Peach County
Peach County
Peach County was the last county formed in Georgia. Created from Houston and Macon counties in 1924, it is named after the area’s most famous crop.
Fort Valley is the county seat; the only other municipality is Byron.
Fort Valley was originally called Fox Valley, but its name accidentally became Fort Valley when a congressman scrawled the name on the application for a post office in 1825 and an official in Washington misread it.
Byron was named for the English poet, Lord Byron. On Fourth of July weekend in 1970, it was the site of the South’s largest pop festival.
Fort Valley is home of Fort Valley State University, a member of the University System of Georgia.
The American Camellia Society is headquartered at Massee Lane Gardens in Peach County. This park is 100 acres and has more than 2,000 varieties of camellias.
PEACH COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Commissioner’s Office, Peach County Board of Commissioners, 205 W. Church St., Fort Valley, 478-825-2535
CITY GOVERNMENTS
Byron City Hall, 101 Murdock Lane, Byron, 478-956-3600
Fort Valley City Hall, 204 W. Church St., Fort Valley, 478-825-8261
Voter registration
Byron: City Hall or Byron Library
Fort Valley: Peach County Courthouse, Fort Valley City Hall, Thomas Public Library and Fort Valley Sate University Library
Auto tags
Peach County Courthouse: 205 W. Church St., Fort Valley, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Driver’s licenses
No place in Peach County. Officials advise that licenses can be obtained at bureaus at 198 Carl Vinson Parkway in Warner Robins from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 478-542-2110; and at 450 Larry Walker Parkway in Perry from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 478-988-6721
Emergency numbers
Byron Police Department, 911 or 478-956-2880; Fire Department, 911 or 478-956-3611
Fort Valley Police Department, 911 or 478-822-6970 or 478-822-6982; Fire Department, 911 or 478-825-5190
Ambulance Service, 911
POPULATION
2012 estimate: 27,622
Change, 2000 to 2010: 17 percent
White: 51.4 percent
Black: 45.7 percent
Hispanic: 7.3 percent
EDUCATION
High school or better: 80.1 percent
Bachelor’s or better: 18 percent
Public high school graduates, 2011: 191
Graduation rate, 2011: 59.9 percent
Public school enrollment, October 2012: 3,768
Eligible for HOPE scholarship: 42.2 percent
Enrolled, white: 33.7 percent
Enrolled, black: 49.5 percent
ECONOMICS
Median household income, 2011: $39,838
People below poverty level: 26.6 percent
Unemployment rate, December 2013: 11.3
Civilian labor force, December 2013: 12,270
HEALTH
Births per 1,000 people, 2010: 13
Deaths per 1,000 people, 2010: 8.2
Births to unwed mothers, 2010: 56.8 percent
Teen pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 10 to 19: 31.7
People per physician, 2010: 1,846
Uninsured, less than age 65: 22.3 percent
TANF recipients, Fiscal 2011: 0.7 percent
PHYSICAL
Land: 151.3 square miles
Land in farms: 41.6 percent
Road mileage, unpaved, 2010: 10.2 percent
Sources: Telegraph analysis, Georgia Statistics System, U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia Departments of Labor and Education
This story was originally published May 4, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Peach County ."