Snapshots of Georgia: Appling County, 1994 June

Numbers on map are the Council ofEconomic Development Organizations (CEDO) Regions

Community Appling County
Baxley Graham Surrency

Appling County was named for Col. Daniel Appling, known as Georgia's most outstanding soldier in the War of 1812. Georgia's 40th county was created in 1818 out of treaty lands obtained from the Creek Indians. Baxley, the county seat, was named for Wilson Baxley, an area pioneer, who like most of the early white settlers in the area from the coastal North Carolina.

The county-Georgia's 26th largest-is 512 square miles in area

In addition to the county seatof Baxley, the county includes two other municipalities- Graham

Population
19701 19801

Growth
1990 1910-1980 I 1980-1990

and Surrency. Graham's population figures are not reported because the city was

12726 15565 15744

22.3%

1.2% chartered after the 1990 census.

3503 3586 3841

...

...

...

352

368

253

2.4%
...
4.5%

7.1%
...
-31.3%

Appling County is in CEDO Region 11 and the Altamaha Georgia Southern Regional Development Center.

The county is in the 1st U.S. Congressional District, the 6th State Senatorial District, and the 170th State House Districts.

Georgia Power's Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Power Plant is located in the county.

Demographics

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After experiencing significant population growth in the 1970s---over 20% between 1970 and 1980-Appling's population remained essentially unchanged in the 1980s. The county's large population growth in the 1970s was the result of the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Power Plant which came on-line in 1974.

Median household
income is $22,271 vs. $29,021 statewide. About 41% of Appling County's households have incomes between $10,000 and $29,999 vs. about 35% statewide.
Per capita income in 1990 was $12,957, or about
69% of that of the U.S., up slightly 1980 level of 63 %.

County
El State

d $150,000+
[d $10CH49,999
.BlZ!! $75-99,999

$50-74,999 ~

$40-49,999

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! ~~i~_J_~_!!!!!_!!!!!J_!!!!!_!!!!!_I-+ <$5,000
20% 15% 10% 5% % of Households

Plant Hatch has had a major economic impact on the county. In 1970, 24% of the county's jobs were in farming; 21 % were in manufacturing. Only 3% were in transportation, communication, and public utilities (TCPU). By 1990, 18% were in both TCPU. Farming was down to 11% of county jobs and manufacturing to 18%.

Demographics-cont'd
About 43% of the county's adult population did not graduate from high school; 8% of the county's adult population have college degrees- less than half the proportion statewide.

County

App L

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Coll Grad+

Most of the county's work force works in Appling County; only 22% commute to another county to work.
Most of Appling County's manufacturing establishments are in the lumber and wood industry.

HS Grad
!
HS Not Grad
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0-8

78.2%

About a third of the county's work force have precision production and equipment operation/ assembly occupations.

36% 27%

18%

9%

% of Population Age 25+

Workin County

From 1985 to 1990, the number of businesses in the county decreased by 4.8%. For the state as a whole,

Commute there was a 13.3% increase.

[] Outside County

The county's unemployment rate was higher than the state's from 1980-1991 and fluctuated greatlyfrom a high of over 11% in 1990 to 6% in 1981, the

-

State County

only year it was less than the state's.

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990

Governments

Appling County has a commission manager form of government, with a six member commission.
In 1993, Appling County reported raising $495.33 per capita in general revenues vs. $349.20 in similarly sized counties and $525.46 for all counties. About 58% ofAppling's general revenue -vs. 42% for similarly sized counties-<:ame from property taxes, again reflecting the Plant Hatch's impact
The county collects a Local Option Sales Tax but not a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

The county's 1993 per capita general operating expenditures were somewhat higher than similarly sized counties'- $334.69 per capita vs. $282.30. The higher expenditures went to community development ($54.22 vs. $4.61 for population group counties) and highways, streets, and drainage ($55.65 vs. $17.42).
The county reported no outstanding debt in 1993.
A unique joint city-county effort on industrial recruitment resulted from the comprehensive planning process.
The county and its cities have an approved and adopted solid waste management plan and are currently eligible for solid waste grants, loans, and permits.

Appling
El All Counties

General

General

Revenues Operating

Expenditures

Appling County and all ofits municipalities have an approved and adopted joint comprehensive plan. The county is also in compliance with River Corridor Protection requirements.

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DCA Financial Assistance

Between July 1, 1990andMay 15, 1994,Appling Countyanditsmunicipalitiesreceived $1,551,728 in financial assistance from DCA; $1,514,484 of that assistance was for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects.

Source

Amount Number of Grants

Community Development Block Grant 1,514,484

4

Local Development Fund

37,244

7

Total $1,551,728

11

CDBG funds have been provided to rehabilitate 20 owner occupied housing units in Surrency, to
renovate a school building to house four social service agencies, to provide water and sewer improvements in the Hundred Roads community, and for housing acquisition and rehabilitation in Baxley.

Local Development Fund grants have been awarded to Surrency for community and recreation facilities, to Baxley for a comprehensive plan, and to the county for rehabilitation and renovations of historic buildings.

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GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF

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COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
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100 Peachtree Street

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' Atlanta Georgi.a 30303

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(404) 656-3851

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An Eq_ual Opportunity Employer

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