Tattnall County is a county located in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Georgia, located within the Magnolia Midlands, a part of the Historic South region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,842. The county seat is Reidsville. Tattnall County was created on December 5, 1801, from part of Montgomery County, Georgia by the Georgia General Assembly.

The county is named after Josiah Tattnall (1762–1803), a planter, soldier and politician.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.8%) is water.

Most of the western portion of Tattnall County, defined by a line running from Cobbtown south to Collins, then east to a point halfway to Bellville, and then south and southwest to the middle of the county's southern border, is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northeastern portion of the county, from Cobbtown to east of Reidsville, is located in the Canoochee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin. The southeastern and southwestern parts of Tattnall County are located in the Altamaha River sub-basin of the larger river basin by the same name.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Candler County - north Evans County - northeast Liberty County - east Long County - southeast Wayne County - south Appling County - southwest Toombs County - west Emanuel County - northwest

Communities Cities Cobbtown Collins Glennville (largest city) Manassas Reidsville (county seat)

Census-designated place Mendes

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Tattnall County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)12,71911,95013,21815,19613,82570.14%67.43%59.26%59.55%60.52%Black or African American alone (NH)5,2085,1556,9887,4245,96128.72%29.09%31.33%29.09%26.10%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)10232454360.06%0.13%0.11%0.21%0.16%Asian alone (NH)554564991270.30%0.25%0.29%0.39%0.56%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census4116xx0.02%0.04%0.03%Other race alone (NH)62816460.03%0.01%0.04%0.06%0.20%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census116218538xx0.52%0.85%2.36%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1365471,8832,5022,3030.75%3.09%8.44%9.80%10.08%Total18,13417,72222,30525,52022,842 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 22,842, 7,829 households, and 5,875 families residing in the county.

The median age was 38.4 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 119.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 124.9 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 62.5% White, 26.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.6% from some other race, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.1% of the population.

Of the 7,829 households in the county, 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 30.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 9,298 housing units, of which 15.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.3% were owner-occupied and 35.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.

Government and infrastructure

The Georgia Department of Corrections operates the Rogers State Prison, and formerly the Georgia State Prison in unincorporated Tattnall County, near Reidsville."Georgia State Prison ." Georgia Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 14, 2010. As of 2020, according to the Georgia State Prison Fact Sheet, the facility occupies 9,800 acres of land inside Tattnall County and provides 162 staff housing units on the reservation. The prison cemetery has 971 burials which are inmates who died while serving time from 1937 to present.

Another large government parcel of land is the 10,000 acre Big Hammock Wildlife Management Preserve in the southwest section of the county. The entrance is 12 miles south of Glennville on Hwy 144 at the Ohoopee River Bridge. This is controlled by the GA Department of Natural Resources under the Wildlife Resources Division. It has a shooting range and 2 boat ramps along the river which are north of the merger with the Altamaha River which forms the southern border of the county. Permits are issued for seasonal hunting of deer, turkey, and small game. Updates are posted at www.GoHuntGeorgia.com

Another large government land parcel is on the eastern side of Tattnall County along the border with Evans, Liberty, and Long Counties. This 6000+ acres forms the western side of the Fort Stewart Army Reservation which is based in Hinesville, GA. Originally this was farmland purchased by the Army during and after World War II. It has since been turned into forest land with no development. The current Ft. Stewart Land Use Development plan excludes any of this property in their 25-year future planning approved by the Department of Defense. This land mass can be viewed on Google Maps with additional info from the website for the Ft. Stewart Joint Land Use Study. (www.mrrpc.com/Misc_pdfs/Fort_Stewart_JLUS_Final_Report.pdf)

Politics As of the 2020s, Tattnall County is a Republican stronghold, voting 76% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Tattnall County is part of Georgia's 12th congressional district, currently represented by Rick Allen. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Tattnall County is part of District 19. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Tattnall County is divided between districts 156 and 157.

Education Tattnall County School District serves as the designated K-12 school district, except parts in Fort Stewart. Fort Stewart has the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) as its local school district, - text list - "Fort Stewart School District" refers to the DoDEA schools. for the elementary level. Students at the secondary level on Fort Stewart attend public schools operated by county school districts. - This is from a .mil website.

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Tattnall County, Georgia List of counties in Georgia

References