Ben Hill County, Georgia

Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,194. The county seat is Fitzgerald. The county was organized in 1906. It is named after Benjamin Harvey Hill, a former Confederate and United States Senator.

Ben Hill County comprises the Fitzgerald micropolitan statistical area. The Ben Hill County Courthouse and Ben Hill County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History
Ben Hill County was organized in 1906. It was created from Irwin and Wilcox counties.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 254 sqmi, of which 250 sqmi is land and 3.8 sqmi (1.5%) is water.

The majority of Ben Hill County, its northern and eastern portions, are located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northwestern corner of the county, east of Rebecca, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The southeastern corner of the county, east of Fitzgerald, is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. Ben Hill County is part of the Southeast Georgia region.

Major highways

 * US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
 * US 319.svg U.S. Route 319
 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * Georgia 90.svg State Route 90
 * Georgia 107.svg State Route 107
 * Georgia 125.svg State Route 125
 * Georgia 182.svg State Route 182
 * Georgia 206.svg State Route 206
 * Georgia 215.svg State Route 215
 * Georgia 233.svg State Route 233

Adjacent counties

 * Wilcox County - north
 * Telfair County - northeast
 * Coffee County - east
 * Irwin County - south
 * Turner County - west

City

 * Fitzgerald (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Bowen's Mill
 * Queensland

Demographics
In 2000, there were 17,484 people, 6,673 households, and 4,631 families living in the county. The population density was 69 PD/sqmi. There were 7,623 housing units at an average density of 30 /mi2. In 2010, there were 17,634 people, 6,794 households, and 4,730 families living in the county. By the 2020 United States census, there were 17,194 people, 6,443 households, and 4,019 families residing in the county.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $27,100, and the median income for a family was $33,023. Males had a median income of $26,750 versus $19,547 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,093. 22.30% of the population and 18.70% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 33.30% are under the age of 18 and 17.60% are 65 or older. In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $30,134 and the median income for a family was $35,868. Males had a median income of $32,613 versus $23,320 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,529. About 22.7% of families and 26.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over. According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the county's median household income was $38,255 with a per capita income of $22,625. An estimated 26.5% of the county lived at or below the poverty line.

Religiously, the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020 denoted Christianity as the predominant religion, being part of the Bible Belt. Among its Christian population, the majority formed the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Baptist tradition was the county's dominant Christian affiliation. The National Baptist Convention, USA was the second-largest Baptist denomination in Ben Hill County. One notable non-Christian religion for the county has been the Baha'i Faith.

Education
The Ben Hill County School District operates schools serving the county.
 * Ben Hill Preschool
 * Ben Hill County Primary School
 * Ben Hill County Elementary School
 * Ben Hill County Middle School
 * Fitzgerald High School

Transportation

 * Fitzgerald Municipal Airport is a public use airport located 2 miles southwest of Fitzgerald.