Clayton County, Georgia

Clayton County is a located in the  of. As of 2000, the population was 236,517. The 2006 Census estimate placed the population at 271,240. The is.

Clayton County is included in the -- and is the county in which most of  lies.

The county was established in 1858 and named in honor of (1783-1839), who served in the  from 1832 until 1835.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 374 (144 ). 369 km² (143 sq mi) of it is land and 4 km² (2 sq mi) of it (1.15%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * (northeast)
 * (east)
 * (south)
 * (southwest)
 * (northwest)

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 236,517 people, 82,243 households, and 59,214 families residing in the county. The was 640/km² (1,658/sq mi). There were 86,461 housing units at an average density of 234/km² (606/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 37.9%, 51.6% or , 0.32% , 4.49% , 0.07% , 3.55% from , and 2.08% from two or more races. 7.50% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 82,243 households out of which 40.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.70% were living together, 20.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 21.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the county the population was spread out with 30.00% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 35.40% from 25 to 44, 18.40% from 45 to 64, and 5.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,697, and the median income for a family was $46,782. Males had a median income of $32,118 versus $26,926 for females. The for the county was $18,079. About 8.20% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the, including 13.20% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.

Crime
Clayton County has recently experienced a rise in crime, ranging from shootings to gang-related activity. Crime in the area might be attributed to the increase in population in the county and the large amount of affordable housing that attracts low-income families. In November 2006, the county appointed its first black police chief, Jeffrey E. Turner, who has promised to help alleviate crime in the county.

Cities and towns

 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)
 * (unincorporated)

Unincorporated areas

 * Lake Spivey
 * Clayton Panhandle
 * Old Dixie
 * Flintwoods
 * Flint River District
 * Lake Harber
 * Old Southe
 * Botany Woods
 * Valley Hill/North Jonesboro
 * Valley Hill/North Jonesboro

Highways

 * [[Image:I-75.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:I-85.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:I-285.svg|25px]]
 * [[Image:I-675.svg|25px]]
 * [[Image:US 19.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:US 23.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:US 29.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:US 41.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 3.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 54.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 85.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 138.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 351.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 401.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 407.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 413.svg|20px]]

Bus

 * Clayton County mass transit is run by, with fIve fixed bus routes and


 * 500 - Airport Loop
 * 501 - /Forest Park//Tara Blvd./Justice Center
 * 502 - Southlake Pkwy./Jonesboro/Lake City/Courthouse
 * 503 - Gardenwalk//Morrow/Mt. Zion Pkwy.
 * 504 - Riverdale Rd./Riverdale//Flint River Rd./Justice Center
 * 503 - ShortTurn Southern Regional Hospital

Rail

 * There is commuter rail service in the planning stages along the line with proposed stations in Forest Park, Morrow, Jonesboro, and Lovejoy. This line is projected to run to Macon as soon as the line is completed.
 * 's Airport Station is located in Clayton County.

Primary and secondary schools
The Clayton County School System is the 5th largest in Georgia according to statistics on the school system's web site.

Higher education
in is the only four year institution in the county.