Data from the Georgia Redistricting Alliance (GRA) detail changing population trends throughout Whitfield County.
Per a recent GRA analysis, Whitfield’s total population barely budged from 2010 to 2020. Indeed, the estimated populace grew by only 265 people — over the 10-year window, the county population increased slightly from 102,599 to 102,864.
The GRA is a collective comprised of various organizations, including Common Cause, the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials and the Georgia NAACP.
The microscopic uptick in residents isn’t even large enough to constitute a 1% increase. Comparatively, Whitfield chalked up a 23% population growth rate from 2000 to 2010.
“Since 1930, Whitfield County has experienced a population growth until the last census report,” the analysis notes.
Over the last decade, the GRA indicates that Whitfield’s Caucasian population decreased by about 9%. That demographic dropped from 63,818 people in 2010 to 57,875 people in 2020.
During that same period, Whitfield’s Latino population grew by 14%, increasing from 32,471 people to 36,916 people.
The county’s Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) population also increased, by about 7%. The demographic grew from 1,321 people in 2010 to 1,413 people in 2020.
Whitfield County’s Black population decreased by 2%, dropping from 3,631 people in 2010 to 3,553 people in 2020.
According to GRA assessments, Whitfield’s population of individuals categorized as “mixed race or other” grew by 129% over the ten-year window — from 1,358 people in 2010 to 3,107 people in 2020.
The GRA analysis also breaks down the demographics for Whitfield County’s four Board of Commissioners districts.
According to GRA’s data, district three recorded a total population loss of 1,073 residents from 2012 to 2022, while district two saw a decrease of 383 people.
Over that 10-year period, district four’s population grew by 244 people while district one’s population swelled by 1,212.
With 25,497 residents, district four is the smallest in terms of total population. District one is the largest, with 25,958 residents.
GRA data further break down the district populations by ethnic and racial demographics.
In district one, an estimated 53% of the total populace is Latino while about 40% is Caucasian. In district two, the breakdown is roughly 49% Latino and about 45% Caucasian. For district three, the ratio is 68% Caucasian and 22% Latino. For district four, about 72% of the population is Caucasian while 19% is Latino.
No district in Whitfield County has a Black population exceeding 4%.
The GRA data also delve into socioeconomic metrics.
From 2012 to 2022, district one and district four saw increases in median income. For the former, the figure rose from $43,000 to $47,000, while for the latter the number increased from $63,000 to $68,000.
District two and district three each saw a downturn in median income. For district two, the figure fell from $46,000 to $43,000 and for district three, the number dropped from $46,000 to $43,000.
The median income point for Whitfield County as a whole was listed as $50,000.
According to the GRA assessment, about 44% of the homes in district one are renter-occupied. For district two, the figure is 40%; the figure holds at 33% and 21%, respectively, for districts three and four.
One thing that does hold fairly steady across the board is the number of young people — designated by the GRA as those in the 18 to 34 age range — within each district.
District one’s “youth” population is 25%. For district two, three and four, the percentages are 23%, 22% and 21%, respectively.
According to the GRA analysis, about 23% of Whitfield County’s total population falls between the 18-34 demographic.