Baldwin is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in Banks and Habersham counties in the U.S. state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 3,279, up from 2,425 at the 2000 census. Baldwin is located on U.S. Route 441 just south of Georgia State Route 365. Baldwin sits astride the

Eastern Continental Divide The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a drainage divide, hydrological divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard drainage basin, watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico wat ...

, which separates waters flowing southeastward toward the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

from waters flowing southwestward toward the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...

and the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

. City Hall sits in Habersham County. Baldwin borders the slightly larger city of Cornelia, which houses the Habersham Chamber of Commerce. Nearby in Demorest is Piedmont University. Also nearby is Lake Russell, a recreation area in Chattahoochee National Forest. The Habersham County airport is in Baldwin. The largest employer is Fieldale Corporation, a chicken processing company.

Geography

Baldwin is located in northeastern Georgia and is split between Banks and Habersham County. It is located along two major arterial routes: U.S. Highway 441 and U.S. Highway 23/ Georgia State Highway 365, both of which are divided four-lane highways. Highway 23/365 becomes Interstate 985 in Gainesville, southwest of the Baldwin limits. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Baldwin is home to the Habersham County Airport, located on the north side of town. The airport offers a paved runway at above sea level. It serves as the gateway airport to the Georgia mountains with its central location in the foothills of the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,629 people, 984 households, and 772 families residing in the city. In 2020 the Baldwin population by county breakdown was as follows: 2,538 in Habersham County and 741 in Banks County.

2010 census

According to the 2010 census, the population of Baldwin was 3,279, representing a population growth in the previous decade of 35.2%.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 2,425 people, 845 households, and 583 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 912 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.22%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.71%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.33% Native American, 2.43% Asian, 0.82%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 6.89% from other races, and 2.60% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 25.86% of the population. There were 845 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.26. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 13.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,299, and the median income for a family was $33,011. Males had a median income of $25,409 versus $21,823 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $14,059. About 20.0% of families and 26.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 32.5% of those under age 18 and 33.8% of those age 65 or over. Just over sixty percent of Baldwin's population is a high school graduate or higher. Twelve and half percent have a bachelor's degree or higher. 21.3% of Baldwin's workforce are in management, professional and related occupations, 15.7% are in service occupations, 19.2% are in sales and office occupations, 1.5% are in agricultural occupations, 12.1% are in construction, extraction and maintenance occupations, and 30.2% are in production, transportation and material moving occupations. Baldwin has a cost of living index of 82.9 against a U.S. average of 100.0. Crime rates in Baldwin have decreased 53% since 2003, with zero violent crimes in 2009 (the latest reported figures). Baldwin's crime index for 2009 was 77.0 against the U.S. average of 319.1. (A higher number equates to more crimes committed.)

History

Baldwin was incorporated by an act of the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directl ...

on December 17, 1896. The city was named in honor of Joseph A. Baldwin, a railroad official.

Education

The portion in Habersham County is in the Habersham County School District. The portion in Banks County is in the Banks County School District.
Text list
/ref> Students there are zoned to Banks County High School.

Notable people

* Buck Simmons (1946–2012), Dirt Super Late Model Legend and NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver

Nearby institutions

The closest hospital is Habersham County Medical Center in Demorest. Stephens County Hospital is to the northeast in Toccoa, and Northeast Georgia Medical Center is to the southwest in Gainesville. Colleges and universities in the region include: * University of Georgia (Athens, GA), 41 miles to the south * University of North Georgia (Gainesville, 28 miles southwest, & Dahlonega, 32 miles west) * Brenau University (Gainesville, 22 miles southwest) * Athens Technical College (Athens, 41 miles south) * Georgia Gwinnett College (Gwinnett, 51 miles southwest) * Piedmont University (Demorest, 6 miles north) * North Georgia Technical College (Clarkesville, 12 miles north)

Comprehensive plan update

In 2007, the city of Baldwin began efforts to develop its Comprehensive Plan Update. This document provides three key planning elements: a Community Assessment with supporting data, a Community Participation Plan and a Community Agenda. The Assessment provides an overview of current conditions in the city and identifies key challenges being faced by our community. The Community Participation Plan establishes a process for ensuring active public participation and involvement in developing a community vision, setting goals for the future and establishing the community's agenda for the next decade. Finally, the Community Agenda serves as the city's action plan for carrying out this new vision, achieving the goals and objectives as defined in the plan and it serves as a tool for measuring our success during the implementation phase.

References

External links

City of Baldwin official website
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Banks County, Georgia Cities in Habersham County, Georgia