Rochelle, Georgia

Rochelle, Georgia
City
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°W / 31.94889; -83.45389
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyWilcox
Area
[1]
 • Total
1.91 sq mi (4.94 km2)
 • Land1.91 sq mi (4.94 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
367 ft (112 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
1,167
 • Density612.0/sq mi (236.29/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31079
Area code229
FIPS code13-66024[2]
GNIS feature ID0321704[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

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. 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

Rochelle is located at 31°56′56″N 83°27′14″W / 31.94889°N 83.45389°W / 31.94889; -83.45389 (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

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900793—
19108608.4%
19201,04621.6%
19301,0530.7%
19401,17511.6%
19501,097−6.6%
19601,23512.6%
19701,38011.7%
19801,62617.8%
19901,510−7.1%
20001,415−6.3%
20101,174−17.0%
20201,167−0.6%
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] 2020[24]
Rochelle city, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010[25] Pop 2020[24] % 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%

In 2020, the city's population was 1,167, down from 1,174 in 2010.

Education

The Wilcox County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[26] The district has 90 full-time teachers and over 1,439 students.[27]

The schools, located in Rochelle, are:

  • Wilcox County Elementary School
  • Wilcox County Middle School
  • Wilcox County High School

Higher education

  • Wiregrass Georgia Technical College - Wilcox Learning Center[28]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "Rochelle". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
  4. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 190. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  5. ^ "Rochelle city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  6. ^ Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. Map of Georgia. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  7. ^ "Rochelle Historic District". National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Rochelle Historic District". National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  9. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 190. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  10. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  11. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1870.
  13. ^ "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  14. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2024.
  15. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930. pp. 251–256.
  16. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  17. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  18. ^ "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1960.
  19. ^ "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1970.
  20. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  21. ^ "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1990.
  22. ^ "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  23. ^ "2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2010.
  24. ^ a b "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.
  25. ^ "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.
  26. ^ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  27. ^ School Stats Archived April 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  28. ^ Wiregrass Technical College Archived 2010-07-18 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved June 30, 2010.
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