Ben Hill County, Georgia  Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,634. The county seat is Fitzgerald. The county was organized in 1906. It is named after Benjamin Harvey Hill, a former Confederate and United States Senator. Ben Hill County comprises the Fitzgerald, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The Ben Hill County Courthouse and Ben Hill County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The timber industry became important in the county in the early 20th century. After the market changed, some workers moved on to other locations, including Florida. Development of citrus production in large groves had increased the demand for workers. According to the U.S. Census Bureauin USA, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.5%) is water. The majority of Ben Hill County, its northern and eastern portions, are located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northwestern corner of the county, east of Rebecca, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The southeastern corner of the county, east of Fitzgerald, is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. As of the census of 2000, there were 17,484 people, 6,673 households, and 4,631 families living in the county. The population density was 69 people per square mile (27/km²). There were 7,623 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 63.25% White, 32.64% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 2.85% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 4.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 6,673 households out of which 33.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.20% were married couples living together, 17.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.09.