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Pickens County is a county in the Northwest region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,216.[1] The county seat is Jasper.[2] Pickens County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia metropolitan statistical area.

History

The Georgia General Assembly passed an act on December 5, 1853, to create Pickens County from portions of Cherokee and Gilmer Counties.[3] Pickens received several more land additions from Cherokee (1869) and Gilmer Counties (1858 and 1863); however, several sections of Pickens County have also been transferred to other counties: Dawson County (1857), Gordon County (1860), and Cherokee County (1870).

Pickens County is named for American Revolutionary War General Andrew Pickens.[4]

During the Civil War, Company D of the 1st Georgia Infantry Battalion of the Union Army was raised in Pickens County.

Most of Pickens County’s early industry revolved around marble. Georgia Marble Company is located in Marble Hill near Tate. The Tate elementary school is built out of marble. The marble was also used to make the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. Most of the marble is white, but Pickens County is one of the few places in the world where pink marble is found. The marble is also used for tombstones for the United States military.

Pickens County has seen very rapid growth with the building of Georgia State Route 515, locally referred to as the “four-lane”. Many new businesses and residents continue to move to Pickens County.[citation needed]

Pickens County is home the Georgia Marble Festival.

Geography

Sharp Top Mountain, viewed from Grandview Lake Dam

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 233 square miles (600 km2), of which 232 square miles (600 km2) are land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.3%) is covered by water.[5]

The county is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The highest point in Pickens County is the 3,288-ft summit of Mount Oglethorpe, the southernmost peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and for a number of years, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Other notable peaks in Pickens County include Sharp Top Mountain and Sharp Mountain. One of the best viewpoints of Sharp Top Mountain is from Grandview Lake Dam on Grandview Road.

The eastern half of Pickens County is located in the Etowah River subbasin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin). The western half of the county is located in the Coosawattee River sub-basin of the same larger ACT River Basin.[6]

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Town

Unincorporated communities

Private communities

A significant portion of the county population resides in gated master-planned communities that function similar to a municipality, with HOA fees to provide many municipal-type services independently from the county government.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18604,951—
18705,3177.4%
18806,79027.7%
18908,18220.5%
19008,6415.6%
19109,0414.6%
19208,222−9.1%
19309,68717.8%
19409,136−5.7%
19508,855−3.1%
19608,9030.5%
19709,6208.1%
198011,65221.1%
199014,43223.9%
200022,98359.3%
201029,43128.1%
202033,21612.9%
2025 (est.)37,167[8] Increase11.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1880[10] 1890-1910[11]
1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13]
1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15]
1980-2000[16] 2010[17]

Racial and ethnic composition

Pickens 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 1980[18] Pop 1990[19] Pop 2000[20] Pop 2010[21] Pop 2020[22] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 11,306 14,091 21,897 27,802 30,122 97.03% 97.64% 95.27% 94.47% 90.69%
Black or African American alone (NH) 264 245 292 297 286 2.27% 1.70% 1.27% 1.01% 0.86%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 7 31 84 69 85 0.06% 0.21% 0.37% 0.23% 0.26%
Asian alone (NH) 9 19 52 118 191 0.08% 0.13% 0.23% 0.40% 0.58%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [23] x [24] 6 5 4 x x 0.03% 0.02% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 0 0 12 13 70 0.00% 0.00% 0.05% 0.04% 0.21%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [25] x [26] 173 308 1,260 x x 0.75% 1.05% 3.79%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 66 46 467 819 1,198 0.57% 0.32% 2.03% 2.78% 3.61%
Total 11,652 14,432 22,983 29,431 33,216 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 33,216, and 19.2% of residents lived in urban areas while 80.8% lived in rural areas.[27] Those residents comprised 13,120 households and 8,539 families.[28]

The median age was 47.7 years, 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18, and 24.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.1 males age 18 and over.[27]

The racial makeup of the county was 91.5% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.6% of the population.[29]

Of the 13,120 households, 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[28]

There were 14,896 housing units, of which 11.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.6% were owner-occupied and 19.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%.[28]

Politics

Politically, Pickens County is an outlier in Georgia, one of the few ancestrally Republican counties of the state, due to Unionist sentiment in the county during the American Civil War. As of the 2020s, Pickens County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 82% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Pickens County divided between Georgia’s 11th congressional district, currently represented by Barry Loudermilk. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Pickens County is part of District 51.[30] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Pickens County is part of District 11.[31]

