Girard, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Girard · Burke County, Georgia
Population 182 (est. 2026: ~100)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -24.73% annual growth projection

Girard, Georgia

Burke County, Georgia · Population 184

Girard sits in the flatlands of Burke County in east-central Georgia, roughly midway between Augusta and Waynesboro along the Savannah River plain. It is a small, tight-knit community — 184 people on the Census count — embedded in one of Georgia's oldest counties, a place shaped by agriculture, timber, and proximity to the nuclear industrial complex at Plant Vogtle. Girard itself is quiet and residential in character, with most daily needs, employment, and services pulling toward Waynesboro, the county seat about ten miles away, or Augusta, roughly 35 miles to the northeast.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Girard's population at 202, with a median age of 36.8 — slightly younger than many small Georgia towns. The racial composition is 116 white residents and 80 Black residents, with 3 Hispanic or Latino residents. Of 61 occupied households, 34 are family households, and the average household size of 3.31 is notably higher than the Georgia state average, reflecting a community with children present. There are 68 residents under 18, a substantial share of the total population that signals active family life in this small place.

Economy & Employment

Median household income sits at $58,309, which compares favorably against Burke County's historically lower income figures and holds its own relative to rural Georgia broadly. Per capita income is $27,449. The labor force is small — 47 residents — with only 1 person counted as unemployed, and just 1 resident counted below the poverty line. These numbers reflect a workforce that is largely employed and stable, even if the local job base itself is thin. Most workers commute out for employment, likely toward Waynesboro, Augusta, or the Plant Vogtle site in neighboring Jefferson County, which has drawn construction and utility workers from across the region for years.

Housing

Girard's housing market tells an interesting story. There are 117 total housing units, but only 61 are occupied — leaving 56 vacant, a vacancy rate of roughly 48 percent. That figure stands out and suggests a combination of aging stock, seasonal or intermittent use, and outmigration that has not been fully offset by new arrivals. Of occupied units, 56 are owner-occupied and only 5 are renter-occupied, making this overwhelmingly an ownership community. Median home value is $73,100 — low by Georgia standards but consistent with rural Burke County, where land is affordable and housing stock is older. No median rent figure is available from the data.

Schools

Girard students attend Burke County public schools, which serve the entire county out of Waynesboro. The county system includes:

There are no schools physically located within Girard. Students travel to Waynesboro and surrounding areas for all grade levels.

Getting Around

Every single one of Girard's 46 counted workers drives alone to work. No carpooling, no public transit, no walking, no remote work was recorded in the ACS data. The aggregate travel time for those 46 workers totals 1,755 minutes, averaging roughly 38 minutes per commute each way. Girard is car-dependent by any measure, and reaching employment, groceries, healthcare, or services requires a vehicle. There is no local transit option.

Healthcare

Burke Medical Center serves as the county's primary hospital, located in Waynesboro. Detailed rating and emergency service data are not available in current sources. For a searchable list of individual healthcare providers registered in Girard, the CMS NPI Registry provides current licensed provider records. Residents with serious medical needs typically look to Augusta's hospital system — including Augusta University Medical Center — roughly 35 miles away, for specialty and trauma care.

Library

The Burke County Library is located approximately 0.5 miles from Girard and can be reached at (706) 554-3277. It serves as the community's primary public library resource, offering access to digital resources, physical collections, and public programming for Burke County residents.

Natural Hazards

Burke County carries a substantial FEMA disaster history, and residents of Girard should take that record seriously. Since 2014, the county has received 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations. The list includes:

The pattern is unmistakable: Burke County sits in a corridor that gets hit by Atlantic and Gulf storms as they track inland across Georgia. Helene and Debby both struck in a single 2024 season. Flooding, wind damage, and infrastructure disruption are recurring realities, not outliers.

Government & Municipal Code

Girard operates under a municipal code published through Municode, accessible at library.municode.com/ga/girard-town-georgia. The town does not have a locally adopted building code on record. Residents undertaking construction or renovation should confirm applicable county and state building requirements directly with Burke County.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Girard are available through the National Weather Service. Active weather alerts can be monitored at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest official weather observation station is Waynesboro 2 S, located approximately 1.0 mile away.

References

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