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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Johnson County, Georgia
Johnson County is a county located along the oconee River in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,189. The county seat is Wrightsville. Johnson County is part of the Dublin, Georgia, micropolitan statistical area.

History

Johnson county was created by the Georgia legislature December 11, 1858, from parts of Emanuel, Laurens, and Washington counties. Johnson County was named for Georgia governor, senator, and U.S. vice-presidential candidate Herschel Vespasian Johnson.

In 1919, a deputy driving Jim Waters, a black prisoner accused of rape, out of the county was stopped by a group of 150 men at a bridge over the Ohoopee River. The men tied Waters to a tree and shot him numerous times. The case was closed without any investigation.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 307 square miles (800 km), of which 303 square miles (780 km) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km) (1.2%) is water.

The vast majority of Johnson County is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. Tiny portions of the northeastern borders of the county are located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, while the western corner of Johnson County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated community

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18602,919—
18702,9641.5%
18804,80061.9%
18906,12927.7%
190011,40986.1%
191012,89713.0%
192013,5465.0%
193012,681−6.4%
194012,9532.1%
19509,893−23.6%
19608,048−18.6%
19707,727−4.0%
19808,66012.1%
19908,329−3.8%
20008,5602.8%
20109,98016.6%
20209,189−7.9%
2023 (est.)9,2821.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1880 1890-1910
1920-1930 1930-1940
1940-1950 1960-1980
1980-2000 2010 2020

2020 Census

Johnson County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 5,307 6,219 5,800 62.00% 62.31% 63.12%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3,131 3,461 3,017 36.58% 34.68% 32.83%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 11 17 23 0.13% 0.17% 0.25%
Asian alone (NH) 10 22 28 0.12% 0.22% 0.30%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 1 3 15 0.01% 0.03% 0.16%
Other race alone (NH) 1 7 14 0.01% 0.07% 0.15%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 21 65 175 0.25% 0.65% 1.90%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 78 186 117 0.91% 1.86% 1.27%
Total 8,560 9,980 9,189 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,189 people, 3,393 households, and 2,208 families residing in the county.

Government

The county is governed by a five-member board of commissioners. A county manager handles the daily operation of the county.

The county is part of the Dublin Judicial Circuit along with Twiggs County, Treutlen County, and Laurens County.

Board of commissioners
District Commissioner Party
District 1 Felice Pullen Democratic
District 2 James McAfee Jr. [CHAIR] Republican
District 3 Jerronney Darrisaw Democratic
District 4 Larry Pope Republican
District 5 Mike Keene Republican

United States presidential election results for Johnson County, Georgia
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 2,850 69.51% 1,222 29.80% 28 0.68%
2016 2,519 68.34% 1,136 30.82% 31 0.84%
2012 2,440 64.62% 1,305 34.56% 31 0.82%
2008 2,426 66.47% 1,198 32.82% 26 0.71%
2004 2,279 64.11% 1,263 35.53% 13 0.37%
2000 1,797 62.33% 1,065 36.94% 21 0.73%
1996 815 36.14% 1,194 52.95% 246 10.91%
1992 1,314 39.88% 1,473 44.70% 508 15.42%
1988 1,567 62.83% 927 37.17% 0 0.00%
1984 1,733 59.11% 1,199 40.89% 0 0.00%
1980 1,123 37.07% 1,854 61.21% 52 1.72%
1976 698 24.00% 2,210 76.00% 0 0.00%
1972 2,201 84.07% 417 15.93% 0 0.00%
1968 381 13.28% 446 15.55% 2,041 71.16%
1964 1,940 73.99% 682 26.01% 0 0.00%
1960 488 27.32% 1,298 72.68% 0 0.00%
1956 179 10.02% 1,607 89.98% 0 0.00%
1952 344 15.99% 1,808 84.01% 0 0.00%
1948 67 5.33% 685 54.54% 504 40.13%
1944 304 23.71% 978 76.29% 0 0.00%
1940 306 11.32% 2,386 88.24% 12 0.44%
1936 334 15.15% 1,861 84.40% 10 0.45%
1932 18 1.34% 1,314 98.06% 8 0.60%
1928 284 31.00% 632 69.00% 0 0.00%
1924 194 14.18% 1,058 77.34% 116 8.48%
1920 74 19.47% 306 80.53% 0 0.00%
1916 150 16.95% 715 80.79% 20 2.26%
1912 92 23.00% 285 71.25% 23 5.75%

Education

In 1970, Johnson County schools integrated peacefully due to careful planning by the county's board of education and firm management by superintendent Buren Claxton.

The county's public schools are located in Wrightsville. The school mascot is the Trojan, and the school colors are blue and white. The school fight song is the theme from the movie Hang 'Em High.

Sports

Herschel Walker, a Johnson County native, played on the county's only state championship football team in 1979. Walker went on to play for the University of Georgia and won the Heisman Trophy. In 2004 Johnson County High School named its football field for Walker.

See also