Gray is a city in Jones 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 t ...

, United States. The population was 3,276 at the 2010 census, up from 1,811 at the 2000 census. The city is 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 ...

of Jones County. It is part of the

Macon Metropolitan Area The Macon metropolitan area is a metropolitan area consisting of five counties in Central Georgia ( Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs) anchored by the principal city of Macon. The Office of Management and Budget defines the area as one ...

History

Gray was founded in the 1850s and named for local resident James M. Gray. In 1905, the seat of Jones County was transferred to Gray.

Geography

Gray is located in central Jones County at . U.S. Route 129 passes through the center of town, leading northeast to

Eatonton Eatonton is a city in and county seat of Putnam County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 6,307. It was named after William Eaton, an officer and diplomat involved in the First Barbary War. The name co ...

and southwest to Macon.

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

is to the northwest via State Route 11, Milledgeville is to the east via State Route 22, and Gordon is to the southeast via State Route 18. 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, Gray has a total area of , of which , or 0.34%, are water. Gray is drained to the west by tributaries of Walnut Creek, flowing to the

Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.

, and to the east by tributaries of Commissioner Creek, flowing to the

Oconee River The Oconee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map Accessed April 21, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its origin is in Hall County and it terminates where it join ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,436 people, 1,219 households, and 798 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,276 people, 1,171 households, and 827 families residing in the city. There were 1,288 housing units, of which 117, or 9.1%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the city was 69.4%

white White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 28.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.6%

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

n, 0.3% some other race, and 1.4% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 1,171 households, 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were headed by

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, 20.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62, and the average family size was 3.17. In the city, 28.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.8% were from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. For the period 2012–2016, the estimated median annual income for a household was $59,722, and the median income for a family was $82,781. 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 $25,679. Male full-time workers had a median income of $43,162, versus $35,100 for females. 10.4% of the population and 8.6% of families were below the poverty line. 12.5% of the population under the age of 18 and 12.8% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.

Government and emergency services

Gray's city council sets policy for the operations of the city, approves the city's annual budget, passes ordinances, and hears and acts on requests for zoning, rezoning, and annexation. The mayor, Ed Barbee, is the chief executive officer of the city, appoints the judge, chairs the meetings and is the chief financial officer of the city. Gray is protected by many agencies, including the Gray Volunteer Fire Department (John Eisele, Chief), Gray Police Department (Adam Lowe, Chief), Jones County Sheriff's Office (Butch Reece, Sheriff), Jones County Fire Rescue and Emergency Management (Don Graham, Director)

Education

Jones County School District

The

Jones County School District ‘’Not to be confused with Jones County School District (Mississippi) in Mississippi’’ The Jones County School District is a public school district in Jones County, Georgia, United States, based in Gray. It serves the communities of G ...

holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The district has 295 full-time teachers and over 5,014 students.School Stats
Retrieved June 22, 2010. *Dames Ferry Elementary School *Turnerwoods Elementary School *Gray Elementary School *Mattie Wells Elementary School *Gray Station Middle School *Clifton Ridge Middle School * Jones County High School

References

External links

City of Gray official website
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Jones County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Macon metropolitan area, Georgia Populated places established in the 1850s 1850s establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)