Clarkston, Georgia

Clarkston is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 7,554 as of the 2010 census.[5]

Clarkston
City
City of the Village of Clarkston
Milam Park
Milam Park
Motto: 
“Where Possibilities Grow”
Location in DeKalb County and the state of Georgia
Location in DeKalb County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°48′37″N 84°14′24″W
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyDeKalb
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • MayorBeverly H. Burks
 • City CouncilDebra Johnson, Vice-Mayor Yterenickia Bell Jamie Carroll Awet Eyasu Laura Hopkins Susan Hood[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total1.86 sq mi (4.81 km2)
 • Land1.84 sq mi (4.78 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation
1,020 ft (311 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total14,756
 • Density7,997.83/sq mi (3,088.40/km2)
 • Demonym
Clarkstonian
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30021
Area code(s)404, 678
FIPS code13-16544[3]
GNIS feature ID0331411[4]
Websitewww.clarkstonga.gov

The city is noted for its ethnic diversity, and is often referred to as "the most diverse square mile in America" and "the Ellis Island of the South."[6][7] In the 1990s, refugee resettlement programs identified Clarkston as a good fit for displaced persons of many backgrounds. The rental market was open, residents were moving farther out from the Atlanta urban core, and Clarkston was the last stop on a transit line into the city. At present students attending Clarkston High School come from over 50 countries; the local mosque (Masjid al-Momineen, or Mosque of the Faithful in English) has a diverse and sizable congregation;[8] and over half the population is estimated by some to be foreign born.[9]

History

A post office called Clarkston has been in operation since 1876.[10] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1882 as the "Town of Clarkston", with municipal corporate limits extending in a one-half mile radius from the Georgia Railroad depot.[11] The community was named after W. W. Clark, a railroad official.[12]

Geography
Clarkston City Hall annex.

Clarkston is located at 33°48′37″N 84°14′24″W (33.810304, −84.239877).[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), of which 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) is land and 0.94% is water.

Clarkston is on the Eastern Continental Divide.

Transportation

Major roads

Mass transit

Pedestrians and cycling
  • Stone Mountain Trail

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
188033—
1890271721.2%
190036233.6%
1910349−3.6%
192050143.6%
193060621.0%
194092152.0%
19501,16526.5%
19601,52430.8%
19703,127105.2%
19804,53945.2%
19905,38518.6%
20007,23134.3%
20107,5544.5%
202014,75695.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]

2020 census
Clarkston racial composition[15]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 1,199 8.13%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 9,491 64.32%
Native American 24 0.16%
Asian 2,866 19.42%
Pacific Islander 7 0.05%
Other/Mixed 620 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 549 3.72%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,756 people, 3,727 households, and 2,341 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of 2010 Clarkston had a population of 7,554. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 13.6% white (13.1% non-Hispanic white), 58.4% black or African American (57.9% non-Hispanic black), 0.2% Native American, 21.6 Asian (4.8% Vietnamese, 16.8% other Asian), 2.1% from some other race and 4.1% from two or more races. 2.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.[16]

2000 census

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 7,231 people, 2,469 households, and 1,587 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,856.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,647.2/km2). There were 2,622 housing units at an average density of 2,486.1 per square mile (959.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 19.44% White, 55.66% African American, 0.11% Native American, 12.57% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.56% from other races, and 9.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.61% of the population.

In 2000, Clarkston foreign residents included African (4%), Arab (1%), West Indian (1%), Asian Indian (1%), Other Hispanic or Latino (1%), and Central American (1%) immigrants.[17]

There were 2,469 households, out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were married couples living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.54.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 40.0% from 25 to 44, 13.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,436, and the median income for a family was $38,056. Males had a median income of $27,604 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,304. About 19.5% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

DeKalb County School System operates Clarkston's public schools.

All the schools are located outside of the city limits of Clarkston.

Atlanta Area School for the Deaf is a State funded school in Clarkston.

The Clarkston Campus of Georgia State University's Perimeter College is just south of the city limits. Georgia Piedmont Technical College, part of the Technical College System of Georgia, is in Clarkston.

Public libraries

DeKalb County Public Library operates the Clarkston Branch.[18]

Refugee resettlement

Georgia is among states that receive the highest amount of refugees for resettlement, and has resettled more than 37,000 refugees since 1993.[19] Clarkston receives a large portion of these refugees, but arrivals have gradually declined yearly since 2016.[20] In 2016, then Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued and then reneged on an executive order attempting to cease influx of Syrian refugees into the state.[21] Additionally, as of 2019 federal funding for refugee programs has decreased and executive orders have been issued that allow states increased authority to limit resettlement, which has resulted in the downsizing of several Georgia resettlement organizations.[22]

Organizations that aid the resettlement of refugees in Clarkston include:

In television
  • Clarkston was featured in season one of "Good Girls" Netflix series (the fictional supermarket "Fine & Frugal" was shot in Fresh Food Town in the Tahoe Village plaza).
  • Clarkston is the setting of the episode "Make Ted Great Again" in the second season of Queer Eye in 2018.[28]
  • Clarkston is featured in the episode "It's a Greens Thing" in the first season of Vivan Howard's PBS cooking show Somewhere South in 2020.[29]

References
  1. https://www.clarkstonga.gov/about-city-council
  2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Clarkston city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  6. Wells, Myrydd (January 19, 2017). "Ellis Island South: Welcome to the most diverse square mile in America". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  7. Long, Katy (May 24, 2017). "This small town in America's Deep South welcomes 1,500 refugees a year". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  8. "Masjid al-Momineen". November 10, 2019.
  9. "City of Clarkston". November 10, 2019.
  10. "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  11. Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia. Clark & Hines, State Printers. 1883. pp. 280–281.
  12. Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 45. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  13. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  14. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  15. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  16. 2010 general profile of population and housing characteristics for Clarkston from the US Census]
  17. "Clarkston, GA, Ancestry & Family History". Epodunk.com. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  18. "Library Locations & Hours." DeKalb County Public Library. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
  19. "Today Clarkston Article". July 3, 2018.
  20. "Refugee Processing Center". November 10, 2019.
  21. "Georgia governor retreats on Syria refugee policy". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. January 4, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  22. "Georgia could see sharp drop refugees with Trump plan". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 27, 2019. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  23. "Friends of Refugees".
  24. "Fugees Family Inc".
  25. "International Rescue Committee Atlanta Volunteer Opportunities".
  26. "New American Pathways". October 20, 2014.
  27. "World Relief Atlanta".
  28. "Citylab". Bloomberg. August 3, 2018.
  29. "Halieth Talks Gardening from Burundi to Clarkston". Somewhere South with Chef Vivian Howard. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
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