Bacon County Courthouse Alma is a city in Bacon County,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, United States, and the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,433. Alma is known as Georgia's blueberry capital, and hosts a Blueberry Festival each June.

History

Alma was founded in 1900 as a stop on the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...

. It was incorporated as a city in 1906 and designated seat of the newly formed Bacon County in 1914. There are two theories about the origin of the name of the town. The first is that it was named for the wife of a traveling salesmen, Alma Sheridan; the other is that it was named for the initial letter of the four state capitals Georgia has had: Augusta,

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

, Milledgeville, and

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. There are four sites in Alma listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

: Alma Depot,

Bacon County Courthouse The Bacon County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse on Main Street in Alma, Bacon County, Georgia. It was designed by architect J. J. Baldwin and completed in 1920.Bacon County School Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sand ...

, and the

Rabinowitz Building The Rabinowitz Building is a historic building in Alma, Georgia. It was built in 1915 and is located at 203-205 West Eleventh Street. It is a good example of a commercial, multi-use building in a small town. It is unusual as it uses glazed bricks ...

Geography

Alma is located in southeastern Georgia at (31.541543, -82.466666). The city is located along U.S. Routes 1 and 23. The two run through the center of the city together before splitting just north of the city. U.S. 1 connects the city with Baxley, 19 mi (31 km) to the north, and U.S. 23 connects the city with Hazlehurst, 25 mi (40 km) to the northwest. U.S. 1/23 also lead south together 29 mi (47 km) to Waycross. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 32 and 64. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 11.27%, is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 3,433 people, 1,005 households, and 620 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 3,236 people, 1,243 households, and 826 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,510 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 57.97%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 38.57%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 1.89% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.99% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 4.42% of the population. There were 1,243 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $20,324, and the median income for a family was $21,941. Males had a median income of $25,362 versus $15,583 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $11,574. About 27.6% of families and 32.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 48.7% of those under age 18 and 24.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Alma is served by the

Bacon County School District The Bacon County School District is a public school district in Bacon County, Georgia, United States, based in Alma. It serves the communities of Alma and Rockingham. Schools The Bacon County School District has one primary school, one ele ...

. The district has 126 full-time teachers and over 1,900 students,Free District Report
Retrieved May 29, 2010. and operates these schools: *Bacon County Elementary School *Bacon County Primary School *Bacon County Middle School *

Bacon County High School Bacon County High School is located in the town of Alma in Bacon County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Bacon County School District. Demographics The demographic breakdown of the 613 students enrolled for the 2020–21 school year ...

Alma is also served by Coastal Pines Technical College.

Notable people

Harry Crews Harry Eugene Crews (June 7, 1935 – March 28, 2012) was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. He often made use of violent, grotesque characters and set them in regions of the Deep South. Life Harry Crews was born June 7, 1 ...

, novelist, playwright, short story writer and essayist * Braswell Deen, U.S. Representative from Georgia; moved to Alma * Daniel W. Lee, recipient of Congressional Medal of Honor *

Walter J. Leonard Walter J. Leonard (October 3, 1929 – December 8, 2015) was an American lawyer and university administrator. As an administrator at Harvard University, he pioneered Affirmative action in the United States, affirmative action in admissions. He wa ...

, former president of Fisk University * William M. Wheeler, U.S. Representative from Georgia

References

External links

City of Alma official website

{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Bacon County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)