Gray is a city in Jones County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,276 at the 2010 census,[4] up from 1,811 at the 2000 census. In 2020, its population was 3,436. The city is the county seat of Jones County.[5] It is part of the Macon metropolitan area.
Gray, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: Home of the annual Daylily Festival | |
 Location in Jones County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 33°00′31″N 83°32′03″W / 33.0086°N 83.5342°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Jones |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.95 sq mi (10.22 km2) |
| • Land | 3.94 sq mi (10.20 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 603 ft (183 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 3,436 |
| • Density | 872.75/sq mi (336.93/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 31032 |
| Area code | 478 |
| FIPS code | 13-34512[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0327996[3] |
| Website | grayga |
History
Gray was founded in the 1850s and named for local resident James M. Gray.[6] In 1905, the seat of Jones County was transferred to Gray.[7]
Geography
Gray is located in central Jones County at 33°00′31″N 83°32′03″W / 33.0086°N 83.5342°W.[8] U.S. Route 129 passes through the center of town, leading northeast 25 miles (40 km) to Eatonton and southwest 14 miles (23 km) to Macon. Monticello is 25 miles (40 km) to the northwest via State Route 11, Milledgeville is 19 miles (31 km) to the east via State Route 22, and Gordon is 15 miles (24 km) to the southeast via State Route 18.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Gray has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.34%, are water.[4] Gray is drained to the west by tributaries of Walnut Creek, flowing to the Ocmulgee River, and to the east by tributaries of Commissioner Creek, flowing to the Oconee River.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 559 | — | |
| 1930 | 653 | 16.8% | |
| 1940 | 698 | 6.9% | |
| 1950 | 866 | 24.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,320 | 52.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,014 | 52.6% | |
| 1980 | 2,145 | 6.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,189 | 2.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,811 | −17.3% | |
| 2010 | 3,276 | 80.9% | |
| 2020 | 3,436 | 4.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,300 | 66.94% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 927 | 26.98% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 18 | 0.52% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 114 | 3.32% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 68 | 1.98% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,436 people, 1,219 households, and 798 families residing in the city.
Education
Jones County School District
The Jones County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.[11] The district has 295 full-time teachers and over 5,014 students.[12]
- Dames Ferry Elementary School
- Turnerwoods Elementary School
- Gray Elementary School
- Mattie Wells Elementary School
- Gray Station Middle School
- Clifton Ridge Middle School
- Jones County High School