Unadilla, Georgia
Unadilla, Georgia | |
|---|---|
![]() City Hall in Unadilla | |
![]() Location in Dooly County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 32°15′35″N 83°44′12″W / 32.25972°N 83.73667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Dooly |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Myron Mixon |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.08 sq mi (15.75 km2) |
| • Land | 6.04 sq mi (15.65 km2) |
| • Water | 0.039 sq mi (0.10 km2) |
| Elevation | 430 ft (130 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,118 |
| • Density | 516.0/sq mi (199.21/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 31091 |
| Area code | 478 |
| FIPS code | 13-78156[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0333297[3] |
| Website | cityofunadillaga |
Unadilla is a city in Dooly County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,118 in 2020. Dooly State Prison is located in the northeast corner of the city.
History
Unadilla is a name derived from the Iroquois language meaning "council place".[4] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Unadilla as a town in 1891.[5] On December 31, 2006, an F2 tornado hit the outskirts of the city. Due to the implementation of the Enhanced Fujita Scale the next day this was the last tornado to be rated using the Fujita scale in the United States.[6]
Geography

Unadilla is located in northern Dooly County at 32°15′35″N 83°44′12″W / 32.259796°N 83.736535°W.[7] U.S. Route 41 passes through the center of town as Pine Street, leading north 16 miles (26 km) to Perry and south 13 miles (21 km) to Vienna, the Dooly County seat. Interstate 75 passes through the west side of Unadilla, with access from Exits 121 and 122. I-75 leads north 43 miles (69 km) to Macon and south 61 miles (98 km) to Tifton. Georgia State Route 230 passes through Unadilla as Second Street and Borum Street, leading southwest 11 miles (18 km) to Byromville and east 18 miles (29 km) to Hawkinsville.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 524 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,003 | 91.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,019 | 101.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,832 | −9.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,137 | −37.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,098 | −3.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,304 | 18.8% | |
| 1970 | 1,457 | 11.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,566 | 7.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,620 | 3.4% | |
| 2000 | 2,772 | 71.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,796 | 36.9% | |
| 2020 | 3,118 | −17.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1850-1870[9] 1870-1880[10] 1890-1910[11] 1920-1930[12] 1940[13] 1950[14] 1960[15] 1970[16] 1980[17] 1990[18] 2000[19] 2010[20] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Unadilla had a population of 3,118. The median age was 40.4 years. 11.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 279.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 332.1 males age 18 and over.[21][22]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 836 | 26.81% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,028 | 65.04% |
| Native American | 6 | 0.19% |
| Asian | 8 | 0.26% |
| Other/Mixed | 32 | 1.03% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 208 | 6.67% |
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[24]
There were 618 households in Unadilla, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 26.2% were married-couple households, 21.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 46.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]
There were 700 housing units, of which 11.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.[21]
Notable events
Since 2017, Unadilla has been home to an annual New Year's Eve event entitled the Hog Drop, an evening celebration to ring in the new year.[25] The event occurs in tandem with the Hog Drop Invitational BBQ competition, hosted and run by Unadilla mayor and BBQ pitmaster Myron Mixon. The event includes live music, fireworks, pig racing, and other family-friendly events.[26] The event culminates in the lowering of a pig-shaped sign at the stroke of midnight, the action of which gives the event its name.
Notable people
- David Ragan, NASCAR Cup Series driver
- Ken Ragan, former NASCAR and ARCA driver.
- Myron Mixon, five-time World BBQ Champion and mayor.
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Unadilla". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 236. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ^ Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia. J. Johnston. 1892. p. 614.
- ^ "Tornado Archive Data Explorer - Tornado Archive". tornadoarchive.com. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1870.
- ^ "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2024.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930. pp. 251–256.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
- ^ "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1960.
- ^ "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1970.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1990.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ "2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2010.
- ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ "Visit Unadilla on New Year's Eve for a squealing good time at the Hog Drop". WMAZ. December 30, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ "The 'Hog Drop' Celebrated New Year's with a BBQ Bang". The Smoke Sheet – Weekly Barbecue Newsletter and Events List. January 11, 2023. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
External links
- Unadilla at Georgia.gov


