Wilkes County Demographics

A map of Wilkes County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	4,925	4,952	51.6%	51.8%
Black	3,762	3,838	39.4%	40.1%
Hispanic	463	399	4.8%	4.2%
Multiracial	255	277	2.7%	2.9%
Asian	117	59	1.2%	0.6%
Native American/Other	27	40	0.3%	0.4%

Wilkes County, Georgia has an estimated population of 9,549, a less than 1% change from the 9,565 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 51.6% White, 39.4% Black, 4.8% Hispanic, 2.7% Multiracial, 1.2% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Wilkes County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Wilkes has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Georgia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Wilkes County, that probability was 56.8% in 2020 and 57.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Wilkes County is ranked the 126th most populous county in Georgia, out of 159 counties. Wilkes County was ranked the 127th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Wilkes County's White Population

4,925 residents of Wilkes County, or 51.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Wilkes County is slightly higher than in Georgia overall, where 49.1% of the population is White. Wilkes County ranks 120th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Wilkes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 51.6%.

Wilkes County is more White than neighboring Taliaferro County (39.4% White), and Warren County (39.2% White). Wilkes County is less White than neighboring Lincoln County (68.2% White), Elbert County (62.2% White), and Oglethorpe County (73.1% White).

Wilkes County's Black Population

3,762 residents of Wilkes County, or 39.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Wilkes County is higher than in Georgia overall, where 30.7% of the population is Black. Wilkes County ranks 38th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes County's Black population has declined by an estimated 2.0%. Black residents' share of Wilkes County's population has decreased from 40.1% to 39.4%.

Wilkes County is more Black than neighboring Lincoln County (27.2% Black), Elbert County (22.3% Black), and Oglethorpe County (15.4% Black). Wilkes County is less Black than neighboring Taliaferro County (45.9% Black), and Warren County (56% Black).

Wilkes County's Asian Population

117 residents of Wilkes County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Wilkes County is slightly lower than in Georgia overall, where 4.5% of the population is Asian. Wilkes County ranks 89th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 98.3%. Asian residents' share of Wilkes County's population has increased from 0.6% to 1.2%.

Wilkes County is more Asian than neighboring Taliaferro County (0.1% Asian), Lincoln County (0.1% Asian), Oglethorpe County (0.7% Asian), and Warren County (0.1% Asian). Wilkes County is less Asian than neighboring Elbert County (1.3% Asian).

Wilkes County's Hispanic Population

463 residents of Wilkes County, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Wilkes County is lower than in Georgia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Wilkes County ranks 94th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 16.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Wilkes County's population has increased from 4.2% to 4.8%.

Wilkes County is more Hispanic than neighboring Taliaferro County (4.4% Hispanic), Lincoln County (1.5% Hispanic), and Warren County (1.1% Hispanic). Wilkes County is less Hispanic than neighboring Elbert County (5.9% Hispanic), and Oglethorpe County (6.8% Hispanic).

Wilkes County's Native American/Other Population

27 residents of Wilkes County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Wilkes County is comparable to the share in Georgia overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Wilkes County ranks 119th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 32.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Wilkes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Wilkes County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Lincoln County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Warren County (0% Native American/Other). Wilkes County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Taliaferro County (3% Native American/Other), Elbert County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Oglethorpe County (0.4% Native American/Other).

Wilkes County's Multiracial Population

255 residents of Wilkes County, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Wilkes County is comparable to the share in Georgia overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Wilkes County ranks 88th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 7.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Wilkes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.7%.

Wilkes County is less Multiracial than neighboring Taliaferro County (7.3% Multiracial), Elbert County (7.3% Multiracial), Oglethorpe County (3.6% Multiracial), and Warren County (3.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.