DOUGLAS, GEORGIA

'Douglas' is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,639 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Coffee County. Major agricultural products from the town and surrounding county include peanuts, corn, and cotton. Nearby, the 1,490 acre (6 km²) General Coffee State Park draws more than 100,000 visitors a year.
The town was established in 1858 and was named for Stephen A. Douglas, renowned stump speaker and Congressman who was the presidential challenger to Abraham Lincoln in the Election of 1860. South Georgia College was founded here in 1906.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Industry

Education

Notable people

External links

Geography

Douglas is located at (31.507413, -82.850799).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.5 km² (12.9 mi²). 33.4 km² (12.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.46%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,639 people, 3,977 households, and 2,656 families residing in the city. The population density was 318.9/km² (825.7/mi²). There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of 140.7/km² (364.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.41% White, 45.33% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.80% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.92% of the population.
There were 3,977 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,946, and the median income for a family was $36,349. Males had a median income of $26,551 versus $20,145 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,652. About 17.9% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.2% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

Wal-Mart is a major employer in the area, with a retail store in Douglas and a distribution center which employs over 1,600 people. The distribution center was built in 1987 using $10 million in government funding.
American Insulated Wire, Gold Kist, Fleetwood Mobile Homes Corporation, PCC Airfoils

Education

The Douglas-Coffee County area is serviced by the Coffee County Board of Education, which is comprised of 8 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 Pre-K academy, 1 9th grade academy, and 1 high school (Coffee High School)
Citizens Christian Academy is a K-12 private school.
South Georgia College is a public two year institution of the the University System of Georgia.

Notable people

★ Jennifer Nettles, singer for Grammy-nominated country band Sugarland, is a native of Douglas

★ Maureen Tucker, drummer and occasional singer of Sixties and Seventies rock group The Velvet Underground lives in Douglas

★ Greg Walker, former first baseman and current hitting coach for the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox, is a native of Douglas

★ Dr. Wayne Clough, president of Georgia Institute of Technology, spent his early years in Douglas

★ James Brown, singer, lived here for a short time working at a local saw mill.

★ Bobby Bowden, FSU football coach, coached a football team at South Georgia College.

External links

★ Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce

★ Douglas Daily News

★ Mainstreet Douglas

★ South Georgia College

★ ajc.com:$19 million in public money spent on Wal-Mart in Georgia