Cochran, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Cochran · Bleckley County, Georgia
Population 4,815 (est. 2026: ~4,800)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -0.25% annual growth projection

Cochran, Georgia

Bleckley County, Georgia · Population 5,026

Cochran sits at the geographic center of Georgia, roughly 50 miles southeast of Macon along U.S. Highway 23. It serves as the county seat of Bleckley County, one of the state's smaller rural counties with just over 12,500 residents. The town itself accounts for nearly 40 percent of that county population, making it the clear hub for commerce, schools, and services across the surrounding farmland. Middle Georgia State University has a campus presence in the region, and the town carries the particular character of a small Southern county seat — courthouse square, a hospital that predates most residents, and school sports that function as community identity.

People & Demographics

Cochran's population of 4,867 skews notably young. The median age of 28.9 is well below Georgia's statewide median and reflects the combined effect of a large student population and a community where children are a significant share of residents — 1,135 people under 18 live here, roughly 23 percent of the total.

The racial composition is nearly evenly split: 2,450 residents identify as Black and 2,169 as white, with 108 Asian residents and 70 Hispanic or Latino residents. Of 1,442 occupied households, 1,023 are family households, with an average household size of 2.74.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Cochran is $31,326 — significantly below Georgia's statewide median, which sits above $60,000. Per capita income comes in at $21,683. Of the 4,867 residents counted, 1,116 fall below the federal poverty line, representing roughly 23 percent of the population.

The labor force stands at 1,831, with 191 people unemployed at the time of the ACS survey. Agriculture, healthcare, education, and local government are the dominant employment categories in Bleckley County's economy. Bleckley Memorial Hospital and the county school system are among the largest institutional employers.

Housing

Cochran has 1,873 total housing units, of which 1,442 are occupied and 431 sit vacant — a vacancy rate of about 23 percent, elevated compared to Georgia as a whole. Among occupied units, 943 are owner-occupied and 499 are renter-occupied, placing the homeownership rate at roughly 65 percent.

The median home value is $118,800, which represents meaningful affordability relative to Georgia's statewide median that exceeds $230,000. Median gross rent runs $724 per month. For a household at the local median income, that rent figure consumes a substantial share of monthly earnings, and cost burden is a practical reality for many renter households here.

Schools

All public schools serve Bleckley County as a unified district, with Cochran as the base. The system includes:

Total district enrollment across these campuses is approximately 2,605 students. The district draws from across the county, meaning many students are bused in from the rural areas surrounding Cochran.

Getting Around

Cochran is a car-dependent town. Of 1,590 workers counted, 1,305 drove alone to work and 150 carpooled. Only 7 used public transit and 10 walked. Just 59 people worked from home. The aggregate commute time across all workers totals 34,065 minutes, suggesting an average one-way trip of roughly 21 minutes — consistent with short rural commutes to nearby employment centers or the town itself.

Macon, the nearest significant metro, sits about 50 miles northwest. Warner Robins and its associated employment base (Robins Air Force Base) are a comparable distance.

Healthcare

Bleckley Memorial Hospital serves Cochran and the surrounding county. The hospital is a rural critical access facility and functions as the primary acute care resource for Bleckley County residents. For specialty care, residents typically travel to Macon.

Local provider listings for Cochran, GA are searchable through the CMS NPI Registry.

Library

The Tessie W. Norris / Cochran-Bleckley Library serves the county and is reachable at (478) 934-2904. It is part of the Middle Georgia Regional Library System and functions as the primary public library resource for Cochran and Bleckley County residents.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service sites are within reasonable driving distance of Cochran:

Natural Hazards

Bleckley County has accumulated 15 FEMA disaster declarations since 1977, a record that reflects the county's exposure to a wide range of weather threats. Atlantic hurricanes and tropical systems account for the majority: Hurricane Irma (2017), Hurricane Michael (2018), Hurricane Helene (2024), Tropical Storm Frances (2004), and a Hurricane Katrina evacuation declaration (2005) all triggered federal action here.

Winter weather has been a recurring threat, with severe winter storm declarations in 1993, 2014, and again in January 2026. A severe storms and flooding event in 1998 and a drought declaration in 1977 round out the historical record.

The 2024 declarations for Hurricane Helene — both an emergency declaration on September 26 and a major disaster declaration on September 30 — reflect how significantly that storm affected inland Middle Georgia.

Government & Municipal Code

Cochran's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/cochran. No separate local building code is on file; the municipality relies on state-level building standards.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Cochran are available through the National Weather Service. Active weather alerts can be monitored at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest official weather observation station is Cochran 3 NE, located 1.8 miles from town.

References

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