Houston County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The estimated 2019 population is 157,863. Its county seat is Perry, although the city of Warner Robins is substantially larger in both area and population.
The county was created on May 15, 1821, along with 4 other counties in the state, and later reduced in size with the formation of Bibb, Crawford, Pike, Macon, and Peach counties. It was named after Georgia governor John Houstoun, with the spelling being a common 19th-century variation that later evolved to "Houston". The pronunciation, however, remains to this day "howston." The geographic center of the county was given the name Wattsville, which was later changed to Perry.
Houston County is included in the Warner Robins, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is included in the Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley Combined Statistical Area. Flat Creek Public Fishing Area is in Houston County, south west of Perry.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.2%) is water. The county is located in the upper Atlantic coastal plain region of the state.
The vast majority of Houston County is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The very northern edge of the county, north of Centerville and Warner Robins, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The very southwestern corner of Houston County, well west of Interstate 75, is located in the Middle Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).
Adjacent counties
Bibb County - north
Peach County - west
Twiggs County - east
Bleckley County - southeast
Pulaski County - south-southeast
Dooly County - south
Macon County - southwest
Transportation
Major highways
Interstate 75
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 129
U.S. Route 341
State Route 7
State Route 7 Spur
State Route 11
State Route 11 Business
State Route 11 Connector
State Route 26
State Route 49
State Route 96
State Route 127
State Route 224
State Route 247
State Route 247 Connector
State Route 247 Spur
State Route 329
State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)
Pedestrians and cycling
Big Indian Creek Trail (Proposed)
Walker's Pond Trail
Wellston Trail
The Walk at Sandy Run Creek
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 163,633 people, 58,417 households, and 39,810 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 139,900 people, 53,051 households, and 37,874 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 58,325 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 63.3% white, 28.6% black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 12.9% were American, 10.3% were German, 10.0% were English, and 9.1% were Irish.
Of the 53,051 households, 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.6% were non-families, and 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 34.5 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,098 and the median income for a family was $67,227. Males had a median income of $47,557 versus $34,239 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,206. About 10.3% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Houston County Schools operates public schools.
Communities
Cities
Byron (part)
Centerville
Perry
Warner Robins
Census-designated place
Robins Air Force Base
Unincorporated communities
Bonaire
Clinchfield
Dunbar
Elberta
Elko
Grovania
Haynesville
Kathleen
Politics
Houston County voted for conservative Democrats for most of the twentieth century, and gradually switched to voting for conservative Republicans closer to the century's end and into the twenty-first. In the 2018 gubernatorial election, while she did not carry Houston County, Stacey Abrams improved on Democratic margins in the county, improving five percent compared to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential run and by four percent compared to Barack Obama's 2008 run. Houston was one of five counties not carried by Abrams which improved their Democratic margins. Joe Biden improved Democratic margins to their best since 1980.
