For pre-formatted natality & mortality data please see Vital Statistics Reports (VSR).

For other health data resources please see the Health Data & Info section.

Health Care
Stephens County had 7.1 licensed nursing home beds per 100 persons in 1999, compared with the state average of 5.5 per 100 persons. In 1999, the number of physicians in the county per 10,000 persons was 17.7, compared to the state average of 19.3. For more community indicators, please go to OASIS .

History*

Stephens County was created in 1905 from parts of Franklin and Habersham counties. The county is named for Alexander Stephens, who was governor of Georgia.

The county's first inhabitants were an Indian tribe known as the "Mound Builders." The tribe thrived in Toccoa, at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Mound Builders were followed by the Cherokee tribe who, legend says, named the area "Toccoah," meaning "beautiful" in their language.

Stephens County is characterized by its bucolic setting and spectacular natural wonders. Located on the campus of the college named for them, Toccoa Falls, which plunge 186 feet, are 19 feet higher than Niagara Falls.