Chatham County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, and is located on the state's Atlantic coast. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. One of the original counties of Georgia, Chatham County was created February 5, 1777, and is named after William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham.
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2016 population estimate for Chatham County was 289,082 residents, making Chatham the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area. In the official 2010 census, the population of Chatham County was 265,128. Chatham is the core county of the Savannah metropolitan area.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 632 square miles (1,640Â km2), of which 426 square miles (1,100Â km2) is land and 206 square miles (530Â km2) (32.6%) is water.
Chatham County is the northernmost of Georgia's coastal counties on the Atlantic Ocean. It is bounded on the northeast by the Savannah River, and in the southwest bounded by the Ogeechee River.
The bulk of Chatham County, an area with a northern border in a line from Bloomingdale to Tybee Island, is located in the Ogeechee Coastal sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin. The portion of the county north of that line is located in the Lower Savannah River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin, while the very southern fringes of the Chatham County are located in the Lower Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Jasper County, South Carolina â€" northeast
- Bryan County â€" west/southwest
- Liberty County - southeast
- Effingham County â€" northwest
National protected areas
- Fort Pulaski National Monument
- Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 265,128Â people, 103,038Â households, and 64,613Â families residing in the county. The population density was 621.7 inhabitants per square mile (240.0/km2). There were 119,323 housing units at an average density of 279.8 per square mile (108.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 52.8% white, 40.1% black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 9.8% were Irish, 8.7% were English, 7.9% were German, and 4.6% were American.
Of the 103,038Â households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.3% were non-families, and 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age was 34.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,928 and the median income for a family was $54,933. Males had a median income of $42,239 versus $31,778 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,397. About 11.6% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public schools are operated by Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools.
Government and infrastructure
The Coastal State Prison, a Georgia Department of Corrections state prison, is located in Savannah, near Garden City.
Chatham County is primarily policed by the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD) and the Georgia State Patrol. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office is the enforcement arm of the county court system and operates the county jail. The SCMPD was formed on January 1, 2005 when the separate Savannah Police Department and Chatham County Police merged.
Communities
Municipalities
Cities
Towns
- Thunderbolt
- Vernonburg
Census-designated places (unincorporated)
Other unincorporated communities
- Pin Point
- White Bluff
- Sandfly
Politics
Chatham County was a swing area for much of the late 20th century. In the 21st century it has tended to vote much more for the Democratic party than the state as a whole in presidential elections.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Chatham County, Georgia
References
External links
- Official web site
- Documents from Chatham County at the Digital Library of Georgia