Hancock County, Georgia
| Hancock County, Georgia | |
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Hancock County Courthouse in Sparta
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 Location in the U.S. state of Georgia |
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 Georgia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | December 17, 1793 |
| Named for | John Hancock |
| Seat | Sparta |
| Largest city | Sparta |
| Area | |
| • Total | 479 sq mi (1,241 km2) |
| • Land | 472 sq mi (1,222 km2) |
| • Water | 6.8 sq mi (18 km2), 1.4% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 9,429 |
| • Density | 20/sq mi (8/km²) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www |
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,429. The county seat is Sparta. The county was created on December 17, 1793 and named for John Hancock.
Hancock County is included in the Milledgeville, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Before the Civil War, Hancock County's economy was based on growing cotton, and like most cotton-growing areas of the South, it had a large slave population, making up 61% of the total county population in the 1850 Census. Nevertheless, the county's representatives at the Georgia Secession Convention all voted against seceding.
In August 2015, the majority-white Hancock County Board of Elections sent deputy sheriffs to the homes of more than 180 African-Americans residing in the county seat of Sparta (making up 20% of the city's total registered voters) to inform them they would lose their voting rights unless they appeared in court to prove their residency. A total of 53 voters were initially removed the voting rolls, but a federal judge overturned the Board's actions.
According to the 2010 census estimate, the racial makeup of the city was 83.70% African American, 15.20% White, 0.46% from two or more races, 0.33% Asian, and 0.13% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 479 square miles (1,240 km2), of which 472 square miles (1,220 km2) is land and 6.8 square miles (18 km2) (1.4%) is water.
The western portion of Hancock County, which is defined by a line running southeast from White Plains to the intersection of State Route 22 and Springfield Road, then running southwest along State Route 22, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The southern portion of the county, defined by a triangle made of State Route 22 and State Route 15, with Sparta at its apex, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The northeastern portion of Hancock County is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.
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