Get to know: 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 Commission, 38 W. Main St., Forsyth, 478-994-7000Forsyth 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

Library

Monroe County Library: 62 W. Main St., Forsyth, 478-994-7025

POPULATION

2014 estimate: 27,051

Change, 2010 to 2014: 2.2 percent

White: 74.4 percent

Black: 23.1 percent

Hispanic: 2.4 percent

EDUCATION

High school or better: 79.5 percent

Bachelor’s or better: 18.7 percent

Public high school graduates, 2014: 223

Graduation rate, 2014: 82.9 percent

Public school enrollment, October 2014: 4,016

Eligible for HOPE scholarship: 46.4 percent

Enrolled, white: 69.2 percent

Enrolled, black: 25.5 percent

ECONOMICS

Median household income, 2009-2013: $48,630

People below poverty level: 12.9percent

Unemployment rate, May 2015: 5.9

Civilian labor force, May 2015: 12,617

HEALTH

Births per 1,000 people, 2012: 10.9

Deaths per 1,000 people, 2012: 8.97

Births to unwed mothers, 2012: 40.55 percent

Teen pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 10 to 19: 19.1

People per physician, 2010: 2,202

Uninsured, less than age 65: 17.3 percent

TANF recipients, Fiscal 2013: 0.3 percent

PHYSICAL

Land: 398.3 square miles

Land in farms: 13.6 percent

Road mileage, unpaved, 2013: 15.2 percent

Sources: Telegraph analysis, Georgia Statistics System, U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Department of Education

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Get to know: Monroe County ."