Moultrie, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Moultrie · Colquitt County, Georgia
Population 14,545 (est. 2026: ~14,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.3% annual growth projection

Moultrie, Georgia

Colquitt County, Georgia · Population 14,638

Moultrie sits in the heart of south Georgia's agricultural flatlands, about 90 miles north of Tallahassee and 200 miles south of Atlanta. It is the county seat of Colquitt County and the commercial center for a wide swath of southwest Georgia farm country. The economy here runs on agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare — not tourism, not tech. Moultrie is a working town, and the numbers reflect that plainly. At 14,638 residents, it holds roughly a third of Colquitt County's 45,898 people, making it by far the dominant municipality in the county.

People & Demographics

The total population counts at 14,533 by ACS estimates, with a median age of 35.9 — slightly younger than Georgia's statewide median. The racial makeup is closely split: 6,717 residents identify as white and 6,806 as Black, making Moultrie one of the more evenly balanced communities in the region. The Hispanic and Latino population stands at 1,492, reflecting decades of agricultural labor migration into south Georgia. The Asian population is small at 16 residents.

There are 5,745 occupied households, with an average household size of 2.44. Family households make up 3,226 of the total. Children under 18 number 3,351 — roughly 23 percent of the population, a meaningful share that puts real demand on local schools and services.

Economy & Employment

The labor force numbers 6,690 with 557 unemployed, an unemployment rate of about 8.3 percent — elevated compared to Georgia's statewide average. Median household income sits at $41,228, well below Georgia's statewide median, which runs in the low $60,000s. Per capita income is $25,651.

Poverty is a significant factor: 3,517 residents fall below the poverty line, representing roughly 24 percent of the population. That figure shapes everything from school funding needs to healthcare demand. The local economy leans on food processing, agriculture, manufacturing, and the regional healthcare sector anchored by Colquitt Regional Medical Center. For specialized employment, residents often look toward Albany, about 45 miles northeast, or Valdosta, about 50 miles southeast.

Housing

Moultrie's housing market is affordable by nearly any standard. The median home value is $135,800 and median rent runs $716 per month — both well below Georgia averages. Of 6,675 total housing units, 5,745 are occupied and 930 sit vacant, a vacancy rate of about 13.9 percent that reflects the slower population dynamics common to small south Georgia cities.

Renters outnumber owners: 3,127 renter-occupied units versus 2,618 owner-occupied. That tilt toward renting, combined with the low rent figure, suggests a housing stock accessible to lower-income households but with limited equity-building opportunity for the workforce.

Schools

Moultrie's public schools serve the Colquitt County school district. Elementary campuses within the city include:

Middle grades are handled by two large campuses:

The enrollment figures at the junior high and middle school level are notably high, indicating consolidated county-wide attendance rather than neighborhood-scale schools. No higher education campus data was available for Moultrie directly; Albany Technical College and Valdosta State University represent the nearest significant options in the region.

Getting Around

Moultrie is a car-required town. Of 5,975 total workers, 5,031 drove alone to work and 588 carpooled. Public transit accounted for just 8 commuters. Only 29 walked, and 202 worked from home. The aggregate commute time across all workers totals 129,455 minutes, averaging roughly 21.7 minutes per worker — consistent with short local commutes rather than long-haul regional travel. There is no meaningful public transit infrastructure.

Healthcare

Moultrie is served by Colquitt Regional Medical Center, the primary acute-care hospital for the region, located within the city. Turning Point Hospital, a behavioral health facility, also operates in Moultrie. Together, these institutions make Moultrie a healthcare hub for surrounding Colquitt County and neighboring counties. For provider-level searches, the NPI Registry can be queried directly for Moultrie-based clinicians: NPI Registry — Moultrie, GA.

Library

The Moultrie-Colquitt County Library serves both city and county residents. Contact: (229) 985-6540. It is the primary public library resource for the area, offering services to a population that spans a large rural geography.

Natural Hazards

Colquitt County's FEMA disaster declaration history is extensive, underscoring the vulnerability of southwest Georgia to both tropical weather systems and severe local storms.

Tropical systems have been the most frequent disruptors. Hurricane Helene triggered both an emergency declaration and a major disaster declaration in late September 2024. Tropical Storm Debby generated two separate declarations in 2024 — one in August and a major disaster declaration in September. Hurricane Idalia struck in 2023. Hurricane Michael hit in 2018 with both emergency and major declarations. Irma impacted the county in 2017, and Frances hit in 2004. The county also activated for Hurricane Katrina evacuee management in 2005.

Beyond hurricanes, severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding produced major disaster declarations in January 2017 and April 2009.

The COVID-19 pandemic generated two federal declarations in March 2020.

Anyone living in or moving to Moultrie should treat hurricane season — June through November — as a genuine annual planning consideration, not a remote possibility.

Current weather conditions and forecasts: NWS Forecast for Moultrie. Active alerts: Weather Alerts. The nearest observing station is Moultrie 9.1 NW, approximately 4.6 miles from the city center.

Government & Municipal Code

Moultrie's municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/moultrie. No local building code was identified in the available data, which may mean Moultrie defaults to state-level building standards for permitting and construction.

References

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