The county's name derives from the Oconee, a Muskogean people of central Georgia.

[7] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 41,799 people, 13,423 households, and 10,727 families residing in the county.

Oconee County is governed by a four-member board of commissioners, which holds legislative power.

The chairman and all members of the board are elected from at-large districts (called "posts") to staggered terms of four years.

[20] Primary law enforcement services in the portion of the county outside the City of Watkinsville are provided by the sheriff's office.

CoA currently offers certificates, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in nine various major areas.

Cox Media Group also operates a radio broadcast facility on Tower Place in northeast Oconee County.