United States presidential election results for Pickens County, Georgia[32]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1912 190 20.41% 324 34.80% 417 44.79%
1916 344 27.28% 497 39.41% 420 33.31%
1920 830 65.51% 437 34.49% 0 0.00%
1924 1,149 60.25% 754 39.54% 4 0.21%
1928 1,319 70.84% 543 29.16% 0 0.00%
1932 743 33.54% 1,472 66.46% 0 0.00%
1936 1,053 46.27% 1,223 53.73% 0 0.00%
1940 884 43.76% 1,124 55.64% 12 0.59%
1944 795 50.48% 780 49.52% 0 0.00%
1948 1,258 46.22% 1,239 45.52% 225 8.27%
1952 1,328 50.30% 1,312 49.70% 0 0.00%
1956 2,341 65.45% 1,236 34.55% 0 0.00%
1960 1,943 56.88% 1,473 43.12% 0 0.00%
1964 1,955 50.32% 1,930 49.68% 0 0.00%
1968 1,659 44.50% 677 18.16% 1,392 37.34%
1972 2,101 80.16% 520 19.84% 0 0.00%
1976 973 27.45% 2,571 72.55% 0 0.00%
1980 1,612 39.54% 2,358 57.84% 107 2.62%
1984 2,801 67.82% 1,329 32.18% 0 0.00%
1988 3,021 67.52% 1,430 31.96% 23 0.51%
1992 2,332 40.57% 2,359 41.04% 1,057 18.39%
1996 3,041 46.31% 2,693 41.01% 832 12.67%
2000 5,488 66.92% 2,489 30.35% 224 2.73%
2004 8,115 76.28% 2,444 22.97% 80 0.75%
2008 10,004 78.08% 2,595 20.25% 214 1.67%
2012 10,547 83.03% 1,975 15.55% 180 1.42%
2016 11,651 82.51% 1,979 14.02% 490 3.47%
2020 14,110 82.17% 2,824 16.45% 238 1.39%
2024 17,281 82.62% 3,522 16.84% 112 0.54%
United States Senate election results for Pickens County, Georgia2
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 13,860 81.68% 2,678 15.78% 431 2.54%
2020 12,601 83.18% 2,548 16.82% 0 0.00%
[33]
United States Senate election results for Pickens County, Georgia3
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 7,185 42.68% 2,076 12.33% 7,575 44.99%
2020 12,532 82.75% 2,612 17.25% 0 0.00%
2022 12,050 80.32% 2,589 17.26% 364 2.43%
2022 10,986 82.35% 2,355 17.65% 0 0.00%
Georgia Gubernatorial election results for Pickens County
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2022 12,937 85.76% 2,041 13.53% 108 0.72%

Transportation

Major highways

Education

Main article: Pickens County School District (Georgia)

The Pickens County School District is the sole school district in the county.[34]

Notable residents

See also

References

General
  1. ^ “Census – Geography Profile: Pickens County, Georgia”. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  2. ^ “Find a County”. National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ “Pickens County”. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  4. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 175. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2003.
  5. ^ “US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990”. United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ^ “Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience”. Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  7. ^ “Bent Tree | North Georgia Mountains Real Estate Properties | 18-Hole Golf Course, Year-Round Tennis, and 110-Acre Lake | Buildable Real Estate Lots for Sale in Bent Tree. | Bent Tree Community”. www.benttree.com.
  8. ^ “County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025”. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  9. ^ “Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades”. United States Census Bureau.
  10. ^ “1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800” (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  11. ^ “1910 Census of Population – Georgia” (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2024.
  12. ^ “1930 Census of Population – Georgia” (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  13. ^ “1940 Census of Population – Georgia” (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  14. ^ “1950 Census of Population – Georgia -“ (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  15. ^ “1980 Census of Population – Number of Inhabitants – Georgia” (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  16. ^ “2000 Census of Population – Population and Housing Unit Counts – Georgia” (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  17. ^ “State & County QuickFacts”. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  18. ^ “1980 Census of Population – General Social and Economic Characteristics – Georgia – Table 58 – Race by Sex: 1980 and Table 59 – Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980” (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 12-52. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2026 – via Wayback Machine.
  19. ^ “1990 Census of Population – General Population Characteristics – Georgia: Table 6 – Race and Hispanic Origin” (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 15-65. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 1, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  20. ^ “P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Pickens County, Georgia”. United States Census Bureau.
  21. ^ “P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Pickens County, Georgia”. United States Census Bureau.
  22. ^ “P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Pickens County, Georgia”. United States Census Bureau.
  23. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  24. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  25. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  26. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  27. ^ a b “2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)”. United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  28. ^ a b c “2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)”. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  29. ^ “2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)”. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  30. ^ “Georgia General Assembly”. www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  31. ^ “Georgia General Assembly”. www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  32. ^ Leip, David. “Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections”. uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  33. ^ “2022 Senate Election (Official Returns)”. Commonwealth of Georgia by county. November 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  34. ^ Geography Division (December 26, 2020). 2020 CENSUS – SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Pickens County, GA (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2025. – Text list
Specific

The weekly newspaper for Pickens County is the Pickens Progress, a family-owned newspaper published since 1887 in Jasper.

Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Pickens County, Georgia at Wikimedia Commons

34°28′N 84°28′W / 34.46°N 84.46°W / 34.46; -84.46