JACKSON
COUNTY
BACKGROUND
Jackson County is located in the heart of the Piedmont Plateau
in Northeast Georgia. It is 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, 18
miles south of Gainesville and 18 miles north of Athens. Interstate
85 divides the county east to west and U.S. Highways 129 and
441 run north and south through the county. Jackson County was
founded in 1796 and originally included parts of the present
Barrow, Banks, Madison and Gwinnett counties. The population
of Jackson County has grown tremendously in recent years as a
result of new business and industry locating here and spill-over
from residents moving from the Atlanta area. The population is
currently 41,589. This number represents a 38.6% increase between
1990 and 2000.
MEDIA
Two weekly newspapers serve Jackson County:
The Jackson Herald, the official legal organ of Jackson
County, is the second oldest business in the county (established
in 1875). It is considered the "county newspaper" by
most Jackson Countians because of its emphasis on comprehensive
county-wide news coverage. The Herald is the largest circulation
newspaper in Jackson County with a paid circulation of 8,000.
The Herald's circulation is most dense in and around the
towns of Jefferson, Arcade, Maysville, Nicholson, Pendergrass,
Talmo, Hoschton and Braselton. The Herald also has considerable
circulation in and around Commerce.
The Commerce News is the official legal organ for the
City of Commerce and is the oldest business in Jackson County
(established just prior to The Herald in 1875). It has a total
paid circulation of just over 3,500 and is widely regarded as
the "city paper" for Commerce. Commerce is not only
the largest town in the county, but is also the geographical
and retail center of this market. The Commerce News has
received numerous state-wide awards in recent years for outstanding
news coverage, sports writing and advertising excellence. It
was recently named the top Georgia newspaper in its circulation
class.
|
ECONOMICS
|
Median Income: |
$34,033 |
(2000) |
|
Per Capita Income: |
$23,095 |
(1999) |
|
Retail Sales Per Capita: |
$9,646 |
(1999) |
|
Total Retail Sales: |
$538,339,000 |
(2000) |
|
Pct. Manufacturing Construction: |
38% |
(1999) |
|
Pct. Service Industry: |
17% |
(1999) |
|
Deposits In Financial Institutions: |
$434,681,000 |
(2000) |
HOUSING
|
Total Housing Units: |
16,226 |
(2000) |
|
Total Occupied: |
15,057 |
(2000) |
|
Persons Per Household: |
2.65 |
(2000) |
LABOR
|
Labor Force: |
23,118 |
(2000) |
|
Unemployment Percentage: |
2.7% |
(2000) |
NATURAL RESOURCES
|
Area in Square Miles: |
343 |
|
|
Area in Acres: |
218,957 |
|
POPULATION
|
Total Population: |
41,589 |
(2000) |
|
Population Increase from 1990: |
11,584 |
|
|
Percent Population Increase from 1990: |
38.6% |
|
|
Population Projections for Year 2005: |
47,379 |
|
|
Municipality Growth |
Jefferson.................38.4%
Talmo...................152.4%
Commerce..............28.8%
Arcade..................135.2%
Maysville (pt).........71.3%
Pendergrass...........44.8%
Braselton (pt)......188.5%
Nicholson............133.1% Hoschton...............66.7%
County Total.........38.6% |
(Percent Change 1990-2000) |
TRANSPORTATION
|
Total Paved City, County Rd. Mileage: |
626 Miles |
(2000) |
|
Total Interstate Mileage: |
22 Miles (I-85) |
|
|
Total State Route Mileage: |
190 Miles |
(2000) |
|
Motor Vehicle Registrations: |
53,650 |
(2001) |
VITAL STATISTICS
|
Births: |
635 |
(1999) |
|
Deaths: |
358 |
(1999) |
|
Median Age: |
34.6 |
(2000) |
|
Veterans: |
3,369 |
(2000) |
GOVERNMENT
|
Congressional Districts: |
9th |
(2001 Plan) |
|
State Senatorial Districts: |
46th, 47th, 49th |
(2001 Plan) |
|
State Representative District: |
24th, 25th |
(2001 Plan) |
|
