Like all states, Georgia has certain places that are going on hard times. These Georgia places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Georgia.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 132 cities in Georgia with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In Georgia For 2024:
What’s the poorest city in Georgia? According to the facts, Camilla is the poorest place in Georgia for 2024.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Georgia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Georgia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Georgia
- Most Dangerous Places In Georgia
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Georgia For 2024
1. Camilla
/10
Population: 5,163
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Income: $27,306 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 46.7% (highest)
People In Poverty: 2,410
More on Camilla: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Camilla, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Georgia thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 5,163 people averages the 2nd lowest median household income in Georgia and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Thomaston
/10
Population: 9,720
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 2)
Median Income: $30,298 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 36.7% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,571
More on Thomaston: Data | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in Georgia is Thomaston.
The city ranks as having the 5th highest incidence of poverty and 5th lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 68th highest in the Peach State.
3. Fort Valley
/10
Population: 8,821
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 4)
Median Income: $31,807 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 35.6% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,144
More on Fort Valley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Fort Valley’s median income ranks as the 7th lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 35.65% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Peach State.
4. Cedartown
/10
Population: 10,166
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Income: $30,655 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.8% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,432
More on Cedartown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Cedartown ranks as the fourth poorest place in Georgia.
The town ranks as having the 6th lowest median household income and the 9th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Brunswick
/10
Population: 15,243
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 3)
Median Income: $29,781 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 30.8% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,700
More on Brunswick: Data | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in Georgia is Brunswick.
The city ranks as having the 3rd lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 13th highest in Georgia.
Still not the best news for Brunswick.
6. Statesboro
/10
Population: 33,185
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 5)
Median Income: $38,845 (13th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 37.2% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 12,341
More on Statesboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Statesboro ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Peach State.
It ranks as having the 4th highest incidence of poverty and the 3rd highest unemployment rate.
7. Dublin
/10
Population: 15,985
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 5)
Median Income: $37,734 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 35.5% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,671
More on Dublin: Data | Cost Of Living
Dublin places as the seventh poorest city in Georgia.
The city of over 15,985 ranks as having the 7th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Waycross
/10
Population: 13,856
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 3)
Median Income: $36,818 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.8% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,680
More on Waycross: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Waycross ranks as the eighth poorest city in Georgia.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Cordele
/10
Population: 10,210
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 8)
Median Income: $33,166 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.3% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,296
More on Cordele: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Cordele couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Georgia; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 9th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Cordele ranks as having the 10th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Georgia.
10. Milledgeville
/10
Population: 17,021
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Median Income: $40,672 (16th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 39.9% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 6,796
More on Milledgeville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Georgia is Milledgeville.
The city of 17,021 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Peach State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Georgia for 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 132 places with more than 5,000 people in Georgia, we ranked each place from 1 to 132 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Camilla, crowned the “Poorest Place In Georgia For 2024”.
