Rockingham, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Rockingham · Bacon County, Georgia
Population 135 (est. 2026: ~300)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 26.67% annual growth projection

Rockingham, Georgia

Bacon County, Georgia · Population 230

Rockingham sits in the southeastern Georgia flatlands of Bacon County, a small CDP (Census-Designated Place) roughly in the orbit of Alma, the county seat. This is deep South Georgia — longleaf pine country, far from any metro. The nearest significant city is Waycross to the southeast or Jesup to the east; Brunswick and Savannah are both roughly 90 miles out. Rockingham itself is not an incorporated municipality but carries a municipal code through Municode. With a population of 230 and a median age of 68.4, it functions as a quiet, aging residential pocket rather than a commercial center.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 five-year estimates count 151 residents in Rockingham. The median age of 68.4 is strikingly high — well above Georgia's statewide median, which hovers in the mid-30s, and above Bacon County's overall figure. There are no residents under 18 recorded in the data, which aligns with the retirement-age skew of the population.

The community is racially 99 residents identifying as white. Notably, 52 residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, which represents a substantial share of the 151 counted — roughly one in three. This reflects a broader pattern in South Georgia CDPs where Latino residents, often tied to agricultural or processing work in the region, form a significant minority even within predominantly white communities.

There are 99 households, 73 of which are family households. The average household size of 1.53 is low, consistent with an older population where couples or single retirees make up most of the housing stock.

Bacon County overall holds 11,140 residents, meaning Rockingham accounts for a small fraction of the county's total.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Rockingham is $19,399 — significantly below Georgia's statewide median, which exceeds $60,000, and below Bacon County's own figures. Per capita income sits at $23,313. Ten residents fall below the federal poverty line.

Of the 77 residents counted in the labor force, zero are recorded as unemployed — a figure worth noting but interpreting cautiously given the small sample size and the community's older demographic, where many residents are likely retired rather than job-seeking.

The local economy of Bacon County has historically been tied to agriculture, timber, and food processing. Major employers in the county seat of Alma include agricultural operations and regional government. Rockingham residents likely commute into Alma or surrounding communities for work.

Housing

There are 142 total housing units in Rockingham, with 99 occupied and 43 vacant — a vacancy rate of roughly 30%, which is high and consistent with rural South Georgia CDPs where population has declined over decades.

Of occupied units, 47 are owner-occupied and 52 are renter-occupied, meaning renters slightly outnumber owners. Median home value and median rent figures are not available in the data.

Schools

Rockingham children attend Bacon County Schools. The district operates four schools:

All four schools serve the county as a whole from Alma. Given that Rockingham has no recorded residents under 18 in the ACS data, the school-age population here is essentially zero at present — but the district schools remain the designated institutions for the CDP.

Getting Around

Of 77 workers, 25 drove alone and 52 carpooled. No residents used public transit, walked, or worked from home. The heavy reliance on carpooling — two-thirds of workers — is notable and may reflect shared rides to agricultural or processing worksites, or simply the practical economics of a low-income rural community. No public transit serves this area. A personal vehicle is a necessity for virtually all daily needs.

Healthcare

Bacon County Hospital serves as the local hospital for the region. The Alma-based facility is the only acute care option in the county. Detailed ratings and emergency service data are not available in the current dataset.

For a searchable directory of individual healthcare providers registered in Rockingham, the NPI Registry lists licensed practitioners by location.

Library

The Alma-Bacon County Public Library is located 0.6 miles from Rockingham — the closest public library serving the community. Contact: (912) 632-4710. It provides the primary public library access for CDP residents.

Parks & Recreation

No NPS sites, campgrounds, or designated recreational areas are recorded in the available data for Rockingham specifically. The surrounding Bacon County and adjacent Ware and Coffee counties offer access to the Okefenokee Swamp region and various state wildlife management areas, though specific facilities are not documented in the source data here.

Natural Hazards

Bacon County has an extensive federal disaster declaration history — fifteen declarations since 2004, making it one of the more disaster-impacted counties in Georgia's coastal plain. The record:

The pattern is clear: southeastern Georgia sits in the regular path of Gulf and Atlantic tropical systems. Residents should treat hurricane season as an annual operational reality, not a rare event. The 2024 season alone produced four separate federal declarations.

Government & Municipal Code

Rockingham operates as a CDP — not an incorporated city — but maintains a published municipal code through Municode: https://library.municode.com/ga/rockingham-cdp-georgia

No local building code is in effect.

Weather

Current forecasts for Rockingham are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast — Lat 31.5368, Lon -82.4541

Active weather alerts for this location

The nearest official weather observation station is Alma Bacon County Airport (ALMA BACON CO AP), 3.1 miles away, which provides the primary local climatological record.

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)