Walton County, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Walton County courthouse in Monroe | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofGeorgia | |
 Georgia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:33°47′N83°44′W / 33.78°N 83.74°W /33.78; -83.74 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | December 22, 1818; 207 years ago (1818) |
| Named after | George Walton |
| Seat | Monroe |
| Largest city | Monroe |
| Area | |
• Total | 330 sq mi (850 km2) |
| • Land | 326 sq mi (840 km2) |
| • Water | 4.3 sq mi (11 km2) 1.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 96,673 |
| • Density | 297/sq mi (115/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
| Website | waltoncountyga.gov |
Walton County is acounty located in theEast Central region of theU.S. - State ofGeorgia. As of the2020 census, the population was 96,673.[1] It is located about 30 miles east of the state capital, the city of Atlanta.Monroe is thecounty seat;Loganville is another major city.[2]
Walton County is part of theAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area.
Walton County was created on December 15, 1818. It is named forGeorge Walton, one of the three men from Georgia who signed theUnited States Declaration of Independence.[3] The other two wereButton Gwinnett andLyman Hall.
A Supreme Court ruling in April 1946 had ruled thatwhite primaries were unconstitutional, enabling some black citizens in Georgia to cast ballots for the first time during the primary race later that summer.[4] This increased social tensions in many areas, as whites continued to oppose voting by blacks. In addition, many whites resisted black veterans' efforts to gain expanded freedoms following their service during World War II.
In July 1946, four African Americans were lynched in Walton County, Georgia. The victims were two married couples: George and Mae Murray Dorsey, and Roger and Dorothy Dorsey Malcom (reportedly pregnant).[4]
A historical highway marker erected by the state in the 21st century reads:
2.4 miles east, at Moore’s Ford Bridge on theApalachee River, four African-Americans - George and Mae Murray Dorsey and Roger and Dorothy Dorsey Malcom (reportedly 7 months pregnant) - were brutally beaten and shot by an unmasked mob on the afternoon of July 25, 1946. The lynching followed an argument between Roger Malcom and a local white farmer. These unsolved murders played a crucial role in both PresidentTruman’s commitment to civil rights legislation and the ensuing modern civil rights movement.[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 330 square miles (850 km2), of which 326 square miles (840 km2) is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km2) (1.3%) is water.[6] The county is located in thePiedmont region of the state.
The western half of Walton County, in a half circle fromSocial Circle throughMonroe to northeast ofLoganville, is located in the UpperOcmulgee River sub-basin of theAltamaha River basin. The eastern part of the county, east of that curve, is located in the UpperOconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin.[7]
There was a noted decline in the African American population from 1900 to 1960 as thousands left rural areas in the South during theGreat Migration to the North, Midwest and West Coast to escape social oppression and to gain better jobs and opportunities.
With dramatic new growth related to the rise of Atlanta as a corporate city, the demographics have changed and the county is majority white in the 21st century. The area has been developed for suburban housing and retail.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 1,026 | — | |
| 1820 | 4,192 | 308.6% | |
| 1830 | 10,929 | 160.7% | |
| 1840 | 10,209 | −6.6% | |
| 1850 | 10,821 | 6.0% | |
| 1860 | 11,074 | 2.3% | |
| 1870 | 11,038 | −0.3% | |
| 1880 | 15,622 | 41.5% | |
| 1890 | 17,467 | 11.8% | |
| 1900 | 20,942 | 19.9% | |
| 1910 | 25,393 | 21.3% | |
| 1920 | 24,216 | −4.6% | |
| 1930 | 21,118 | −12.8% | |
| 1940 | 20,777 | −1.6% | |
| 1950 | 20,230 | −2.6% | |
| 1960 | 20,481 | 1.2% | |
| 1970 | 23,404 | 14.3% | |
| 1980 | 31,211 | 33.4% | |
| 1990 | 38,586 | 23.6% | |
| 2000 | 60,687 | 57.3% | |
| 2010 | 83,768 | 38.0% | |
| 2020 | 96,673 | 15.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 109,792 | [8] | 13.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1880[10] 1890-1910[11] 1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13] 1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15] 1980-2000[16] 2010[17] 2020[18] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[19] | Pop 2010[17] | Pop 2020[18] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 49,731 | 65,677 | 68,499 | 81.95% | 78.40% | 70.86% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 8,703 | 12,993 | 17,136 | 14.34% | 15.51% | 17.73% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 145 | 194 | 188 | 0.24% | 0.23% | 0.19% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 410 | 947 | 1,409 | 0.68% | 1.13% | 1.46% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 10 | 38 | 44 | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.05% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 25 | 159 | 552 | 0.04% | 0.19% | 0.57% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 500 | 1,077 | 3,617 | 0.82% | 1.29% | 3.74% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,163 | 2,683 | 5,228 | 1.92% | 3.20% | 5.41% |
| Total | 60,687 | 83,768 | 96,673 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 96,673 people, 33,350 households, and 25,736 families residing in the county.
