Empire, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Empire · Bleckley County, Georgia
Population 447 (est. 2026: ~100)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -31.54% annual growth projection

Empire, Georgia

Bleckley County, Georgia · Population 319

Empire sits in the geographic center of Georgia, tucked into Bleckley County's flat, agricultural middle. The town is a census-designated place — no incorporated city government, no downtown grid — just a tight cluster of households about three miles northeast of Cochran, the county seat. Cochran handles most of what Empire residents need: groceries, county services, the hospital. Empire itself is residential in the most literal sense: people live here, raise families here, and drive somewhere else to work. The median age of 27.6 years makes this one of the younger communities in the state, and the household size of 3.39 people reflects a place built around families rather than retirees or singles.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Empire's population at 488, with 144 occupied households. Of those, 115 are family households. The racial breakdown is 305 white residents and 183 Black residents. No Asian or Hispanic/Latino population was recorded in the survey period.

That median age of 27.6 is notably low — Georgia's statewide median sits several years higher. The 31 children under 18 represent a meaningful share of a small population, consistent with the above-average household size. Empire is a place where young families are the norm, not the exception.

Bleckley County as a whole holds 12,583 people. Empire accounts for roughly 4 percent of that.

Economy & Employment

Of 203 workers in the labor force, zero were recorded as unemployed in the ACS 2022 data — an unusually low figure that likely reflects survey margin of error in a small sample rather than genuine full employment. Per capita income stands at $32,526.

Median household income data was not available for this CDP. Poverty figures are stark: 187 residents fall below the federal poverty line. In a population of 488, that represents a significant share of the community — a meaningful contrast to the per capita income figure, which likely reflects a small number of higher earners pulling the average up.

Most workers drive: 131 commute alone, 43 carpool. The aggregate travel time across all 203 workers is 4,770 minutes, putting average one-way commute time at roughly 23 minutes — consistent with a short drive to Cochran or the longer haul toward Macon, about 35 miles to the northwest.

Housing

Empire has 164 total housing units, 144 of them occupied and 20 vacant — a vacancy rate of about 12 percent. Owner-occupancy dominates heavily: 119 of the 144 occupied units are owned, leaving only 25 rental units in the entire CDP.

The median home value is $98,300 — well below Georgia's statewide median, making Empire one of the more affordable places in the state for buyers. Median rent data was not available for this CDP.

Schools

Empire students attend Bleckley County Schools, a single-district system serving the entire county. The schools and their enrollment:

All schools are based in or near Cochran. There are no schools physically located within Empire's CDP boundaries.

Getting Around

Empire is car-dependent. No public transit use was recorded, and no residents reported walking to work. Twenty-nine workers worked from home. Driving alone is the dominant mode, with carpooling accounting for 43 workers — a higher carpool rate than most suburban communities, which may reflect shared work destinations or informal ride arrangements common in small rural towns.

The nearest city with a broader employment base is Macon (Bibb County), accessible via US-23 or I-16.

Healthcare

Bleckley Memorial Hospital is the county's primary care facility, located in Cochran. Rating and emergency service data were not available in the CMS dataset.

For a broader search of individual healthcare providers registered in Empire, the NPI Registry can be queried directly: NPI Registry — Empire, GA

Library

The Tessie W. Norris / Cochran-Bleckley Library serves Empire residents and is located 1.7 miles away in Cochran. Phone: (478) 934-2904. It is part of the public library system serving Bleckley County.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service sites are within reasonable driving distance:

Natural Hazards

Bleckley County has a long and active FEMA disaster declaration history. The county has been affected by:

The pattern is clear: this part of middle Georgia sits in a corridor where Gulf and Atlantic storms lose enough strength to remain dangerous without losing their rainfall. Flooding and wind events are recurring, not rare.

Government & Municipal Code

Empire is a census-designated place, meaning it has no incorporated municipal government. A municipal code is published through Municode: library.municode.com/ga/empire-cdp-georgia

No local building code is in effect for this CDP.

Weather

Current forecasts and alerts for Empire are available through the National Weather Service:

The nearest weather observation station is Cochran 3 NE, located 1.8 miles from Empire.

References

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