Auburn, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Auburn · Barrow County, Georgia
Population 8,222 (est. 2026: ~10,000)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 5.95% annual growth projection

Auburn, Georgia

Barrow County, Georgia · Population 7,495

Auburn sits at the western edge of Barrow County, roughly 45 miles northeast of Atlanta and just a few miles from the Gwinnett County line. It occupies a specific niche in the exurban Atlanta orbit — close enough to the metro to draw commuters, far enough that land was affordable and growth came later. The town has expanded steadily as the broader northeast Georgia corridor filled in, and its population of 7,495 reflects a community that skews young, is majority family-oriented, and is still finding its civic identity. It is not a sleepy small town, but it is not a suburb either. It is something in between: a growing municipality in a county of 83,505 people where the pace of change is real and visible.

People & Demographics

Auburn's population of 7,794 (ACS 2022) has a median age of 33.1 — notably younger than Georgia's statewide median. That youth is structural, not coincidental: 1,867 residents are children under 18, which means roughly one in four people in town is school-age. Families dominate the household mix, with 2,147 of 2,687 total households classified as family households and an average household size of 2.90.

Racially, the town is majority white (5,375), with 1,346 Hispanic or Latino residents making up the most significant minority group — roughly 17% of the population. Black residents number 743 and Asian residents 408. The demographic profile reflects broader trends across the exurban Atlanta ring, where Hispanic communities have grown substantially over the past two decades.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Auburn is $77,896, which compares favorably against Georgia's statewide median and reflects the relative economic stability of a workforce tied heavily to the Atlanta regional economy. Per capita income, at $28,903, tells a more modest story — consistent with a town of families with children and single earners pulling that per-person figure down.

Of 4,278 residents in the labor force, 218 are unemployed, an unemployment rate of roughly 5.1%. The poverty count stands at 392 individuals. Most workers are employed outside the immediate area, which the commute data makes plain.

Housing

Auburn's 2,931 total housing units are nearly all occupied — only 244 sit vacant. Homeownership runs high: 2,155 of 2,687 occupied units are owner-occupied, putting the ownership rate at approximately 80%. Renter households number just 532.

The median home value of $194,200 is meaningful context: by Atlanta-area standards, that figure represents genuine affordability, particularly for buyers priced out of Gwinnett or Hall counties. Median rent sits at $1,056 per month. For a town where four out of five households own their homes, Auburn clearly draws people who intend to stay.

Schools

Three public elementary schools serve Auburn and the surrounding area under Barrow County Schools:

Combined, these three schools enroll more than 2,150 students at the elementary level alone — a figure that reflects the town's density of young families. Middle and high school students continue through the Barrow County system, with schools shared across the county.

Getting Around

Auburn is a car-required community. Of 3,846 workers, 3,091 drive alone and 527 carpool. Public transit trips recorded: zero. Thirteen people walked to work. Just 187 worked from home.

The aggregate commute time for Auburn workers is 135,305 minutes, which works out to an average of roughly 35 minutes per commuter one way. That number points directly toward Atlanta and its suburban ring — most people here are making a daily run toward Gwinnett, Dekalb, or Fulton County employment centers. Anyone considering Auburn without a reliable vehicle should think carefully: there is no practical alternative to driving.

Healthcare

The nearest hospital serving Auburn is NGMC Barrow, LLC (Northeast Georgia Medical Center Barrow), located in Winder, the county seat. For specialized care, Gainesville and the broader NGMC system are accessible within 30 to 40 minutes.

Local provider lookup: CMS NPI Registry — Auburn, GA providers

Library

The Auburn Public Library serves the town directly and can be reached at (770) 513-2925. It operates as part of the Piedmont Regional Library System, which provides access to additional branch resources across Barrow and surrounding counties.

Parks & Recreation

Auburn's position in northeast Georgia puts several significant National Park Service sites within reasonable driving distance:

The Island Ford Visitor Center (Chattahoochee River NRA) sits 28.3 miles from Auburn and is the closest NPS visitor facility. These parks collectively offer hiking, paddling, history, and green space without requiring long travel times.

Natural Hazards

Barrow County has accumulated a substantial FEMA declaration history — 14 events since 1977. The record covers a wide range of hazard types:

Hurricanes and tropical systems: Opal (1995), Irma (twice, 2017), Helene (2024). Georgia's inland counties routinely receive remnant winds and flooding from Gulf and Atlantic storms, and Barrow is no exception.

Winter storms: Six separate winter storm declarations — 1977 snowfall, 2000, 2014, 2015, and 2026 — underscore that ice and snow events are a recurring, not rare, disruption. The 2014 and 2015 events are part of the broader pattern of severe winter weather that has repeatedly paralyzed north Georgia.

Other events: COVID-19 (two declarations, 2020), Hurricane Katrina evacuation coordination (2005), and a 1998 severe storms and flooding event round out the record.

The frequency of winter storm declarations is worth particular attention for newcomers from outside the South: north Georgia does not have the road infrastructure or equipment to manage ice quickly, and these events cause genuine disruption even when accumulations are modest.

Government & Municipal Code

Auburn's municipal code is published and maintained through Municode: https://library.municode.com/ga/auburn

Note: Auburn does not currently have a locally adopted building code on record.

Weather

Current forecast for Auburn: NWS Forecast — Auburn, GA (34.0381, -83.8091)

Active weather alerts: NWS Alerts

The nearest weather observation station is Auburn 1.6 E, located 1.8 miles from town.

References

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