Waynesville, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Waynesville · Brantley County, Georgia
Population 979 (est. 2026: ~800)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -7.46% annual growth projection

Waynesville, Georgia

Brantley County, Georgia · Population 331

Waynesville sits in the flatwoods of southeast Georgia, about halfway between Waycross and the Georgia coast, in a part of Brantley County where pine forest and wetlands dominate the landscape. It is a census-designated place — no incorporated city government, no downtown grid — just a tight rural community of a few hundred people surrounded by the kind of country where neighbors know each other and most errands require a drive. The nearest metro of any size is Brunswick, roughly 50 miles to the southeast. Waycross, about 30 miles northwest, is the practical hub for hospitals, retail, and regional services. Waynesville is small even by Brantley County standards: the county itself holds around 18,000 people, and Waynesville accounts for fewer than 400 of them.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Waynesville's population at 586, with 138 households and an average household size of 4.25 — well above Georgia's statewide average and a strong indicator of multigenerational or large-family living. The median age is 25.6, meaning this is a notably young community. With 109 children under 18 across 138 households, families with kids are the norm here, not the exception.

The population is entirely white (586 of 586 per ACS estimates), with no Hispanic/Latino, Black, or Asian residents recorded in the survey window. These are small-area estimates and carry wide margins, but they do reflect the demographic character of rural Brantley County broadly.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Waynesville is $60,991 — comparable to Georgia's statewide median, which is notable given the rural context and the county's generally lower income levels. Per capita income sits at $32,544.

Poverty is present but concentrated: 81 residents fall below the federal poverty line out of a total population of 586. That's roughly 14%, which is lower than Brantley County as a whole but still reflects real economic pressure in a community with limited local employment options.

The labor force counts 374 workers, and reported unemployment is zero — a figure that reflects survey limitations in small populations rather than a literal full-employment economy. Most working residents commute out of the CDP for jobs in timber, trucking, construction, and the regional service sector.

Housing

Waynesville has 178 total housing units. Of those, 138 are occupied and 40 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 22%, elevated compared to most Georgia communities and consistent with slow population turnover in a rural area where some properties sit between generations or uses.

Of occupied units, 90 are owner-occupied and 48 are renter-occupied. That owner-occupancy rate of about 65% reflects a community where most residents have a long-term stake in the place.

The median home value is $184,000 — affordable by Georgia standards and very affordable compared to coastal counties nearby. No reliable median rent figure is available from the data.

Schools

Two schools serve the Waynesville area under Brantley County Schools:

Waynesville Primary School serves grades PreK–3 with 438 students. Atkinson Elementary School covers grades 4–6 with 258 students. Both are housed within the county school district and serve a broader area than the CDP itself.

No high school data is available for Waynesville specifically — older students are served at the county level through Brantley County High School in Nahunta, the county seat.

Among Waynesville adults 25 and older (477 people), 113 hold a high school diploma as their highest credential. No residents were recorded with a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in the ACS estimates — a figure that reflects both the youth of the population and the limited higher education access in the region. No college campus is identified within practical distance in the available data.

Getting Around

Every single one of Waynesville's 374 workers drives alone to work. Zero carpoolers, zero transit users, zero walkers, zero remote workers appear in the ACS data. This is car-dependent living in the most complete sense of the term. The aggregate travel time for those 374 workers is 12,455 minutes, putting the average one-way commute around 33 minutes — consistent with driving to Waycross or nearby county employment centers.

There is no public transit serving Waynesville.

Healthcare

No hospitals or urgent care facilities are located within Waynesville. The practical options are Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross (approximately 30 miles) for regional hospital care, and Southeast Georgia Health System in Brunswick for coastal access. For a directory of licensed healthcare providers associated with Waynesville through the CMS NPI Registry, see: NPI Registry Search – Waynesville, GA.

Library

The Brantley County Library is the nearest public library, located approximately 11 miles from Waynesville. Phone: (912) 462-5454. It serves the entire county and is part of the Okefenokee Regional Library System.

Parks & Recreation

Waynesville's location in southeast Georgia puts several significant natural areas within reach:

Fort Frederica National Monument (approximately 24.7 miles) preserves the ruins of a British colonial fort on St. Simons Island, with a visitor center on-site. Cumberland Island National Seashore (approximately 36 miles) offers one of Georgia's most remote barrier island experiences — accessible only by ferry — with wilderness campsites including Brickhill Bluff (30.6 miles), Yankee Paradise (32.7 miles), and Hickory Hill (33.4 miles). A mainland museum and Sea Camp Ranger Station round out the NPS infrastructure in that direction.

For anyone living in Waynesville, the Okefenokee Swamp is also within practical range to the west, offering paddling, wildlife viewing, and one of the largest blackwater swamp ecosystems in North America.

Natural Hazards

Brantley County has a well-documented history with FEMA disaster declarations, and the frequency has increased sharply in recent years. The county has received 15 declarations since 2011:

Residents of Waynesville should consider this record when evaluating flood risk, wind exposure, and wildfire proximity. Southeast Georgia sits directly in the path of Gulf and Atlantic storm tracks, and that pattern shows no signs of abating.

Government & Municipal Code

Waynesville is a census-designated place, not an incorporated municipality, which limits the scope of local governance. A municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/waynesville-cdp-georgia. No local building code is in effect.

Weather

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

The nearest weather observation station is ATKINSON 2 W, located approximately 4.5 miles away.

References

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