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]
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 |
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] | |||
| 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.[13] The district has 296 full-time teachers and over 4,354 students.[14]
- Worth County Elementary School
- Worth County Primary School
- Worth County Middle School
- Worth County High School
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.
- 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
External links
- City of Sylvester Georgia Portal style website, government, business, library, recreation and more
- Worth County Schools Home Page