Hortense, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Hortense · Brantley County, Georgia
Population 236 (est. 2026: ~0)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -42.37% annual growth projection

Hortense, Georgia

Brantley County, Georgia · Population 252

Hortense sits in the pine flatwoods of Brantley County in southeastern Georgia, roughly midway between Waycross and the Florida state line. It's a census-designated place — no incorporated government, no city hall — just a small, tight-knit community embedded in one of Georgia's least-densely populated counties. Brantley County itself holds about 18,021 people across a largely rural landscape of timber, wetlands, and two-lane highways. Hortense is a place where extended families occupy the same roads, kids grow up knowing their neighbors, and the nearest city amenities require a drive. The Okefenokee Swamp sits not far to the west; the Atlantic coast is reachable within an hour. This is deep rural Georgia.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimate places Hortense at 352 residents — the CDP boundary counts vary between estimates, with 252 also cited. Either way, this is a very small place. The median age of 25.5 years is strikingly low — well below the Georgia state median of around 37 — which reflects the unusually large share of children present. Of the 352 counted residents, 176 are under 18. That's exactly half the population. Average household size is 5.59, which is more than double the national average, pointing to large, multigenerational family units rather than single-person or couple households.

All 352 residents identified as white in the ACS data, with no reported Black, Asian, or Hispanic/Latino population. That profile is consistent with the broader rural character of this part of Brantley County, though small-sample ACS data for CDPs of this size carries meaningful margin of error.

There are 63 occupied households, 51 of which are family households.

Economy & Employment

The median household income reported for Hortense is $191,615 — a figure that appears anomalously high for a rural CDP in a county where poverty and limited economic opportunity are well-documented realities. Small-sample ACS estimates for places with fewer than 400 people carry wide confidence intervals, and this number should be read with that caveat in mind. Per capita income is $31,685, which lands closer to what one might expect for southeastern Georgia.

Twelve residents are recorded below the poverty line. Of the 164 people in the labor force, zero are counted as unemployed in the ACS estimate — though again, sample-size limitations apply. Carpooling is notably common: of 164 workers, 49 carpool to work, and 27 work from home. No public transit is used.

Brantley County's economy broadly relies on timber, agriculture, trucking, and service work in nearby Waycross (Ware County) and Jesup (Wayne County).

Housing

Hortense has 82 total housing units, 63 occupied and 19 vacant — a vacancy rate of about 23%, which is high and reflects the broader rural Georgia pattern of aging and out-migration in small CDPs. Of occupied units, 51 are owner-occupied and 12 are renter-occupied, a strong ownership-to-rental ratio.

Median home value is $173,600. No reliable median rent figure is available from this dataset. For context, Georgia's statewide median home value in the same period was considerably higher, making Hortense relatively affordable in absolute terms — though wages and income in this part of the state are also lower.

Schools

Hortense students attend Brantley County Schools. The district operates several campuses spread across the county:

The high school and middle school are in Nahunta, the county seat. Given Hortense's location within Brantley County, students likely travel to Nahunta or one of the other campuses depending on grade level. No local schools are located within Hortense itself.

Educational attainment among Hortense adults (population 25+, counted at 176): 49 hold a high school diploma as their highest credential, 27 hold a bachelor's degree. No master's or doctoral degrees were recorded.

Getting Around

Hortense is car-dependent. Of 164 workers, 88 drove alone, 49 carpooled, and 27 worked from home. No one used public transit or walked to work. No aggregate travel time data is available for this CDP. The nearest significant employment centers are Waycross (Ware County) to the northwest and Jesup to the northeast — both roughly 30–40 minutes by road.

Healthcare

No hospitals or clinical providers with a Hortense address appear in the CMS or NPI registry data. The nearest significant medical facilities are in Waycross, home to Memorial Satilla Health, or in Jesup. Residents with serious medical needs face meaningful drive times. Local and regional providers can be searched through the CMS NPI Registry for Hortense, GA.

Library

The Brantley County Library serves the area, located approximately 3.0 miles from Hortense. Phone: (912) 462-5454. It is part of the Okefenokee Regional Library System, which provides access to broader collections and interlibrary loan services.

Parks & Recreation

Two major National Park Service units are within reasonable distance of Hortense:

Wilderness camping is available for those willing to travel: - Brickhill Bluff Wilderness Campsite — 37.3 miles - Yankee Paradise Wilderness Campsite — 39.0 miles - Hickory Hill Wilderness Campsite — 39.6 miles

These sites are on Cumberland Island, accessible by ferry from St. Marys, Georgia.

Natural Hazards

Brantley County has been struck by a notable string of federally declared disasters, and the record for the past decade makes clear that this is hurricane and severe storm country:

The pattern is unmistakable: Brantley County faces annual tropical weather threats from June through November. Homeowners and renters should carry flood insurance and have evacuation plans. The 2024 season alone produced four separate federal declarations.

Government & Municipal Code

Hortense is a census-designated place, not an incorporated municipality, which means no local elected government, no municipal services, and governance falls to Brantley County. A municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/hortense-cdp-georgia. No local building code is in effect.

Weather

Current forecasts for the Hortense area are available from the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast for Hortense, GA. Active weather alerts can be checked at NWS Alerts. The nearest weather observation station is NAHUNTA 3 S, approximately 3.9 miles away.

References

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