Macon

Macon (MAY-kn), officially MaconBibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located 85 miles (137 km) southeast of Atlanta. In a 2012 referendum, voters approved the consolidation of the governments of Macon and Bibb County. The two governments officially merged on January 1, 2014. Macon is served by three interstate highways: I-16 (connecting the city to Savannah and coastal Georgia), I-75 (connecting the city with Atlanta to the north and Valdosta to the south), and I-475 (a city bypass highway) The city has several institutions of higher education, as well as numerous museums and tourism sites. The city was founded on the site of Fort Benjamin Hawkins, built in 1809 to protect the community and to establish a trading post with Native Americans. In 1836, the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church founded Wesleyan College, the first college based in the United States. Cotton was the commodity crop of the Black Belt, where cottonboats, stagecoaches, and later, later, trains, were the mainstay of the city's economy. In the early 20th century, Macon's economy was based on the enslaved labor of African Americans, who worked on the cotton plantations and in the cotton fields around the city. In 2010, the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 233,802, making it Georgia's fourth-largest city.

History

Macon is the primary city name, but also Huber are acceptable city names or spellings. Macon was developed at the site of Fort Benjamin Hawkins, built in 1809. Fort Hawkins guarded the Lower Creek Pathway, an extensive and well-traveled American Indian network later improved by the United States as the Federal Road. The city thrived due to its location on the Ocmulgee River, which enabled shipping to markets. Cotton became the mainstay of Macon's early economy, based on the enslaved labor of African Americans. Macon served as the official arsenal of the Confederacy manufacturing percussion caps, friction primers, and pressed bullets. In 1895, the New York Times dubbed Macon "The Central City for the Railroad" Macon was taken by Union forces during Wilson's Raid on April 20, 1865. General Milledgeville attacked Macon, but General Sherman passed by without entering the city. In 1836, the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church founded Wesleyan College in Macon. Wesleyan was the first college in the U.S. chartered to grant degrees to women. In the twentieth century, Macon grew into a hub for railroad transportation in the Middle Middle East and Africa. It is now the state capital of Georgia and the home of the Georgia Institute of Technology. It was named in honor of the North Carolina statesman Nathaniel Macon because many of the early residents of Georgia hailed from North Carolina. It has a population of more than 100,000, making it one of the largest cities in the state, along with Atlanta.

Geography

Macon is located at 32°5005N 83°3906W (32.834839, 83.651672) The Ocmulgee River is a major river that runs through the city. Macon is one of Georgia's three major Fall Line Cities, along with Augusta and Columbus. The Fall Line is where the hilly lands of the Piedmont plateau meet the flat terrain of the coastal plain. The fall line, where the altitude drops noticeably, causes rivers and creeks in the area to flow rapidly toward the ocean. The city has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 46.3 °F (7.9 °C) in January to 81.8°F (27.7 °F) in July. The average window for freezing temperatures is November 7 thru March 22, allowing a growing season of 228 days. Snow is occasional, with about half of the winters receiving trace amounts or no snowfall, averaging 0.7 inches (1.8 cm) The snowiest winter was 197273 with 16.5 in (42 cm) In the past, Macon and other Fall Line cities had many textile mills powered by the rivers. Macon has a total area of 56.3 square miles (146 km²), of which 55.8 sq miles (145 km²) is land and 0.5sq miles (1.3km²) (0.82%) is water.

Demographics

As of the official 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Macon was 91,351. In the last official census, in 2000, there were 97,255 people, 38,444 households, and 24,219 families residing in the city. Macon is the largest principal city of the Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley CSA, a Combined Statistical Area. The CSA includes Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs counties, and the Warner Robins metropolitan area (Houston, Peach, and Pulaski counties), which had a combined population of 411,898 at the 2010 census. The city is home to the Georgia Tech football team, which is based in Macon. The team's mascot is the "Macon Bulldog" (pronounced "macon-bulldog" or "mock bulldog"). The city's nickname is "The Magnificent Mile" (or "Million Mile Mile" in some areas of the city). Macon has a population of 1,742,000 (or 1.8 million people) and a population density of 1.742.8 inhabitants per square mile (672.9/km²) The city has a total population of 91,350, with 44,341 housing units at an average density of 794.6 per squaremile (306.8/ km²). The racial makeup of theCity was 67.94% African American, 28.56% White, 0.02% Native American, 0,65% Asian,0.46% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.48%.

Economy

Malls include The Shoppes at River Crossing, Macon Mall, and Eisenhower Crossing. Traditional shopping centers are in the downtown area and Ingleside Village. Robins Air Force Base, the largest single-site industrial complex in the state of Georgia, is just 10 miles south of Macon on Highway 247 next to the city of Warner Robins. The headquarters of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard is located in Macon. The median household income in the city was $28,366, as compared with the state average of $49,347. About 24.1% of families and 30.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.6 per cent of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those over 65. The per capita income for the city is $17,010. The average household income for Macon is $37,268. The state average is $49.347. The city's median family income is $34,163. Full-time working males had a median income of $34, 163 versus $28, 082 for females. The typical household income of a Macon resident is $35,000, compared with $32,000 for a resident of the state as a whole. The national average for the state is $50,000. The U.S. average for a household is $36,500, compared to the stateaverage of $44,500.