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Walton County has a six-member commission elected fromsingle-member districts. This legislative body can pass laws for the county and tax bills. The county chairman is electedat-large to serve as the leader. If a seat becomes vacant during the term, the governor can appoint someone to fill the seat, based on recommendations. In 2015, two of the six positions were filled by appointees.
Since1984, Walton County has been heavilyRepublican, and noDemocratic presidential candidate has managed to reach even 30% of the county's vote since1996.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 40 | 3.35% | 885 | 74.06% | 270 | 22.59% |
| 1916 | 83 | 5.61% | 1,305 | 88.24% | 91 | 6.15% |
| 1920 | 123 | 9.38% | 1,189 | 90.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 90 | 8.78% | 873 | 85.17% | 62 | 6.05% |
| 1928 | 424 | 27.20% | 1,135 | 72.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 36 | 1.66% | 2,136 | 98.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 132 | 6.33% | 1,952 | 93.58% | 2 | 0.10% |
| 1940 | 104 | 4.55% | 2,179 | 95.24% | 5 | 0.22% |
| 1944 | 172 | 7.75% | 2,046 | 92.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 164 | 5.71% | 2,440 | 84.99% | 267 | 9.30% |
| 1952 | 324 | 8.11% | 3,672 | 91.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 470 | 12.56% | 3,271 | 87.44% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 403 | 11.52% | 3,095 | 88.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,874 | 54.99% | 2,350 | 44.97% | 2 | 0.04% |
| 1968 | 1,399 | 19.99% | 1,552 | 22.18% | 4,047 | 57.83% |
| 1972 | 3,994 | 77.80% | 1,140 | 22.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,687 | 23.80% | 5,402 | 76.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 2,618 | 35.85% | 4,525 | 61.96% | 160 | 2.19% |
| 1984 | 4,995 | 66.81% | 2,481 | 33.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 5,974 | 65.56% | 3,091 | 33.92% | 47 | 0.52% |
| 1992 | 5,619 | 45.35% | 4,821 | 38.91% | 1,951 | 15.75% |
| 1996 | 7,934 | 52.82% | 5,618 | 37.40% | 1,468 | 9.77% |
| 2000 | 12,966 | 67.95% | 5,484 | 28.74% | 633 | 3.32% |
| 2004 | 21,594 | 78.11% | 5,887 | 21.29% | 166 | 0.60% |
| 2008 | 27,253 | 75.54% | 8,469 | 23.47% | 357 | 0.99% |
| 2012 | 29,036 | 77.07% | 8,148 | 21.63% | 493 | 1.31% |
| 2016 | 31,125 | 76.18% | 8,292 | 20.29% | 1,441 | 3.53% |
| 2020 | 37,839 | 74.05% | 12,683 | 24.82% | 576 | 1.13% |
| 2024 | 42,407 | 72.50% | 15,605 | 26.68% | 482 | 0.82% |
Walton County School District is the local school district for all sections except those in Social Circle. Areas in Social Circle are in theSocial Circle City School District.[21]
Walton County doesn't have any pedestrian trails. However, there are trails in neighboring Gwinnett and Rockdale county such as theArabia Mountain Path, Conyers Trail and Cedar Creek Trail Loop.
Places adjacent to Walton County, Georgia | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofWalton County, Georgia,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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