This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Georgia.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Georgia For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Georgia, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Georgia.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Georgia, according to data:
-
Richest: Johns Creek
2nd Richest: Milton
3rd Richest: Tyrone
For more Georgia reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Georgia
- Safest Places In Georgia
- Worst Places To Live In Georgia
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Georgia
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Georgia
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camilla | 5,163 | 46.7% | $27,306 | 2,410 |
| 2 | Thomaston | 9,720 | 36.7% | $30,298 | 3,571 |
| 3 | Fort Valley | 8,821 | 35.6% | $31,807 | 3,144 |
| 4 | Cedartown | 10,166 | 33.8% | $30,655 | 3,432 |
| 5 | Brunswick | 15,243 | 30.8% | $29,781 | 4,700 |
| 6 | Statesboro | 33,185 | 37.2% | $38,845 | 12,341 |
| 7 | Dublin | 15,985 | 35.5% | $37,734 | 5,671 |
| 8 | Waycross | 13,856 | 33.8% | $36,818 | 4,680 |
| 9 | Cordele | 10,210 | 32.3% | $33,166 | 3,296 |
| 10 | Milledgeville | 17,021 | 39.9% | $40,672 | 6,796 |
| 11 | Adel | 5,571 | 26.3% | $26,800 | 1,466 |
| 12 | Fitzgerald | 8,972 | 27.2% | $32,500 | 2,437 |
| 13 | Americus | 16,020 | 27.1% | $36,498 | 4,347 |
| 14 | Monroe | 15,036 | 41.8% | $45,307 | 6,280 |
| 15 | Waynesboro | 5,720 | 32.1% | $41,932 | 1,836 |
| 16 | Valdosta | 55,266 | 28.4% | $41,365 | 15,667 |
| 17 | Albany | 68,926 | 29.6% | $43,724 | 20,374 |
| 18 | Jackson | 5,497 | 29.6% | $43,824 | 1,625 |
| 19 | LaFayette | 6,929 | 21.2% | $30,284 | 1,472 |
| 20 | LaGrange | 31,173 | 25.4% | $41,030 | 7,924 |
| 21 | Blakely | 5,299 | 28.5% | $43,008 | 1,511 |
| 22 | Cairo | 10,091 | 23.9% | $39,784 | 2,416 |
| 23 | Bainbridge | 14,234 | 27.1% | $42,093 | 3,850 |
| 24 | Carrollton | 26,622 | 32.1% | $46,722 | 8,558 |
| 25 | Douglas | 11,694 | 23.0% | $39,716 | 2,693 |
| 26 | Moultrie | 14,533 | 24.9% | $41,228 | 3,625 |
| 27 | Eastman | 5,635 | 23.8% | $41,213 | 1,342 |
| 28 | Griffin | 23,485 | 25.4% | $42,047 | 5,955 |
| 29 | Swainsboro | 7,542 | 27.1% | $44,491 | 2,046 |
| 30 | Tifton | 17,059 | 24.4% | $42,200 | 4,169 |
| 31 | Sylvester | 5,622 | 28.4% | $48,599 | 1,593 |
| 32 | Vidalia | 10,732 | 26.6% | $47,124 | 2,859 |
| 33 | Clarkston | 14,553 | 28.9% | $51,122 | 4,207 |
| 34 | Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) | 126,672 | 27.1% | $47,798 | 34,290 |
| 35 | Thomasville | 18,744 | 21.4% | $45,789 | 4,014 |
| 36 | Forest Park | 19,619 | 18.0% | $41,837 | 3,529 |
| 37 | Sandersville | 5,727 | 19.8% | $45,502 | 1,135 |
| 38 | Dahlonega | 7,083 | 29.5% | $57,941 | 2,090 |
| 39 | Rome | 37,621 | 22.2% | $48,512 | 8,366 |
| 40 | Covington | 14,190 | 20.5% | $47,278 | 2,904 |
| 41 | Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance) | 201,615 | 20.6% | $50,492 | 41,613 |
| 42 | Toccoa | 9,055 | 19.9% | $49,860 | 1,801 |
| 43 | Thomson | 6,839 | 15.7% | $42,793 | 1,075 |
| 44 | College Park | 14,113 | 18.1% | $47,706 | 2,553 |
