Jonesboro, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Jonesboro · Clayton County, Georgia
Population 6,137 (est. 2026: ~6,200)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.1% annual growth projection

Jonesboro, Georgia

Clayton County, Georgia · Population 4,235

Jonesboro is the county seat of Clayton County, sitting about 15 miles south of downtown Atlanta along the old railroad corridor that shaped this part of Georgia. It is a small city — under 5,000 people — surrounded by a much larger county of nearly 298,000. Most of what Jonesboro actually is lies in its civic function: the courthouse, county offices, and the schools that serve the broader region all anchor themselves here. The city is historically significant as the site of the Battle of Jonesboro during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864, an event that catalyzed the fall of Atlanta. Today it is a working-class county seat with affordable housing, a majority Black population, and a commuter orientation toward Atlanta.

People & Demographics

Jonesboro's 4,415 residents skew younger than much of Georgia, with a median age of 33.5. The population is majority Black at 2,853 residents, with 985 white residents, 197 Asian, and 391 Hispanic or Latino. The city is densely household — 1,260 occupied households averaging 2.60 people each, with 948 children under 18 representing a significant share of the population. Of 1,360 total housing units, 100 sit vacant, a 7.4% vacancy rate that reflects modest but not severe market slack. Family households number 851 out of 1,260 total, meaning roughly two-thirds of households are family units.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Jonesboro is $33,621 — well below Georgia's statewide median, which typically runs in the mid-$60,000s. Per capita income sits at $22,969. The poverty picture is significant: 1,201 residents fall below the poverty line, which represents roughly 27% of the population based on the 4,415 total. The labor force counts 1,277 people, with 79 unemployed — an unemployment rate of approximately 6.2% within that labor force. Given the city's position within the Atlanta metropolitan area, most employment is not contained within Jonesboro itself. Workers here reach out into Clayton County and the broader Atlanta metro for jobs in logistics, healthcare, retail, and public sector work, all industries that dominate this corridor along I-75.

Housing

Housing in Jonesboro is among the most affordable in the Atlanta area. The median home value is $123,600 — a fraction of metro Atlanta norms. Median rent runs $988 per month. The city is heavily renter-dominated: of 1,260 occupied units, 860 are renter-occupied and only 400 are owner-occupied. That puts the homeownership rate at roughly 32%, far below both county and state averages. For buyers, the price point is accessible. For renters, the $988 median is below Atlanta-area averages but still represents a significant share of income at the local median household earnings.

Schools

Jonesboro and the surrounding Clayton County area is served by Clayton County Public Schools, with a substantial collection of schools operating in and around the city.

High Schools: - Mundy's Mill High School — Grades 9–12, 1,629 students - Jonesboro High School — Grades 9–12, 1,535 students - Mount Zion High School — Grades 9–12, 1,239 students - Perry Career Academy (Eula Wilburn Ponds Perry Center) — Grades 9–12, 925 students - Elite Scholars Academy School — Grades 6–12, 680 students

Middle Schools: - Jonesboro Middle School — Grades 6–8, 951 students - M. D. Roberts Middle School — Grades 6–8, 852 students - Mundys Mill Middle School — Grades 6–8, 768 students - Pointe South Middle School — Grades 6–8, 760 students - Kendrick Middle School — Grades 6–8, 696 students

Elementary Schools: - Callaway Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 706 students - Brown Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 700 students - James Jackson Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 633 students - Suder Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 631 students - Kilpatrick Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 618 students

The enrollment numbers are large for a small city because these schools draw from well beyond Jonesboro's city limits into the broader county. Perry Career Academy signals a county commitment to vocational and career-track education.

Getting Around

Of 1,198 workers, 893 drove alone to work — about 74.5%. Another 153 carpooled. Only 44 used public transit, 40 walked, and 60 worked from home. The aggregate travel time for all workers totals 35,590 minutes, putting average one-way commute time around 30 minutes — consistent with a suburb that feeds Atlanta but does not retain most of its workers locally. The car is essentially required here. Transit access exists but is limited.

Healthcare

Two hospitals serve the Jonesboro area. Southern Regional Medical Center provides general acute care in the immediate area. Riverwoods Behavioral Health System addresses psychiatric and behavioral health needs. For a broader directory of local healthcare providers, the CMS NPI Registry lists licensed providers operating in Jonesboro.

Library

The Clayton County Headquarters Library serves Jonesboro and the surrounding county. Contact: (770) 473-3850. As the headquarters branch for the Clayton County Library System, it is the primary research and community resource library for the region.

Parks & Recreation

Three National Park Service units sit within reasonable reach of Jonesboro:

Natural Hazards

Clayton County has accumulated a substantial FEMA declaration history going back to 1973. The full list of declared events:

The pattern is clear: this county faces hurricanes tracking inland from the Gulf and Atlantic, severe winter ice and snow events, and periodic severe flooding. Tropical systems are not rare events here — they are recurring. Winter storms have paralyzed the area multiple times. Residents should maintain hurricane and severe weather preparedness regardless of distance from the coast.

Government & Municipal Code

Jonesboro's municipal code is published by Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/jonesboro. The city does not have a separate municipal building code on file in the Municode system — construction and building standards default to state and county-level codes.

Weather

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

The nearest weather observation station is JONESBORO 1.0 N, located 3.5 miles from the city center.

References

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