
TheChattahoochee County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[23] The district has 85 full-time teachers and over 1000 students.[24]
Chattahoochee County Education Center
Chattahoochee County Middle School
Chattahoochee County High School
All parts of the county exceptFort Benning are zoned to county schools for all grades. Fort Benning children are zoned toDepartment of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools for grades K-8.[25] However Fort Benning high school students attend the public high schools in the respective counties they are located in.[26]
