Hahira, Georgia

Hahira, Georgia
City
Hahira City Hall
Location in Lowndes County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Lowndes
Area
• Total	2.3 sq mi (5.9 km2)
• Land	2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	225 ft (69 m)
Population (2009 est.)
• Total	2,328
• Density	1,058.2/sq mi (408.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	31632
Area code(s)	229
FIPS code	13-36052
GNIS feature ID	0315009
Website	http://www.hahira.ga.us/

Hahira is a city in Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 2,328. The population was 1,626 at the 2000 census. Hahira is led by Mayor Wayne Bullard and four members of the elected City Council. The city is mentioned in several songs by comedian/songwriter Ray Stevens, most notably the song "Shriner's Convention"[1].

History

According to legend, the town of Hahira takes its name from a local plantation, which in turn was named for the African village of Hairaairee.

Geography

Hahira is located at (30.990537, -83.371433).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²), of which, 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (3.93%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	302		—
1910	650		115.2%
1920	864		32.9%
1930	941		8.9%
1940	980		4.1%
1950	1,010		3.1%
1960	1,297		28.4%
1970	1,326		2.2%
1980	1,534		15.7%
1990	1,353		−11.8%
2000	1,626		20.2%
2010	2,737		68.3%
Est. 2014	2,861		4.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,626 people, 643 households, and 448 families residing in the city. The population density was 739.4 people per square mile (285.4/km²). There were 715 housing units at an average density of 325.1 per square mile (125.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.49% White, 22.32% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 1.97% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.43% of the population.

There were 643 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,946, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $27,121 versus $18,981 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,899. About 13.9% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 19.6% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Students in Hahira are part of the Lowndes County School District (Georgia). The following schools are in Hahira:

• Hahira Elementary School
• Hahira Middle School

Clothing ordinance

In March 2008, the Hahira City Council passed a clothing ordinance, for the sake of public safety, that bans citizens from wearing pants that are below the waist and reveal skin or undergarments (see sagging). The council was split 2–2, but the tie was broken by the mayor.

Notable people

• Lizz Wright, jazz singer and composer.
• Stephen Drew and J.D. Drew, Major League baseball players and brothers.
• Jerry Manuel, Major League baseball manager
• Mark and Dean Mathis, singers of the song "Bread and Butter".

Hahira Honey Bee Festival

Begun in 1981, The Honey Bee Festival is an annual event held during the first week of October. It has become one of the largest festivals in south Georgia, attracting thousands each year, and features arts, crafts, beauty pageant and parade.

Great Hahira Pick-In

From the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, Wilby and Gloria Coleman of Valdosta, their family and a group of friends, sponsored an annual bluegrass festival in Hahira. The Pick-In featured a weekend of bluegrass bands on the mountain stage as well as pickers and grinners in camp sites throughout the land. Some participants arrived several days in advance of the shows to camp on the land and get into the Pick-In frame of mind. Citing falling revenues, organizers ended the Pick-Ins in the mid-1990s. In the Fall of 2009, Harvey's Supermarket sponsored one final "Great Hahira Pick-In," before building a store on the site of the festival.

External links

• City of Hahira