Dooly County
The entire county of Crisp and parts of Macon, Pulaski, Turner, Wilcox and Worth counties were formed from Dooly's original borders.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 397 square miles (1,030 km), of which 392 square miles (1,020 km) is land and 5.3 square miles (14 km) (1.3%) is water. The county is located in the upper Atlantic coastal plain region of the state.
The western two-thirds of Dooly County, from west of Unadilla south to Pinehurst, then to the southeastern corner of the county, is located in the Middle Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The northeastern and eastern portion of Dooly County is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The very southeastern corner of the county is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin.
Major highways
Interstate 75
U.S. Route 41
State Route 7
State Route 27
State Route 90
State Route 215
State Route 230
State Route 230 Connector
State Route 257
State Route 329
State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)
Adjacent counties
- Houston County - northeast
- Pulaski County - east
- Wilcox County - southeast
- Crisp County - south
- Sumter County - west
- Macon County - northwest
Communities
Cities
Towns
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1830 | 2,135 | — | |
1840 | 4,427 | 107.4% | |
1850 | 8,361 | 88.9% | |
1860 | 8,917 | 6.6% | |
1870 | 9,790 | 9.8% | |
1880 | 12,420 | 26.9% | |
1890 | 18,146 | 46.1% | |
1900 | 26,567 | 46.4% | |
1910 | 20,554 | −22.6% | |
1920 | 20,522 | −0.2% | |
1930 | 18,025 | −12.2% | |
1940 | 16,886 | −6.3% | |
1950 | 14,159 | −16.1% | |
1960 | 11,474 | −19.0% | |
1970 | 10,404 | −9.3% | |
1980 | 10,826 | 4.1% | |
1990 | 9,901 | −8.5% | |
2000 | 11,525 | 16.4% | |
2010 | 14,918 | 29.4% | |
2020 | 11,208 | −24.9% | |
2023 (est.) | 10,981 | −2.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010 |
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 6,461 | 4,611 | 43.31% | 41.14% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 7,381 | 5,540 | 49.48% | 49.43% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 16 | 17 | 0.11% | 0.15% |
Asian alone (NH) | 93 | 51 | 0.62% | 0.46% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 2 | 0.02% | 0.02% |
Other race alone (NH) | 6 | 14 | 0.04% | 0.12% |
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 96 | 176 | 0.64% | 1.57% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 862 | 797 | 5.78% | 7.11% |
Total | 14,918 | 11,208 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,208 people, 5,020 households, and 3,350 families residing in the county.
Economy
The Big Pig Jig, Georgia's official State Barbecue Cooking Championship, is held annually in Fall in Dooly County and attracts a national audience. The county is also notable for cotton and peanut production.
Education
Politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 2,159 | 52.58% | 1,911 | 46.54% | 36 | 0.88% |
2016 | 1,951 | 50.56% | 1,872 | 48.51% | 36 | 0.93% |
2012 | 1,985 | 46.14% | 2,285 | 53.11% | 32 | 0.74% |
2008 | 1,991 | 47.85% | 2,138 | 51.38% | 32 | 0.77% |
2004 | 1,853 | 48.18% | 1,973 | 51.30% | 20 | 0.52% |
2000 | 1,588 | 45.11% | 1,901 | 54.01% | 31 | 0.88% |
1996 | 990 | 31.33% | 1,951 | 61.74% | 219 | 6.93% |
1992 | 1,034 | 30.53% | 1,993 | 58.84% | 360 | 10.63% |
1988 | 1,386 | 45.88% | 1,613 | 53.39% | 22 | 0.73% |
1984 | 1,435 | 45.40% | 1,726 | 54.60% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 1,083 | 30.93% | 2,364 | 67.50% | 55 | 1.57% |
1976 | 655 | 21.16% | 2,441 | 78.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
1972 | 1,904 | 76.34% | 590 | 23.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 454 | 14.48% | 879 | 28.03% | 1,803 | 57.49% |
1964 | 1,662 | 53.05% | 1,471 | 46.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 220 | 11.26% | 1,733 | 88.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 174 | 8.59% | 1,851 | 91.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 197 | 10.05% | 1,764 | 89.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 22 | 3.37% | 577 | 88.50% | 53 | 8.13% |
1944 | 87 | 9.33% | 845 | 90.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 124 | 9.27% | 1,209 | 90.43% | 4 | 0.30% |
1936 | 41 | 2.97% | 1,339 | 97.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
1932 | 8 | 0.70% | 1,139 | 98.96% | 4 | 0.35% |
1928 | 156 | 17.33% | 744 | 82.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 45 | 7.06% | 590 | 92.62% | 2 | 0.31% |
1920 | 39 | 6.69% | 544 | 93.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 31 | 4.04% | 737 | 95.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
1912 | 33 | 5.10% | 609 | 94.13% | 5 | 0.77% |
Notable people
- John Dooly after whom the county was named
- Rooney L. Bowen, Georgia businessman and politician
- George Busbee, governor of Georgia
- Walter F. George, U.S. Senator
- Jody Powell, press secretary and aide to Jimmy Carter
- Roger Kingdom, Olympic gold medalist in track and field
- David Ragan, NASCAR driver
- Keith Mumphery, NFL player
- Julian Webb, judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals and member of the Georgia State Senate.