Banks County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the northeastern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,035, down from 18,395 in 2010. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

. The

Old Banks County Courthouse The Old Banks County Courthouse is in Homer, Georgia. Construction started in 1860 but was interrupted because of the American Civil War. Construction was paid for with $6,600 in Confederate money. Construction was finished in 1875. (''The Georgia ...

is located in Homer and 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 v ...

. A new county courthouse was constructed adjacent to the old one in 1983.

History

The law to establish Banks County was passed by the Georgia General Assembly on December 11, 1858. It was named for Dr. Richard E. Banks. The legislation called for the creation of Banks County on February 1, 1859, from

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

and Habersham counties.

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

, a

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

r, was born in Banks County in 1886 in an area of the county known as ''The Narrows'' - a small farming community consisting of fewer than 100 people. The area and birthplace are on State Highway 105 in the northern part of the county near the Broad River. The legal organ for the county is ''The Banks County News'', a member of Mainstreet News, Inc. One of the county's oldest church sites is the Hebron Presbyterian Church, established in 1796. Banks County is the home of the

Atlanta Dragway Atlanta Dragway was a drag racing facility located in Banks County, Georgia, just north of Commerce, Georgia. From 1981 until its closure after the 2021 season, it hosted the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, Southern Nationals. History ...

, located near Banks Crossing. Banks County is also known for being the home of the former world's largest

Easter egg hunt An egg hunt is an Eastertide game during which decorated eggs or Easter eggs are hidden for children to find. Real hard-boiled eggs, which are typically dyed or painted, artificial eggs made of plastic filled with chocolate or candies, or foil-w ...

. (The 50th annual egg hunt in 2009 was the last in the series.)

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. Banks County is entirely located in the Broad River sub-basin of the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the norther ...

basin.

Major highways

Interstate 85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, n ...

* U.S. Route 441 * Georgia 15

State Route 15 * Georgia 51

State Route 51 * Georgia 52

State Route 52 * Georgia 59

State Route 59 * Georgia 63

State Route 63 * Georgia 98

State Route 98 * Georgia 105

State Route 105 * Georgia 164

State Route 164 * Georgia 184

State Route 184 * Georgia 198

State Route 198 * Georgia 323

State Route 323 * Georgia 326

State Route 326 * Georgia 403

State Route 403 (hidden designation for I-85)

Adjacent counties

Habersham County Habersham County is a County (United States), county located in the Northeast Georgia, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population was 43,041. The county s ...

- north * Stephens County - northeast * Madison County - southeast * Jackson County - south * Hall County - west * Franklin County - east

National protected area

Chattahoochee National Forest The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the con ...

(part)

Demographics

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 14,422 people, 5,364 households, and 4,162 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 62 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 5,808 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.16%

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 on ...

, 3.22%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

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 ...

, 0.30% Native American, 0.60%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.96% 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 0.71% from two or more races. 3.42% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 5,364 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.40% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.40% were non-families. 19.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.06. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,523, and the median income for a family was $43,136. Males had a median income of $29,986 versus $21,698 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 county was $17,424. About 9.80% of families and 12.50% 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 14.00% of those under age 18 and 16.30% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 18,395 people, 6,700 households, and 5,100 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 7,595 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% white, 2.3% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 3.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.7% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 8.5% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and 8.5% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. Of the 6,700 households, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.9% were non-families, and 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age was 38.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $40,455 and the median income for a family was $48,606. Males had a median income of $41,444 versus $26,998 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,497. About 13.0% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the

, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

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 18,035 people, 6,740 households, and 4,875 families residing in the county.

Education

The Banks County School District is a public school district that services Banks County, and is based in Homer. There are four schools in the district, which educate 2,788 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Communities

Cities

* Baldwin (partly in Habersham) *

Commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...

(partly in

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

) * Gillsville (partly in

Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gr ...

) * Lula (partly in

)

Towns

Alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

(partly in Habersham) *

* Maysville (partly in

)

Unincorporated communities

* Hollingsworth *

Narrows A narrows or narrow (used interchangeably but usually in the plural form), is a restricted land or water passage. Most commonly a narrows is a strait, though it can also be a water gap. A narrows may form where a stream passes through a tilted ...

History

Geography

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

2000 census

2010 census

2020 census

Education

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

External links