Bonanza, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Bonanza · Clayton County, Georgia
Population 3,567 (est. 2026: ~2,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -8.07% annual growth projection

Bonanza, Georgia

Clayton County, Georgia · Population 4,406

Bonanza is a census-designated place tucked into the southwestern corner of Clayton County, sitting roughly between Fairburn and the city of Morrow along the suburban fringe south of Atlanta. It is not an incorporated municipality — there is no Bonanza city hall, no mayor, no municipal police department. What exists here is a residential community absorbed into the broader Clayton County fabric, close enough to Atlanta's southern suburbs to share their schools, hospitals, and commuter patterns, but quiet enough to feel distinctly apart from the commercial corridors along I-75 a few miles to the east. Clayton County itself is one of Georgia's most urban and densely populated counties, with nearly 298,000 residents — Bonanza accounts for a small but established slice of that.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 count places Bonanza's population at 3,638 across 1,449 households, with a separate population figure of 4,406 also on record. The median age is 36.1 years — a working-age community. The racial composition is majority Black at 2,525 residents, with 379 white residents, 358 Asian residents, and 351 Hispanic or Latino residents. That profile mirrors Clayton County broadly, which is one of the most racially diverse counties in Georgia.

Average household size is 2.51 persons. Family households number 877 of the 1,449 total occupied units. Children under 18 account for 900 residents, meaning roughly one in four people here is a minor — a community with a significant school-age population.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Bonanza is $68,257, and per capita income is $43,082. For context, Georgia's statewide median household income hovers in the low-to-mid $60,000 range, placing Bonanza slightly above the state midpoint.

Of the 2,023 residents in the labor force, 178 are unemployed — an unemployment rate of approximately 8.8%, which runs higher than Georgia's typical statewide figures. The poverty count stands at 199 individuals, representing a modest but real share of the population facing economic pressure.

Housing

Bonanza's 1,616 total housing units break down into 1,449 occupied and 167 vacant — a vacancy rate of about 10.3%. Owner-occupied units number 783; renter-occupied units number 666. That near-even split leans slightly toward ownership, which is notable in a county that skews heavily renter in its denser corridors.

Median home value is $163,600 — well below Atlanta metro norms and accessible by regional standards, though prices have shifted significantly since this data was collected. Median gross rent is $1,386 per month, which reflects the pressure of Atlanta-area rental markets extending southward into Clayton County.

Schools

Bonanza sits within Clayton County Public Schools, one of Georgia's larger districts. High school options in the county include Morrow High School (1,980 students, grades 9–12), Forest Park High School (1,765 students), Charles R. Drew High School (1,652 students), Mundy's Mill High School (1,629 students), Banneker High School (1,610 students), Jonesboro High School (1,535 students), Riverdale High School (1,333 students), Mount Zion High School (1,239 students), and North Clayton High School (1,206 students).

Middle grades are served by Jonesboro Middle School (951 students, grades 6–8), Babb Middle School (888 students), and McNair Middle School (888 students). Charter options include DuBois Integrity Academy (1,320 students, grades K–7), Main Street Charter Academy (863 students, grades K–8), and Perry Career Academy – Eula Wilburn Ponds Perry Center (925 students, grades 9–12), which provides vocational and career pathways.

Educational attainment among Bonanza's adult population (age 25 and older, totaling 2,547 residents) shows 612 holding a high school diploma as their highest credential, 400 with a bachelor's degree, and 191 with a master's degree.

Getting Around

Bonanza runs on cars. Of 1,768 workers, 1,461 drove alone to work. Another 113 carpooled. Only 24 used public transit, and 19 walked. Working from home accounts for 151 workers. The aggregate commute time across all workers totals 49,405 minutes — averaging roughly 28 minutes per worker each way, consistent with a community commuting into the Atlanta metro rather than working locally. Transit is an option but a thin one; car access is effectively required for most daily needs.

Healthcare

Two hospitals serve this part of Clayton County. Southern Regional Medical Center provides general acute care services. Riverwoods Behavioral Health System provides inpatient behavioral health treatment. Both are within the Clayton County corridor. For individual provider lookup, the CMS NPI Registry can be searched for Bonanza, GA providers directly at the NPI Registry.

Library

The nearest public library is the Gladys S. Dennard Library at South Fulton, located 2.3 miles from Bonanza. Phone: (404) 613-3092. Despite the name referencing South Fulton, this branch serves residents in the area regardless of county line. It is part of the Fulton County Library System.

Parks & Recreation

Three National Park Service units are accessible from Bonanza. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta preserves the birthplace, church, and burial site of Dr. King — its visitor center is 13.1 miles away. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, preserving Civil War earthworks and hiking trails northwest of the metro, is about 30.7 miles out. Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area provides river access, trails, and fishing along a 48-mile corridor of the Chattahoochee — Island Ford Visitor Center is 29.2 miles from Bonanza.

Natural Hazards

Clayton County has a long federal disaster declaration record going back to 1973. Tropical weather is the recurring threat: Hurricane Opal (1995), Tropical Storm Alberto flooding (1994), Hurricane Ivan (2004), Hurricane Irma (2017), and Hurricane Helene (2024) all produced federal declarations. Winter storms have also hit — severe snowfall events in 1993, 2014, and a severe winter storm declaration in January 2026. The county also received disaster designation for the COVID-19 pandemic in both March 2020 declarations (EM-3464 and DR-4501), and served as a receiving area during Hurricane Katrina evacuations in 2005. Severe storms and flooding produced a declaration in 1998. Residents should monitor the National Weather Service forecast and active weather alerts for this location. The nearest official weather station is Fairburn 0.6 NW, approximately 3.0 miles away.

Government & Municipal Code

Bonanza is a CDP — a census-designated place, not an incorporated municipality. Governing authority rests with Clayton County. A municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/bonanza-cdp-georgia. No building code is recorded for this jurisdiction in available data.

References

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