Statesboro, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Statesboro · Bulloch County, Georgia
Population 33,705 (est. 2026: ~35,200)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 1.32% annual growth projection

Statesboro, Georgia

Bulloch County, Georgia · Population 33,438

Statesboro sits in the coastal plain of southeast Georgia, roughly 60 miles northwest of Savannah and about 200 miles south of Atlanta. It is the county seat of Bulloch County and functions as the commercial, medical, and cultural hub for a wide swath of rural southeast Georgia. The city's defining characteristic is Georgia Southern University — a 27,000-student institution that shapes nearly everything about Statesboro, from its age profile to its rental market to its economy. Without the university, Statesboro would be a mid-sized agricultural service town. With it, the city punches well above its weight for a place its size, supporting regional healthcare, a technical college, a robust food and entertainment district, and population diversity unusual for rural Georgia.

People & Demographics

Statesboro's population of 33,438 represents about 41% of Bulloch County's 81,099 residents. The median age of 22.6 years tells the Georgia Southern story immediately — this is one of the youngest cities in Georgia, driven entirely by a university student population. The state median age hovers near 37, making Statesboro a notable outlier.

Racially, the city is closely split: 15,946 residents identify as White and 14,197 as Black, making Statesboro meaningfully more diverse than Georgia's rural average. The Hispanic and Latino population stands at 1,607, with 563 Asian residents. Average household size is 2.27, reflecting a high proportion of single-person and small-unit households typical of college towns.

Of 11,857 total households, only 4,811 are family households — a ratio that reflects student living arrangements more than anything else. Children under 18 number 5,014, a population that connects to the city's substantial public school system.

Economy & Employment

The labor force includes 16,511 residents, with 1,858 unemployed — an unemployment rate of roughly 11.3% within the counted labor force. That figure is elevated compared to state norms, partly because student populations create irregular employment patterns in Census counts.

Median household income sits at $38,845, significantly below Georgia's statewide median (roughly $61,000 as of recent ACS estimates). Per capita income of $18,069 reflects the same dynamic: a large student population with part-time or no income pulls these averages down sharply. The poverty count of 10,004 individuals represents approximately 30% of the total population — a high share, again shaped by students counted below the poverty line while enrolled.

The real employment anchors in Statesboro are Georgia Southern University itself, East Georgia Regional Medical Center, Ogeechee Technical College, Bulloch County Schools, and a retail and service sector that serves both students and the broader rural region. The city also serves as a distribution and light industrial center — several logistics and manufacturing employers operate in the area.

Housing

Statesboro's housing market is dominated by renters. Of 11,857 occupied units, 9,482 — nearly 80% — are renter-occupied. Owner-occupied units number just 2,375. This is one of the starkest renter-to-owner ratios of any Georgia city, driven by the student population. Median home value of $142,600 is well below Georgia's statewide median, making ownership accessible for those who pursue it. Median rent of $895 per month reflects modest costs by Georgia urban standards, though for a low-income student or service worker, it still represents a significant burden against the area's per capita income.

Total housing stock is 13,408 units, with 1,551 vacant — a vacancy rate near 11.6%, healthy enough to suggest a functioning rental market without severe shortage.

Schools

Bulloch County Schools operates all public K–12 institutions serving Statesboro. The school system is county-wide, meaning city residents and rural Bulloch County residents share the same schools.

Elementary Schools (PreK–5): - Julia P. Bryant Elementary — 748 students - Sallie Zetterower Elementary — 736 students - Langston Chapel Elementary — 644 students - Mattie Lively Elementary — 585 students - Mill Creek Elementary — 579 students - Nevils Elementary — 481 students

Middle Schools (6–8): - Langston Chapel Middle School — 761 students - William James Middle School — 577 students

High School: - Statesboro High School (9–12) — 1,760 students

Specialty: - Statesboro STEAM Academy (5–12) — 191 students

Higher education in the city includes Georgia Southern University (912-478-5391), the dominant institution, and Ogeechee Technical College (912-681-5500), which provides workforce training and two-year technical credentials for the region.

Getting Around

Of 13,976 workers counted in commuting data, 10,323 drive alone — about 74%. Carpooling accounts for 1,240. Walking is notably higher than a rural average at 477 workers, reflecting university-adjacent neighborhoods where students walk to campus or employment. Public transit accounts for 163 commuters. Working from home is recorded at 1,292 workers.

Aggregate travel time of 261,985 minutes across the commuting workforce suggests an average one-way commute of roughly 19 minutes — a very short commute by any standard, consistent with a compact city where employment and housing are geographically close. Statesboro is a car-dependent city overall, but its walkable core near Georgia Southern reduces that dependency for a meaningful share of residents.

Healthcare

East Georgia Regional Medical Center serves as the primary hospital for Statesboro and the broader southeast Georgia region. The facility is located within the city and functions as a regional referral center for Bulloch and surrounding counties. For specialized care beyond what EGRC provides, Savannah — approximately 60 miles southeast — is the nearest major medical market, anchored by Memorial Health University Medical Center.

A full directory of licensed healthcare providers in Statesboro can be searched through the NPI Registry.

Library

The Statesboro Regional Library (912-764-1341) serves the city and surrounding Bulloch County. As a regional library, it serves not just Statesboro residents but patrons across multiple surrounding counties in southeast Georgia.

Natural Hazards

Bulloch County sits in a corridor that has seen repeated federal disaster declarations across a short span of years. The pattern is clear: this part of Georgia is routinely in the path of Atlantic storm systems.

Between 2016 and 2024, Bulloch County received disaster or emergency declarations for six named Atlantic storms. Anyone buying or renting in Statesboro should understand that wind, flooding, and power disruption from storm systems are recurring, not exceptional, events in this part of Georgia.

Government & Municipal Code

Statesboro's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/statesboro. No locally adopted building code is on file through Municode for Statesboro, meaning state-level codes govern construction standards.

Weather

The nearest weather station to Statesboro is the STATESBORO station, located 0.6 miles from the city center.

Statesboro's climate is humid subtropical — hot summers with high humidity, mild winters occasionally disrupted by ice storms (as the 2014 and 2026 winter storm declarations confirm), and a long Atlantic hurricane season from June through November that demands real attention.

References

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