Nahunta, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Nahunta · Brantley County, Georgia
Population 1,168 (est. 2026: ~2,100)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 18.66% annual growth projection

Nahunta, Georgia

Brantley County, Georgia · Population 1,013

Nahunta sits at the heart of Brantley County in southeastern Georgia's coastal plain, roughly equidistant between Brunswick and Waycross — two small cities that define the region's economic gravity. This is the county seat of one of Georgia's more rural counties, a place where the Okefenokee's influence on landscape and culture runs deep. With just over 1,000 residents, Nahunta functions as the civic and commercial hub for a county of 18,021 people spread across longleaf pine flatwoods and blackwater creek drainages. It is not a suburb of anything. It is the center of its own world.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 survey records 1,386 people in Nahunta, with a median age of 33.9 — a noticeably young community. The population skews toward families: 496 total households, 365 of which are family households, with an average household size of 2.67. Children under 18 number 347, a substantial share that tracks with the relatively young median age.

Racially, the town counts 941 white residents, 184 Black residents, and 98 Asian residents. Hispanic or Latino residents number 7. The diversity here is modest but present — more varied than the surrounding rural county, which is typical of small county-seat towns in this part of Georgia.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Nahunta is $48,542, and the per capita income is $16,196. Both figures sit well below Georgia's statewide medians, which reflect the economic realities of deep-rural southeastern Georgia. Of 1,386 residents, 560 are in the labor force and 19 are unemployed — an unemployment rate of roughly 3.4%.

Poverty touches 286 residents, a meaningful share of the population. Employment here leans on county government, public schools, and the small commercial strip that serves a county without a large employer base. Workers who want broader economic opportunity typically drive toward Brunswick or Waycross.

Housing

Nahunta's 528 total housing units are nearly all occupied — only 32 are vacant. The housing stock tells a clear story: a majority of residents rent. Of 496 occupied units, 312 are renter-occupied and 184 are owner-occupied, a renter-heavy ratio unusual for rural Georgia towns. The median home value of $57,400 is strikingly low — well below state averages — reflecting both the rural market and the modest income base. Median rent runs $706 per month. For buyers, this is one of the more affordable housing markets in the state in absolute terms, though wages are correspondingly low.

Schools

Brantley County operates a consolidated school system with all schools serving the county from Nahunta:

The full pipeline from primary through high school is here. Families throughout the county funnel into these buildings, which means Nahunta's schools are substantially larger than the town itself.

Getting Around

Nahunta is car country. Of 537 workers, 365 drive alone and 172 carpool. Public transit does not exist here. No workers walked to work or worked from home in the survey data. The aggregate commute time of 23,065 minutes across all workers points to average commutes of roughly 43 minutes each way — consistent with people driving to Brunswick, Waycross, or other regional employment centers. A vehicle is not optional.

Healthcare

No hospital sits in Nahunta. The nearest significant medical facilities are in Brunswick (Southeast Georgia Health System) or Waycross (Satilla Regional Medical Center), both roughly 40–50 miles away. For a searchable list of licensed healthcare providers with a Nahunta, GA address, the CMS NPI Registry can be queried directly: NPI Registry — Nahunta, GA.

Library

The Brantley County Library serves Nahunta and the surrounding county. Phone: (912) 462-5454. It functions as the county's primary public library resource — an important anchor institution in a county without a college campus nearby.

Parks & Recreation

Nahunta is within driving range of two significant National Park Service units:

Wilderness camping options in the Cumberland Island backcountry include Brickhill Bluff (39.2 miles), Yankee Paradise (40.7 miles), and Hickory Hill (41.2 miles) — all accessible via NPS permit. Visitor center facilities are available at the Fort Frederica Visitor Center (36.5 miles) and the Cumberland Island Mainland Museum and Visitor Center (42.4 miles).

Natural Hazards

Brantley County has received 15 FEMA disaster and emergency declarations, a record that reflects southeastern Georgia's acute vulnerability to Atlantic weather systems. The list is not hypothetical — these storms arrived:

Nearly every major hurricane to threaten Florida's Big Bend and northeastern Gulf coast in the past decade has reached Brantley County with enough force to trigger a federal declaration. Residents here prepare for storms as a matter of routine.

Government & Municipal Code

Nahunta's municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/nahunta. The town does not have a locally adopted building code on file in the Municode database.

Weather

Current forecasts for Nahunta are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast — Nahunta, GA. Active weather alerts can be checked at NWS Alerts. The nearest official weather observation station is NAHUNTA 3 S, located 3.9 miles from town.

References

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