Southwest Georgia | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Ray Charles Plaza,Albany | |
.png) Southwest Georgia highlighted in purple | |
 Location of Georgia within the United States | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| Largest cities | Albany Thomasville Moultrie Bainbridge Cairo |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 352,426 |
| Demonym | Southwest Georgian |
| Website | georgia |
Southwest Georgia is a fourteen-county region in theU.S. state ofGeorgia,[1] borderingAlabama andFlorida. Colloquially referred to asSOWEGA, the region is anchored byAlbany—its most populous city and the region's solemetropolitan statistical area. As of the2020 United States census, Southwest Georgia's population was 352,426.
Located in theDeep South, Southwest Georgia borders the U.S. states of Alabama and Florida to its west and south. According to theGeorgia Department of Economic Development, Southwest Georgia consists of the following counties:Baker,Calhoun,Colquitt,Decatur,Dougherty,Early,Grady,Lee,Miller,Mitchell,Seminole,Terrell,Thomas, andWorth.[1] The region is home to theKolomoki Mounds andSeminole State Park.[2][3]
According to the2020 U.S. census, the counties forming the region's population numbered 352,426. In a separate study by theAmerican Community Survey, the counties forming the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission had a collective population of 347,714 in 2022.[4][5][6] Having a predominantlyBlack and African American population, six of Southwest Georgia's counties form part of theBlack Belt in the American South—areas with more than 50% of its racial and ethnic composition identifying as Black and African American.
In terms of religious belief and observance, Southwest Georgia is a part of the largelyevangelical ProtestantBible Belt. In common withSoutheast Georgia and other regions of the state,Baptists formed the largest Christian constituency as of 2020, with 102,909 adherents spread throughout 7 denominations: theSouthern Baptist Convention,National Missionary Baptist Convention,National Baptist Convention, USA, theNational Association of Free Will Baptists,Primitive Baptists, theFull Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, andAmerican Baptist Association. Following,nondenominational Protestants numbered 21,710, according to theAssociation of Religion Data Archives.[7] Other large groups includedMethodists,Catholics, andPentecostals.
Non-Christian religions and spiritual traditions were a minority in the region, withHinduism being Southwest Georgia's second-largest religion, followed byIslam and theBaha'i Faith.[7] There is oneHindu temple and 2mosques throughout the entire region, with its Hindu community making up part of theBochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha denomination.[8]
In 2022, the American Community Survey estimated the west-central area's median household income was $47,542; north-central's $48,340; and east area's $51,257.[4][5][6] Throughout each subdivision of Southwest Georgia, an estimated 24.5% to 25% of the population lived at or below thepoverty line.
According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Southwest Georgia's largest industry is thefood industry.[1]
Southwest Georgia is part ofGeorgia's 2nd congressional district, which is represented inU.S. Congress bySanford Bishop (D) and has aCPVI of D+6. GA-02 has long been aDemocratic stronghold.[9]
