Sylvester, Georgia

Sylvester is the county seat of Worth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,644 in 2020. The city is the county seat^[6] and business center of Worth County^[7] and is claimed to be the Peanut Capital of the World due to its peanut production.^[1]

Sylvester, Georgia
City
Sylvester City Hall
Flag Seal Logo
Nickname:  [1][2]
Motto:  "Small Town. Big Heart."[1]
Location in Worth County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°31′53″N 83°50′10″W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Worth
Settled	1893
Incorporated (City)	December 21st, 1898
Area [3]
• Total	6.60 sq mi (17.09 km2)
• Land	6.56 sq mi (16.99 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation	387 ft (118 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,644
• Density	860.37/sq mi (332.21/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	31791
Area code	229
FIPS code	13-75188[4]
GNIS feature ID	0356576[5]
Website	cityofsylvester.com

History

Sylvester was platted in 1893.^[8] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Sylvester as a town in 1898.^[9]

Geography

Sylvester is located at 31°31′53″N 83°50′10″W (31.531425, -83.836233).^[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (15 km²), of which 5.7 square miles (15 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (0.52%) is water.

Sylvester is located on U.S. Highway 82 at the junction of Georgia State Route 33. Georgia State Route 256 enters into southeast Sylvester, where it is co-designated Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	552		—
1910	1,447		162.1%
1920	1,547		6.9%
1930	1,984		28.2%
1940	2,191		10.4%
1950	2,623		19.7%
1960	3,610		37.6%
1970	4,226		17.1%
1980	5,860		38.7%
1990	5,702		−2.7%
2000	5,990		5.1%
2010	6,188		3.3%
2020	5,644		−8.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1850-1870[12] 1870-1880[13] 1890-1910[14] 1920-1930[15] 1940[16] 1950[17] 1960[18] 1970[19] 1980[20] 1990[21] 2000[22] 2010[23]

Sylvester racial composition as of 2020^[24]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	2,023	35.84%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	3,342	59.21%
Native American	6	0.11%
Asian	47	0.83%
Pacific Islander	6	0.11%
Other/Mixed	129	2.29%
Hispanic or Latino	91	1.61%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,644 people, 2,346 households, and 1,709 families residing in the city.

Education

The Worth County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.^[25] The district has 296 full-time teachers and over 4,354 students.^[26]

• Worth County Elementary School
• Worth County Primary School
• Worth County Middle School
• Worth County High School
• Caleb's Christian Academy K-12

Notable people

• Marion Butts - NFL running back who played for the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, and Houston Oilers; born in Sylvester.
• Rickey Claitt - NFL running back who played for the Washington Redskins; born in Sylvester.
• Meshak Williams - NFL defensive end who played for the Baltimore Ravens; born in Sylvester.
• Mary Hood - award-winning author of How Far She Went, And Venus Is Blue and Familiar Heat. Graduated from Worth County High School.
• Ray Jenkins - Newspaper editor and deputy press secretary to President Jimmy Carter; born in Sylvester.
• Daniel Mack - WWI black veteran lynched in town, but survived by playing dead.
• Sue Monk Kidd - author of the New York Times bestseller, The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair. Born in Sylvester.
• Frank Park - Congressman (1913–1935)
• Bob Sikes - U.S. Representative for Florida, born in Isabella.
• Sonny Skinner - PGA golf pro.
• Michael Carter - Musician, Songwriter, Producer (Lead guitarist for Luke Bryan), graduated from Worth County High School.