Snapshots of Georgia: Spalding County [June 1994]

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

SNAPSHOTS OF G E 0 R GI A

County Description
Spalding County was formed in 1851 from parts of Fayette, Henry, and Pike counties. It was
the 96th county created in the state and named after Thomas Spalding, the first Georgian known to have successfully harvested cotton and cane.

Griffin, the county seat, was named for General L. Griffin, the first president of the Monroe
Railroad. This railroad later became the Central of Georgia.
. The county is 200 square miles in area. It is the 141st largest county in the state.

Community Spalding County
Griffin Orchard Hill
Sunny Side

The county is in CEDO Region 3 and the McIntosh Trail Regional Development Center.
. Spalding County is in the 3rd U.S. Congressional District, the 28th and 29th State Senatorial

Population

19701 19801

39514 47899

22734 20728

...

162

209

338

Growth
1990 1910-1980 I 1980-1990

54457

21.2%

13.7%

21347

-8.8%

3.0%

239

...

47.5%

215

61.7% -36.4%

Districts, and the 106th and 107th State House Districts.
The county has three municipalities.
Griffin, the largest of these municipalities, has a population of almost 21,400.

Demographics

200%

gC: 150%
as "'5
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a.. 100%
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0 50%
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. Spalding County experienced

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moderate growth in the 1980s. Its population increased 13.7%,

compared to a statewide growth rate

of almost 19%.

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State County

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The county is approximately 70%
white, 29% black, and 1% with other racial backgrounds.

,
,, ..
County
Is] State 75% 50% 25%


White
Black
Other
I Hispanic

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% of Population

1970

1980

1990

2000

100%

CD

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75%

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2010 Per capita income is below
! that ofthe state and nation. Per
! capita income in the county is
$14,733, compared to $17,045
for the state and $18,696 for
the nation.

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County
[I] State
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65up
55-64
45-54
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35-44 5 &

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25%

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State County

The age distribution of the
~
county's population is similar to that of the state as a whole.

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25-34 ,
<I:: 1~24
~14

1970

1980

1990

2000 2010 In 1991, the county ranked

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136th in the state in the number of crimes reported;

20% 15% 10% 5%

among the highest 25% of the counties.

% of Population

Almost 16% of the county's population lived below the poverty level in 1989, compared to
14.7% for the state as a whole.

Forty percent of the county's residents have not completed high school, compared to 29. I% statewide.

SPALDING C OUNTY

0 <HSGrad
[] HSGrad
ii Coll Not Grad
CollGrad+

For the 1991-92 school year, the county's dropout rate in grades 8-12 was II%. This compares to a statewide rate of 5.3%.
The county's rates of infant mortality and low birth weight babies are higherthan that ofthe state. In 1991, the county's rate of infant mortality was 12.4 [per 1,000 live births], compared to a statewide average of 11.4; its rate of low birth weight babies was 9.4, compared to 8.6 statewide.

O Workin
County
Commute
B Outside
County

About 37% of the county's population works outside of the county.

The county's unemployment rate-slightly lower than the state rate in 1980--rose to more than 2% greater than the state rate in the early 1980s and then returned to roughly the state rate in 1986.
From 1985 to 1990, the number of businesses in the county increased 10.7%. For the state as a whole, this figure was 13.3%.
Manufacturing, the largest employment sector in the county, provides roughly24%ofthecounty'sjobs. Servicesisthesecondlargest,at20%.

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County

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990

Governments
Spalding County has a commission-manager form of government.
Data from the Report of Local Government Finances indicates that the county had a general fund operational deficit in two of the past five years (FY 1989 - FY 1993). While this may be the result of incorrect reporting or another reporting anomaly, it may also indicate that the county is experiencing fiscal stress.
The county generated $427.0I per capita in general operating revenues in FY 1993 and expended $409.03 in general operating expenditures. For the other counties in the same population group, these revenues and expenditures averaged $426.59 and $323.26, respectively.
The county had $49.93 per capita in outstanding debt in 1993, compared to $347.87 for counties of similar size which had outstanding debt. Most of this debt ($36.73 per capita) was in the form of short-term loans.
The county collects a Local Option Sales Tax but does not collect a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
The county has an approved and adopted solid waste management plan and is currently eligible for solid waste grants, loans, and permits.

$$$ Per Capita 500
375
250
125 Spalding I] All Counties General General Revenues Operating
Expenditures

Concludes on back page~

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Spalding County and its municipalities' comprehensive plans are due in June 1994. The City of

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Griffin has an approved and adopted comprehensive plan. River Corridor Protection requirements do

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-no-t a-pp-ly-to-th-e c-ou-n-ty-or-its-m-un-ic-ipa-li-tie-s. ------------------------
DCA Financial Assistance

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Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

-----------------------------------

Source

Amount Number of Grants

Community Development Block Grant 1,075,402

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The county received CDBG fundsT::.,.: ~=or citizens~ and a LocalAssistance Grant
to renovate DFACS facilities. Griffin received CDBG funds for housing rehabilitation and drainage improvements and a Local Development Fund grant for an employee literacy program.

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GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

CTS SECTION
quitable Building eachtree Street
Georgia 30303 ) 656-3851

unity Employer

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