Wrightsville, Georgia

Wrightsville is a city in Johnson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,195 at the 2010 census,[5] down from 2,223 at the 2000 census. The city limits include Johnson State Prison on the northeast side of town. The city is the county seat of Johnson County.

Wrightsville, Georgia
City
Location in Johnson County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°43′30″N 82°43′13″W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Johnson
Area [1]
• Total	3.60 sq mi (9.33 km^2)
• Land	3.52 sq mi (9.13 km^2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.21 km^2)
Elevation	344 ft (105 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	2,195
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	3,618
• Density	1,026.97/sq mi (396.47/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	31096
Area code(s)	478
FIPS code	13-84512[3]
GNIS feature ID	0325586[4]

Wrightsville is part of the Dublin Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Wrightsville in 1866.[6] The community was named after John B. Wright, a town promoter.[7]

Geography

Wrightsville is located west of the center of Johnson County at 32°43′30″N 82°43′13″W (32.725126, -82.720289).[8] U.S. Route 319 passes through the city center on Elm Street; it leads northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Bartow and southwest 18 miles (29 km) to Dublin. State Routes 15 and 57 also pass through the center of Wrightsville. SR-15 leads north 19 miles (31 km) to Sandersville and southeast 17 miles (27 km) to Adrian, while SR-57 leads west 37 miles (60 km) to Irwinton and southeast 25 miles (40 km) to Swainsboro.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Wrightsville has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), of which 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²), or 2.20%, are water.[5] The city is drained by tributaries of the Ohoopee River.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	272		—
1890	479		76.1%
1900	1,127		135.3%
1910	1,389		23.2%
1920	1,476		6.3%
1930	1,741		18.0%
1940	1,760		1.1%
1950	1,750		−0.6%
1960	2,056		17.5%
1970	2,106		2.4%
1980	2,526		19.9%
1990	2,331		−7.7%
2000	2,223		−4.6%
2010	2,195		−1.3%
Est. 2019	3,618	[2]	64.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 2,223 people, 867 households, and 564 families residing in the city. The population density was 648.1 people per square mile (250.2/km²). There were 978 housing units at an average density of 285.1 per square mile (110.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.88% White, 53.49% African American, 0.22% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.

There were 867 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.4% were married couples living together, 26.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city, the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $17,750, and the median income for a family was $21,429. Males had a median income of $24,808 versus $19,167 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,070. About 33.7% of families and 35.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 52.6% of those under age 18 and 26.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Johnson County School District

The Johnson County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school.[10] The district has 86 full-time teachers and over 1,384 students.[11]

• Johnson County Elementary School
• Johnson County Middle School
• Johnson County High School

Arts and culture

The Old Fashioned Fourth of July Festival has been held in the small town of Wrightsville since 1976. It starts on the eve of July 4 with a fireworks show. This is followed by a street dance on the courthouse square. The festivities continue the next morning with a parade of various floats created by churches and businesses in the community. There is a contest for the winning float design. Following the parade, there are various booths and vendors set up downtown.

Notable people

• J. Roy Rowland, Congressman from 1983 to 1995
• Herschel Walker, running back for the University of Georgia, 1982 Heisman Trophy winner

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Wrightsville city, Georgia (revision of 9-12-2012)". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
6. "Wrightsville". GeorgiaGov. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
7. Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 258. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 20, 2010.
11. School Stats, Retrieved June 20, 2010.