Arts and culture

Macon was home to numerous musicians/composers including Emmett Miller, The Allman Brothers Band, Randy Crawford, Lucille Hegamin, Ben Johnston, Otis Redding, Little Richard, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry of R.E.M. Capricorn Records, run by Macon natives Phil Walden and briefly Alan Walden, made the city a center for Southern rock music production in the late 1960s and 1970s. Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park preserves some of the largest ancient earthwork mounds in Georgia built by the Mississippian culture a millennium ago.Terminal Station is a railroad station that was built in 1916, and is located on 5th St. at the end of Cherry St. It was designed by architect Alfred Fellheimer, prominent for his design of Grand Central Terminal in New York City in 1903. The Macon Symphony Orchestra, a youth symphony, and the Middle Georgia Concert Band perform at the Grand Opera House in downtown Macon. The city is home to Wesleyan College, the first chartered women's college in the world, founded in 1859. Macon is also home to the Georgia Children's Museum, a museum of Little Richard artifacts and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, which is located in the downtown Museum of Allman and Little Richard District. The Grand Opera house also hosts numerous theatrical events, including the Macon Opera House, where the Symphony Orchestra performs. The town is also the birthplace of Charles Douglas, an entrepreneur from a prominent black family who was named for its founder Charles Henry Douglas.

Sports

Macon is home to the Mercer Bears, who compete at the NCAA Division I level in sports. Central Georgia Technical College also competes in men's and women's basketball. Wesleyan College, an all-female school, has teams in basketball, soccer, cross country, tennis, softball, and volleyball. Former teams include Macon High School, Macon Tech, and Macon-Bibb County High School. The University of Macon also has a women's soccer team, which competes at the Division II level. The university has a men's basketball team, as well as women's and men's lacrosse teams. The Macon campus is located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, which runs through Macon. The campus is also home to Macon Technical College, which has men's, women's, and boys' basketball teams. It also has women's volleyball teams, which compete in Division II and Division III. The school has also had women's teams in football, baseball, basketball, and softball. It has a track and field program, which is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) The campus also has an indoor track and soccer program, as part of NNCAA Division II. It is home of the Georgia Institute of Technology, which plays in the National Collegiate Women's Indoor Track and Field Association (NCI women's program). The campus has a baseball team, the Macon Braves, and a men't basketball team.

Parks and recreation

The city maintains several parks and community centers. The Ocmulgee Heritage Trail is a green way of parks, plazas, and landmarks along the O cmulgee River in downtown Macon. The city also has a skatepark and a senior center. It is located in the heart of Macon's downtown area, near the downtown library and city hall. It was built in the early 20th century and is one of the oldest parks in the state. It has been named after a former mayor of the city, William "Bill" Macon, who died in a car accident in the 1950s. The trail was completed in the 1960s. It runs along the banks of the OcmULgee River, which runs through the city. The river is a major tourist attraction in Macon and is known as the "Gateway to Macon" The city has a number of community centers, including a tennis center, senior center, and a park. It also has its own skatepark, which is called the Central City Skatepark and is located near the city's downtown library. It opened in the 1970s and was named after former mayor William "William" Macomber, who also died in the 1990s. In the 1980s, it was named the "Central City Park" and was the first skatepark in the city to open. The skatepark is located at the center of the Macon Civic Center, which opened in 1989. The park is located on the corner of Bloomfield and East Macon streets.

Government

Robert Reichert was elected the first mayor of the consolidated Macon-Bibb County in October 2013. There are also 9 County Commissioners elected from districts within the county. On March 15, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged the former County Manager, Dale M. Walker, with fraud.Prior to 2013, the city government consisted of a mayor and city council. The city of Macon has a population of 1.2 million. The county has a total population of 2.3 million, and the county population is 1.4 million, according to the 2013 Census. The U.N. World Population Handbook lists Macon as one of the countries with the lowest population growth rates in the world. The world's highest rate of population growth is in the United States, where it is 2.7 per cent. The United States' highest rate is in Europe, at 2.9 per cent, and it is the highest rate in North America, at 1.8 per cent and 2.4 per cent in Europe.

Education

Bibb County Public School District operates district public schools. Georgia Academy for the Blind, operated by the state of Georgia, is a statewide school for blind students. State public charter schools include: Academy for Classical Education and Cirrus Academy Charter School. Approximately 30,000 college students live in the greater Macon area. Georgia State University and Wesleyan College are satellite campuses of the state's larger universities. Georgia Tech is a satellite campus of the University of Georgia. The Georgia Institute of Technology is a state-funded technical college. The University of South Carolina is a regional campus of Georgia State. The College of Southern Institute of Technology is a regional college of the State of South Carolina. The University of Georgia is also a satellite campus of the College of Southern Institution of Technology and the University of South Carolinas - a state university on the campus of Georgia State Universities and Institutions of Science and Technology. Georgia State University is a statewide school for the Blind. The State University for the Blind is operated by the state of Georgia and is partly funded by the Georgia Department of Education. The state University of Safeguard of the Blind is an institution for blind students in the state. The school is located in Macon.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia = 22.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 59. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Macon = 5.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 157,346 individuals with a median age of 34.1 age the population dropped by -5.48% in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 630.95 residents per square mile of area (243.61/km²). There are average 2.42 people per household in the 36,291 households with an average household income of $28,485 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 11.60% of the available work force and has dropped -6.16% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 16.08%. The number of physicians in Macon per 100,000 population = 361.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Macon = 44.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.4 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 109. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 219. 91 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 39.4 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 28, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia which are owned by the occupant = 41.80%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 44 years with median home cost = $50,000 and home appreciation of -12.06%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $8.84 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,699 per student. There are 15.8 students for each teacher in the school, 358 students for each Librarian and 407 students for each Counselor. 3.76% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.16% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.13% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).