Berrien County, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Berrien County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Georgia
. As of 2000, the population is 16,235. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 16,722. The county seat
is Nashville
.
Berrien County was created February 25, 1856 out of portions of Coffee
, Irwin and Lowndes
counties by an act of the Georgia General Assembly
. It is named after Georgia senator John M. Berrien
.
of 2000, there were 16,235 people, 6,261 households, and 4,539 families residing in the county. The population density
was 36 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 7,100 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.48% White
, 11.43% Black
or African American
, 0.26% Native American
, 0.30% Asian
, 0.08% Pacific Islander
, 1.53% from other races
, and 0.92% from two or more races. 2.37% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 6,261 households out of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples
living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.20% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,044, and the median income for a family was $34,643. Males had a median income of $25,559 versus $19,790 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,375. About 14.60% of families and 17.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.40% of those under age 18 and 13.00% of those age 65 or over.
The BHS Football Team has a website as well BHS Rebel Football
.
Berrien Historical Foundation maintains Berrien Historical Photos website.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. As of 2000, the population is 16,235. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 16,722. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Nashville
Nashville, Georgia
Nashville is a city in Berrien County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,697 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Berrien County...
.
Berrien County was created February 25, 1856 out of portions of Coffee
Coffee County, Georgia
Coffee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 37,413. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 40,085. The county seat is Douglas.-History:...
, Irwin and Lowndes
Lowndes County, Georgia
Lowndes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia along the Florida border. It was created December 23, 1825. The 2010 Census showed a population of 109,233...
counties by an act of the Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
. It is named after Georgia senator John M. Berrien
John M. Berrien
John Macpherson Berrien of Georgia was a United States Senator and Andrew Jackson's Attorney General.Born at Rocky Hill, New Jersey, to a family of Huguenot ancestry, Berrien moved with his parents to Savannah, Georgia, in 1782; was graduated from Princeton College in 1796; studied law in...
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 457.78 square miles (1,185.6 km²), of which 452.41 square miles (1,171.7 km²) (or 98.83%) is land and 5.37 square miles (13.9 km²) (or 1.17%) is water.Major highways
U.S. Route 82U.S. Route 82U.S. Route 82 is an east–west United States highway in the southern United States. What started as a 1932 addition to the system across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas eventually became a 1,609 mile route extending from the White Sands of New Mexico to Georgia's Atlantic coast.The...
U.S. Route 129U.S. Route 129U.S. Route 129 is an offshoot route of U.S. Route 29, which it intersects near Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for 582 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Chiefland, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 and U.S. Route 98. It passes through the states of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida...
State Route 11
State Route 37
State Route 76
State Route 125
State Route 135
State Route 520
Adjacent counties
- Irwin CountyIrwin County, GeorgiaIrwin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 15, 1818. As of 2000, the population was 9,931. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,934...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- north - Coffee CountyCoffee County, GeorgiaCoffee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 37,413. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 40,085. The county seat is Douglas.-History:...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- northeast - Atkinson CountyAtkinson County, GeorgiaAtkinson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia, and was formed in 1917 from parts of Coffee and Clinch counties. As of 2000, the population was 7,609. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 8,223...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- east - Lanier CountyLanier County, GeorgiaLanier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2009, the population was 8,423. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 7,847. The county seat is Lakeland. Lakeland is Lanier County's only incorporated...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- southeast - Lowndes CountyLowndes County, GeorgiaLowndes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia along the Florida border. It was created December 23, 1825. The 2010 Census showed a population of 109,233...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- south - Cook CountyCook County, GeorgiaCook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed July 30, 1918, and ratified November 5, 1918. As of 2010, the population is 17,212. The county seat is Adel...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- west - Tift CountyTift County, GeorgiaTift County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 38,407. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 41,610...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- northwest
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,235 people, 6,261 households, and 4,539 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 36 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 7,100 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.48% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 11.43% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.26% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.30% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.08% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.53% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.92% from two or more races. 2.37% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 6,261 households out of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.20% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,044, and the median income for a family was $34,643. Males had a median income of $25,559 versus $19,790 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $16,375. About 14.60% of families and 17.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.40% of those under age 18 and 13.00% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Berrien County is home to the Rebels and Rebelettes. The High School band is known as the Rebel Regiment.The BHS Football Team has a website as well BHS Rebel Football
Historical notes
Berrien County lost a disproportionate number of men in World War I in part because companies at that time were organized by militia districts at home. Eight weeks before the Armistice was to be signed, 25 Berrien men were among the 200 recently enlisted soldiers who perished at sea off the coast of Scotland when the troop ship Otranto collided with the merchant ship Kashmir in rough weather. So many soldiers' bodies washed ashore among the rocks at Islay that a temporary burial ground was necessary. Many of the bodies were later returned to the soldiers' hometowns for burial. The names of the known dead were all listed with hometowns in the New York Times, and included these names from Berrien County: Lester Hancock, Arthur Harper, William P. Hayes, Benjamin McCranie, James M. McMillan, Shelly Lloyd Webb, Joe Wheeler, Jim M. Boyett, Lafayette Gaskins, Bennie E. Griner, Robert J. Hancock, George H. Hutto, Thomas J. Simmons, Max Easters, G. Bruce Faircloth, Thomas, H. Holland, Ralph Knight, William McMillan, John Franklin Moore, Wiliam Zeigler, Thomas W. Sirmons, Charley Railey, and Tillman W. Robinson. These names are engraved on a memorial in the county seat of Nashville, on the courthouse grounds. The memorial was the first of a series, The Spirit of the American Doughboy, pressed copper sculpture by E. M. ViquesneyE. M. Viquesney
Ernest Moore Viquesney American sculptor best known for his very popular World War I monument Spirit of the American Doughboy, installed in front of many American city halls and courthouses and in public parks and cemeteries in the years 1920 through 1940...
.
Berrien Historical Foundation maintains Berrien Historical Photos website.
Cities and towns
- AlapahaAlapaha, GeorgiaAlapaha is a town in Berrien County, Georgia, along the Alapaha River. The population was 682 at the 2000 census.Alapaha developed from a trade settlement on the site of a Seminole village with the same name...
- EnigmaEnigma, GeorgiaEnigma is a town in Berrien County, Georgia, United States. The population was 869 at the 2000 census.-History:Enigma, Georgia, is a small town in South Georgia located in the northwest tip of Berrien County, nine miles east of Tifton, on Highway 82. The town was founded between 1876-1880 by John...
- NashvilleNashville, GeorgiaNashville is a city in Berrien County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,697 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Berrien County...
- Ray CityRay City, GeorgiaRay City is a city in Berrien County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,090 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Ray City is located at ....