| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Georgia |
| County | Bacon |
| Mayor | Larry Taylor |
| Unit pref | Imperial |
| Area total | 16.11 km² |
| Area land | 15.78 km² |
| Area water | 0.33 km² |
| Area total | 6.22 sq mi |
| Area land | 6.09 sq mi |
| Area water | 0.13 sq mi |
| Population as of | 2020 |
| Population total | 3433 |
| Population density | 217.57 km² |
| Population density | 563.53 sq mi |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| Time zone (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Coordinates | 31°32′30″N 82°28′0″W |
| Elevation | 61 m |
| Elevation | 200 ft |
| ZIP code | 31510 |
| Area code | 912 |
| FIPS code | 13-01612[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0310492[2] |
| Website | www.cityofalmaga.gov |
Alma is a city in and the county seat of Bacon County, Georgia, United States.[3] As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,433.[4]
Alma is known as Georgia's blueberry capital, and hosts a Blueberry Festival each June.
History
Alma was founded in 1900 as a stop on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. It was incorporated as a city in 1906 and designated seat of the newly formed Bacon County in 1914.[5]
There are two theories about the origin of the name of the town. The first is that it was named for the wife of a traveling salesmen, Alma Sheridan; the other is that it was named for the initial letter of the four state capitals Georgia has had: Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, and Atlanta.[6][7]
There are four sites in Alma listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Alma Depot, Bacon County Courthouse, Bacon County School, and the Rabinowitz Building.
Geography
Alma is located in southeastern Georgia at 31°32′30″N 82°28′0″W (31.541543, -82.466666).[8]
The city is located along U.S. Routes 1 and 23 (Pierce Street). The two run through the center of the city together before splitting just north of the city. U.S. 1 connects the city with Baxley, 19 mi (31 km) to the north, and U.S. 23 connects the city with Hazlehurst, 25 mi (40 km) to the northwest. U.S. 1/23 also runs south 29 mi (47 km) to Waycross. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 32 (16th Street) and 64 (Market Street).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 sq mi (16.1 square kilometres), of which 5.5 sq mi (14.3 square kilometres) is land and 0.69 sq mi (1.8 square kilometres), or 11.27%, is water.[9]
Climate
Alma has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with long, hot summers and short, mild winters.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Alma had a population of 3,433. The median age was 36.7 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.7 males age 18 and over.[10][11]
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,599 | 46.58% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,455 | 42.38% |
| Native American | 2 | 0.06% |
| Asian | 25 | 0.73% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.09% |
| Other/mixed | 105 | 3.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 244 | 7.11% |
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[12]
There were 1,266 households in Alma, including 620 families. Of all households, 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 31.5% were married-couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 44.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[10]
There were 1,445 housing units, of which 12.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.7%.[10]
Education
Alma is served by the Bacon County School District.[13] The district has 126 full-time teachers and over 1,900 students,[14] and operates these schools:
- Bacon County Elementary School
- Bacon County Primary School
- Bacon County Middle School
- Bacon County High School
Alma is also served by Coastal Pines Technical College.[citation needed]
Notable people
- Harry Crews, novelist, playwright, short story writer and essayist
- Braswell Deen, U.S. representative from Georgia; moved to Alma
- Daniel W. Lee, recipient of Congressional Medal of Honor
- Walter J. Leonard, former president of Fisk University
- William M. Wheeler, U.S. representative from Georgia
See also
References
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 216. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "Alma". Georgia.gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 4. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Alma city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ Georgia Board of Education[dead link], Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Free District Report, Retrieved May 29, 2010.