Rochelle, Georgia
Script error: No such module "Settlement short description".
Rochelle, Georgia | |
|---|---|
| Location in Wilcox County and the state of Georgia Location in Wilcox County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 31°56′56″N 83°27′14″W / 31.94889°N 83.45389°WCoordinates: 31°56′56″N 83°27′14″W / 31.94889°N 83.45389°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Wilcox |
| Area | |
| • Total | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Land | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Water | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| Elevation | Template:Infobox settlement/lengthdisp |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 1,167 |
| • Density | Template:Infobox settlement/densdisp |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 31079 |
| Area code(s) | 229 |
| FIPS code | 13-66024[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0321704[3] |
Rochelle is a city in Wilcox County, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1887 following the construction of the Americus, Preston, and Lumpkin Railroad through Wilcox County, it was incorporated by the Georgia General Assembly in 1888 and named after La Rochelle, a port city in France.[4] Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,167.[5]
History
[edit | edit source]The area that would become Rochelle was settled in the early nineteenth century by migrants primarily of Scots-Irish descent moving southward from the Carolinas.[citation needed] The settlement appeared on early maps under the name "Vineyard"[6] before later being referred to as "Center."[7] Modern development began in 1887, when the Americus, Preston, and Lumpkin Railroad established an east-to-west line through Wilcox County, spurring the growth of a new town at the railroad crossing.[8] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the community as Rochelle in 1888, naming it after La Rochelle, the port city in France.[9] Laid out as a cross-rail community, a town plan centered on the intersection of roads and the railroad line Rochelle grew rapidly, reaching a population of 793 by 1900.[8] Just a decade after its founding, however, a fire destroyed much of the nascent downtown; the city was rebuilt and continued to expand.[8] In 1913, municipal bonds were issued to establish a water supply and electrical system.[8] Cotton remained the dominant crop in the surrounding county through World War I, when a sharp drop in prices, followed by the Great Depression and World War II, dampened the city's growth for several decades.[8]
Geography
[edit | edit source]Rochelle is located at 31°56′56″N 83°27′14″W / 31.94889°N 83.45389°W (31.948993, -83.453875).[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), all land.
Demographics
[edit | edit source]Racial and ethnic composition
[edit | edit source]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 593 | 566 | 50.51% | 48.50% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 541 | 549 | 46.08% | 47.04% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 9 | 13 | 0.77% | 1.11% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | 0.17% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 3 | 13 | 0.26% | 1.11% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 28 | 24 | 2.39% | 2.06% |
| Total | 1,174 | 1,167 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, Rochelle had a population of 1,167, down from 1,174 in 2010. The median age was 42.8 years. 21.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.0 males age 18 and over.[13][14]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[15]
There were 481 households in Rochelle, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.2% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 574 housing units, of which 16.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%.[13][14]
Education
[edit | edit source]The Wilcox County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[16] The district has 90 full-time teachers and over 1,439 students.[17]
The schools, located in Rochelle, are:
- Wilcox County Elementary School
- Wilcox County Middle School
- Wilcox County High School
Higher education
[edit | edit source]- Wiregrass Georgia Technical College - Wilcox Learning Center[18]
Notable people
[edit | edit source]- John Bahnsen - United States Army brigadier general and decorated veteran of the Vietnam War
- Alfonzo Dennard - NFL free agent
- Nick Marshall - NFL cornerback for Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback for Auburn Tigers
- Bug Howard - NFL tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ "Rochelle". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ↑ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 190. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ↑ "Rochelle city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ↑ Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. Map of Georgia. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Rochelle Historic District". National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Rochelle Historic District". National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 190. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Rochelle city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Rochelle city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ↑ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link], Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ↑ School Stats Archived April 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ↑ Wiregrass Technical College Archived 2010-07-18 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved June 30, 2010.