East Central Georgia | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Athens City Hall | |
.png) East Central Georgia highlighted in indigo | |
 Location of Georgia within the United States | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| Largest city | Athens Winder Monroe Covington Loganville Braselton Jefferson Auburn Commerce |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 643,390 |
| Demonym | East Central Georgian |
| Website | www |
East Central Georgia is a twelve-county region in theU.S. state ofGeorgia, with a 2020 census-tabulated population of 643,390. The region's largest city by population isAthens, forming the core of theAthens metropolitan area.
East Central Georgia, borderingSouth Carolina, consists of the following counties according to theGeorgia Department of Economic Development:Barrow,Clarke,Elbert,Greene,Jackson,Jasper,Madison,Morgan,Newton,Oconee,Oglethorpe, andWalton.[1] Forming a part of theAtlanta–Athens–Clarke–Sandy Springs combined statistical area, the largest city and metropolitan statistical area in the region isAthens.
According to the2020 United States census, the counties forming East Central Georgia had a resident population of 643,390. The racial and ethnic makeup of the region's counties was predominantlynon-Hispanic white andBlack or African American.
As a part of the predominantlyevangelical ProtestantBible Belt, East Central Georgia's religious population is mostly Christian. In a 2020 study by theAssociation of Religion Data Archives, most of the area's Christian population by affiliation wereBaptist,non-denominational,Catholic orMethodist. The largest Christian denominations by membership were theSouthern Baptist Convention,Catholic Church,United Methodist Church,Jehovah's Witnesses,the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and theChristian churches and churches of Christ.[2]
According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, education and filmmaking have been prominent industries throughout East Central Georgia.[1] Among its educational institutions, theUniversity of Georgia has contributed to an $8.1 billion economic impact statewide as of 2024.[3] More than 20 films and television shows have been produced in the area.[4]
