Acworth, Georgia

Acworth, Georgia "The Lake City"
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 34°03′46″N 84°40′12″W / 34.06278°N 84.67°W / 34.06278; -84.67Coordinates: 34°03′46″N 84°40′12″W / 34.06278°N 84.67°W / 34.06278; -84.67
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Counties	Cobb
Incorporated	1840
Government
– Mayor	Tommy Allegood
Population (2010)
– Total	20,425
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	30101, 30102
Area code(s)	770, 678
Website	http://www.acworth.org/

Acworth is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,425^[1]. Acworth is located in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains along the southeastern banks of Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona on the Etowah River.

Acworth's nickname is "The Lake City."^[2] Acworth Beach is located on nearby Lake Allatoona and Lake Acworth. The city is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

History

Prior to 1840, the town was known as "Andersonville".^{[citation needed]} From 1840 to 1843, it was known as "Northcutt Station", after the first railroad station master Alfred Northcutt.^{[citation needed]}

The town received its current name in 1843 from Western & Atlantic Railroad engineer Joseph L. Gregg, who named it for his hometown of Acworth, New Hampshire, which was in turn named for English nobleman Lord Acworth.^[3] It was incorporated on December 1, 1860.

In November 1864, during the American Civil War, the city was burned down by the army of General W. T. Sherman, sparing only a few homes. The city was called "Little Shanty" by the Union troops, to contrast it with the next town south, "Big Shanty", since renamed Kennesaw.

In 2011, the filming of several scenes for the Footloose remake took place in downtown Acworth. The Acworth Presbyterian Church was used as the primary church, and the house of Mayor, Tommy Allegood was used as Julianne Hough's character's home.^{[citation needed][4]}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (20 km²), of which 7.1 square miles (18 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), or 6.97%, is water.

Unincorporated areas considered Acworth for mailing purposes extend into southeast Bartow County, northeast Paulding County, and southwest Cherokee County. Some of the incorporated portions of Acworth east of Nance Road and Acworth Due West Road have a Kennesaw mailing address.

Demographics

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 13,422 people, 5,194 households, and 3,589 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,896.9 people per square mile (732.0/km²). There were 5,453 housing units at an average density of 770.7 per square mile (297.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.7% White,12.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.2% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.05% of the population.

There were 5,194 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 41.0% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

Population in July 2008: 19,476. Population change since 2000: +45.1% Males: 9,508 (48.8%) Females: 9,968 (51.2%) Median resident age: 30.7 years Georgia median age: 33.4 years

Economy

Personal income

The median income for a household in the city was $50,918, and the median income for a family was $55,163. Males had a median income of $40,516 versus $30,649 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,956. About 6.2% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.

Estimated median household income in 2008: $61,560 (it was $50,918 in 2000) Acworth: $61,560 Georgia: $50,861

Estimated per capita income in 2008: $27,184

Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $196,886 (it was $128,400 in 2000) Acworth: $196,886 Georgia: $169,100

Industry

Tourism

Nearby Lake Allatoona is used for fishing, boating, water skiing, camping and hiking.

Government

The city is governed by a 5-member Board of Aldermen, who serve staggered four-year terms. The mayor is elected to four-year terms.^[6]

The city provides electrical and garbage collection services for all of its residents. Water service is provided by Cobb County. While the city provides police protection, fire protection is provided by Cobb County.^{[citation needed]}

From 2001-03 the city owned Acworth CableNET, which provided cable television and internet services to city residents. The service competed with Comcast. The system was leased to United Telesystems, Inc. in 2003, but the company defaulted on the lease. In 2005, Klip Interactive purchased the system for $5 million. In 2007, Klip sold the system to Comcast, and CableNET was shut down.^{[citation needed]}

An unusual ordinance once required all citizens to own a rake.^[7] This ordinance was enacted shortly after the neighboring city of Kennesaw ordered every homeowner to own a gun in 1982. The requirement to own a rake is no longer in effect.^[8]

Infrastructure

Roads

The major highway is a two lane road which is "Main Street" though the city. It is known as "Old 41" as it was formerly the route for US 41. State Route 92 and the new highway 41 pass through the city.

Famous/notable natives and residents

• Jason Bohn, professional golfer
• Robby Ginepri, professional tennis player
• Bobby Reynolds, professional tennis player
• Ralph Tresvant, lead singer of R&B group New Edition

References

1. ^ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/1300408.html
2. ^ Geocities.com accessed February 10, 2008. Archived 2009-10-24.
3. ^ Acworth, New Hampshire
4. ^ [1]
5. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
6. ^ [2]
7. ^ Funtrivia.com accessed February 10, 2008
8. ^ [3]

External links

• City of Acworth official website
• Acworth.Net - All about Acworth