Sylvester, Georgia
Sylvester, Georgia  | |
|---|---|
Sylvester City Hall  | |
![]() Flag ![]() Seal Logo  | |
| Nickname: | |
| Motto:  "Small Town. Big Heart."[1]  | |
![]() Location in Worth County and the state of Georgia  | |
| Coordinates: 31°31′53″N 83°50′10″W / 31.53139°N 83.83611°W | |
| Country | United States | 
| State | Georgia | 
| County | Worth | 
| Settled | 1893 | 
| Incorporated (City) | December 21st, 1898 | 
| Area | |
 • Total  | 6.60 sq mi (17.09 km2) | 
| • Land | 6.56 sq mi (16.99 km2) | 
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2) | 
| Elevation | 387 ft (118 m) | 
| Population  (2020)  | |
 • Total  | 5,644 | 
| • Density | 860.37/sq mi (332.21/km2) | 
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | 
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | 
| ZIP code | 31791  | 
| Area code | 229 | 
| FIPS code | 13-75188[4] | 
| GNIS feature ID | 0356576[5] | 
| Website | cityofsylvester | 
Sylvester is the county seat of Worth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,644 in 2020. The city is the county seat[6] and business center of Worth County[7] and is claimed to be the Peanut Capital of the World due to its peanut production.[1]
History
Sylvester was platted in 1893.[8] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Sylvester as a town in 1898.[9]
Geography
Sylvester is located at 31°31′53″N 83°50′10″W / 31.53139°N 83.83611°W (31.531425, -83.836233).[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (15 km2), of which 5.7 square miles (15 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.52%) is water.
Sylvester is located on 
 U.S. Highway 82 at the junction of 
 Georgia State Route 33. 
Georgia State Route 256 enters into southeast Sylvester, where it is co-designated Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 552 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,447 | 162.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,547 | 6.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,984 | 28.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,191 | 10.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,623 | 19.7% | |
| 1960 | 3,610 | 37.6% | |
| 1970 | 4,226 | 17.1% | |
| 1980 | 5,860 | 38.7% | |
| 1990 | 5,702 | −2.7% | |
| 2000 | 5,990 | 5.1% | |
| 2010 | 6,188 | 3.3% | |
| 2020 | 5,644 | −8.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1850-1870[12] 1870-1880[13] 1890-1910[14] 1920-1930[15] 1940[16] 1950[17] 1960[18] 1970[19] 1980[20] 1990[21] 2000[22] 2010[23]  | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. | 
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,023 | 35.84% | 
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,342 | 59.21% | 
| Native American | 6 | 0.11% | 
| Asian | 47 | 0.83% | 
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.11% | 
| Other/Mixed | 129 | 2.29% | 
| Hispanic or Latino | 91 | 1.61% | 
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,644 people, 2,346 households, and 1,709 families residing in the city.
Education
The Worth County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.[25] The district has 296 full-time teachers and over 4,354 students.[26]
- Worth County Elementary School
 - Worth County Primary School
 - Worth County Middle School
 - Worth County High School
 - Caleb's Christian Academy K-12
 
Notable people
- Marion Butts - NFL running back who played for the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, and Houston Oilers; born in Sylvester.
 - Rickey Claitt - NFL running back who played for the Washington Redskins; born in Sylvester.
 - Meshak Williams - NFL defensive end who played for the Baltimore Ravens; born in Sylvester.
 - Mary Hood - award-winning author of How Far She Went, And Venus Is Blue and Familiar Heat. Graduated from Worth County High School.
 - Ray Jenkins - Newspaper editor and deputy press secretary to President Jimmy Carter; born in Sylvester.
 - Daniel Mack - WWI black veteran lynched in town, but survived by playing dead.
 - Sue Monk Kidd - author of the New York Times bestseller, The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair. Born in Sylvester.
 - Frank Park - Congressman (1913–1935)
 - Bob Sikes - U.S. Representative for Florida, born in Isabella.
 - Sonny Skinner - PGA golf pro.
 - Michael Carter - Musician, Songwriter, Producer (Lead guitarist for Luke Bryan), graduated from Worth County High School.
 
References
- ^ a b c "City of Sylvester Georgia". City of Sylvester Georgia. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
 - ^ "Sylvester". GeorgiaGov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
 - ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
 - ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
 - ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
 - ^ "Profile for Sylvester, Georgia, GA". ePodunk. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
 - ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
 - ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 218. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
 - ^ Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia. J. Johnston. 1899. p. 269.
 - ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
 - ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
 - ^ "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1870.
 - ^ "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
 - ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
 - ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930. pp. 251–256.
 - ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
 - ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
 - ^ "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1960.
 - ^ "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1970.
 - ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
 - ^ "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1990.
 - ^ "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
 - ^ "2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2010.
 - ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
 - ^ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 30, 2010.
 - ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 30, 2010.
 
External links
- City of Sylvester Georgia Portal style website, government, business, library, recreation and more
 - Worth County Schools Home Page
 