| 45 | Stone Mountain | 6,638 | 15.6% | $44,950 | 1,036 |
| 46 | Doraville | 10,691 | 21.8% | $59,636 | 2,334 |
| 47 | Jesup | 9,820 | 18.4% | $53,096 | 1,805 |
| 48 | Barnesville | 6,200 | 16.1% | $46,116 | 998 |
| 49 | Savannah | 147,583 | 19.0% | $54,748 | 27,996 |
| 50 | Columbus | 204,572 | 18.7% | $54,561 | 38,234 |
| 51 | Calhoun | 17,184 | 18.8% | $54,927 | 3,228 |
| 52 | East Point | 38,113 | 19.8% | $59,602 | 7,542 |
| 53 | Lovejoy | 10,429 | 18.9% | $59,184 | 1,975 |
| 54 | Garden City | 10,352 | 14.1% | $46,063 | 1,455 |
| 55 | Fairburn | 16,469 | 23.4% | $67,245 | 3,858 |
| 56 | Lilburn | 14,741 | 19.4% | $61,347 | 2,867 |
| 57 | Cusseta-Chattahoochee County unified government | 9,402 | 16.9% | $52,943 | 1,585 |
| 58 | Glennville | 5,204 | 14.3% | $47,227 | 745 |
| 59 | Dalton | 34,358 | 17.3% | $57,163 | 5,954 |
| 60 | Eatonton | 6,369 | 16.2% | $53,870 | 1,031 |
| 61 | St. Marys | 18,507 | 21.6% | $68,199 | 4,001 |
| 62 | Hinesville | 34,732 | 16.3% | $54,447 | 5,661 |
| 63 | Lawrenceville | 30,465 | 17.2% | $55,608 | 5,236 |
| 64 | Union City | 26,869 | 12.4% | $46,696 | 3,342 |
| 65 | Dallas | 14,126 | 17.9% | $60,032 | 2,521 |
| 66 | Hapeville | 6,566 | 18.0% | $62,117 | 1,181 |
| 67 | Conyers | 17,415 | 14.5% | $53,500 | 2,519 |
| 68 | Morrow | 6,563 | 18.3% | $64,890 | 1,200 |
| 69 | Rockmart | 5,113 | 11.7% | $49,438 | 596 |
| 70 | Cumming | 7,371 | 18.3% | $71,855 | 1,351 |
| 71 | Winder | 18,414 | 14.2% | $57,365 | 2,605 |
| 72 | Gainesville | 42,780 | 16.9% | $64,163 | 7,242 |
| 73 | Fort Oglethorpe | 10,203 | 10.1% | $49,789 | 1,030 |
| 74 | Locust Grove | 9,367 | 16.6% | $67,143 | 1,559 |
| 75 | Hampton | 8,244 | 17.3% | $67,808 | 1,423 |
| 76 | Port Wentworth | 11,103 | 14.9% | $61,409 | 1,659 |
| 77 | Riverdale | 14,933 | 14.6% | $61,622 | 2,178 |
| 78 | Commerce | 7,391 | 11.7% | $58,763 | 866 |
| 79 | Atlanta | 494,838 | 17.7% | $77,655 | 87,734 |
| 80 | Chamblee | 29,980 | 17.3% | $76,682 | 5,186 |
| 81 | Centerville | 8,220 | 15.3% | $74,250 | 1,254 |
| 82 | Warner Robins | 80,374 | 11.3% | $63,678 | 9,106 |
| 83 | Marietta | 61,387 | 12.8% | $67,589 | 7,832 |
| 84 | Perry | 21,279 | 13.4% | $68,507 | 2,851 |
| 85 | Oakwood | 5,132 | 9.7% | $60,696 | 495 |
| 86 | Kingsland | 18,563 | 13.3% | $73,839 | 2,461 |
| 87 | Douglasville | 35,252 | 11.9% | $72,753 | 4,194 |
| 88 | Canton | 33,499 | 13.7% | $75,414 | 4,575 |
| 89 | Norcross | 17,530 | 13.1% | $74,921 | 2,292 |
| 90 | Byron | 5,687 | 15.5% | $83,996 | 879 |
| 91 | Austell | 8,109 | 8.3% | $64,071 | 677 |
| 92 | Grovetown | 16,049 | 8.8% | $67,222 | 1,404 |
| 93 | Buford | 17,222 | 9.3% | $68,165 | 1,596 |
| 94 | Cartersville | 23,103 | 12.4% | $75,407 | 2,869 |
| 95 | Newnan | 42,689 | 9.8% | $74,606 | 4,204 |
| 96 | Kennesaw | 33,360 | 12.6% | $81,467 | 4,213 |
| 97 | Stockbridge | 28,858 | 8.7% | $72,175 | 2,499 |
| 98 | McDonough | 29,134 | 10.4% | $77,804 | 3,032 |
| 99 | Dacula | 6,906 | 10.8% | $81,322 | 749 |
| 100 | Peachtree Corners | 42,147 | 9.2% | $74,716 | 3,864 |
I’m just curious as to why Louisville and Wadley GA are not listed on this. This data is incorrect or there are places not being reported