Numbers on map are the Council ofEconomic Development Organizations (CEDO) Regions SNAPSHOTS OF County Description G E O R G A Dade County, in Georgia's extreme northwestern comer, was established in 1837, a year before the federal government began removing the original inhabitants, the Cherokee Indians. Carved from western Walker County, Dade County was the 91 st county created in the state. With a population of 13,147, Dade County is Georgia's 97th most populous county. It is one of Georgia's smallest counties (149th in size), with only 174 square miles of area. Dade County is located in CEDO Region 1 and the Coosa Valley Regional Development Center. It is part of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is in the 9th U.S. Congressional District, the 53rd State Senatorial District, and the 1st State House District. Community Dade County Trenton Population 19701 19801 Growth The county has only one municipality, 1990 1910--1980 I 1980-1990 Trenton, the county seat. Trenton's 1990 9910 12318 13147 24.3% 6.7% population was 1,994. 1523 1636 1994 7.4% 21.9% Interstate 59 bisects the county, passing through a highly scenic valley between the Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain plateaus. The bluffs running along the tops of the two plateaus are popular home sites because of the spectacular views. To date, most homeowners have kept enough trees to preserve views towards their properties, but continuing development will likely hurt the scenic values ofthe local landscape. Located "on the backside of Lookout Mountain," Dade County was for many years unknown to most Georgians. Until a long-delayed state highway over the mountain was finally completec. in 1948, the only reliable route to the county by automobile was through Alabama or Tennessee. In the late 1980s, the county built a new courthouse, jail, and library in downtown Trenton. The old courthouse, a 1926 brick structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was retained. It still stands in the center of the town square. Demographics The county experienced relatively slow growth in the 1980s, with its population increasing about 6.1 %, compared to the statewide growth rate C g 150% +--+--+--.L--,,,=""><~::;:_-l!!!'!"'~J ('Cl of almost 19%. =i a. 0 ~ 100% -Jl""''""--+---e--~-+---+----'---'----: b> Dade County's population is overwhelmingly white; less than County Eil State $100-149,999 $75-99,999 0 cf. 50% +---+------>---< - State County 1% of its residents are black. Median household income growth has also lagged behind the .. $50-74,999 l C $40-49,999 g: :::r 0 $30-39,999 C: 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 state, growing by 54% during the 1980s, compared to the state's 93% rate. 5" $20-29,999 8 3 $10-19,999 ID Per capita income lags well behind that of the state as a whole, measuring only $10,728, compared to the statewide level of $17,045. $5-9,999 <$5,000 30% 23% 15% 8% % of Households Demographics-cont'd D A D E Dade County's per capita income is only about 57% of that of the U.S. During the 1980s, its C O U N T Y per capita income level fell almost 5% relative to that of the U.S. ,.. ,_,,,, : The county was I09th on the Georgia Department of Revenue's 1992 ,,,,,;,c,,,,,,,., .7""" Master Economic Rank, based on taxable sales, automobile registrations, income reported for tax purposes, and net property tax digest.. -- I I ....,.. The percentage of the county's residents living below the poverty level is virtually the same as the rate for the state as a whole-14.6% vs. 14.7%. Almost 45% of Dade County's population has not completed high school vs. the state's 29.1 %. 1970 1980 1990 - State County 2000 100% 0 ~ g, 75% C ~ -u 50% ~ 0 Ill '2. iii >- 25% :, C') 0 3 (I) 2010 Almost two-thirds of the county's workers commute to other counties, many to Chattanooga which is less than 30 minutes away from most of Dade County. Manufacturing is the largest employment sector in Dade County, with 0