Monroe County
Monroe County
Monroe County was formed in 1821 from Creek Indian land. It is named for President James Monroe, the fifth president and author of the Monroe Doctrine.
Forsyth, the county seat, is named for John Forsyth, who as minister to Spain negotiated the purchase of Florida in 1819. Culloden, once a junction of cross-state Indian trails, is the only other municipality. It was named for a Scottish Highlander who opened a store there in 1780. Culloden is also the site of the oldest brick Methodist church in Georgia, built in 1893.
High Falls State Park, the Chattahoochee National Forest and Lake Juliette are located in the county. High Falls used to be the site of a prosperous town that faded away after being bypassed by the railroads in the late 1880s.
Juliette is home to the Whistle Stop Cafe, made famous by the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes,” which filmed there.
MONROE COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Monroe County Commission, 38 W. Main St., Forsyth, 478-994-7000
CITY GOVERNMENTS
Forsyth City Hall, 26 N. Jackson St., Forsyth, 478-994-5649
Culloden City Hall, Main Street, Culloden, 478-885-2249
Voter registration
Registrar’s Office, 550 N. Lee St., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 478-994-7622
Auto tags
Tax Commissioner, 38 W. Main St., Forsyth, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 478-994-7020
Emergency numbers
Police Department, 911 or 478-994-6022
Sheriff’s Office, 911 or 478-944-7048
Fire Department, 911 or 478-994-2040 in Forsyth, or 478-994-7004 in Monroe County
Ambulance Service, 911 or 478-994-7004
POPULATION
2012 estimate: 26,637
Change, 2000 to 2010: 21.5 percent
White: 74.4 percent
Black: 23.2 percent
Hispanic: 2.4 percent
EDUCATION
High school or better: 80.7 percent
Bachelor’s or better: 19 percent
Public high school graduates, 2011: 218
Graduation rate, 2011: 78.4 percent
Public school enrollment, October 2012: 4,090
Eligible for HOPE scholarship: 33.6 percent
Enrolled, white: 68.1 percent
Enrolled, black: 26.6 percent
ECONOMICS
Median household income, 2011: $51,747
People below poverty level: 14.3 percent
Unemployment rate, December 2013: 6.1
Civilian labor force, December 2013: 14,085
HEALTH
Births per 1,000 people, 2010: 11.2
Deaths per 1,000 people, 2010: 9.8
Births to unwed mothers, 2010: 44.3 percent
Teen pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 10 to 19: 22.8
People per physician, 2010: 2,202
Uninsured, less than age 65: 18.5 percent
TANF recipients, Fiscal 2010: 0.3 percent
PHYSICAL
Land: 397.8 square miles
Land in farms: 15.5 percent
Road mileage, unpaved, 2010: 16.8 percent
Sources: Telegraph analysis, Georgia Statistics System, U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Department of Education
This story was originally published May 4, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Monroe County ."