Adel, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Adel · Cook County, Georgia
Population 5,619 (est. 2026: ~5,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.39% annual growth projection

Adel, Georgia

Cook County, Georgia · Population 5,571

Adel sits at the center of Cook County in South Georgia's coastal plain, about 45 miles north of Valdosta and roughly 200 miles south of Atlanta along US-41. It is the county seat of one of Georgia's smaller rural counties, and it functions as the commercial and civic hub for a community where agriculture, small business, and public employment form the backbone of daily life. The median age of 41.2 reflects a community that skews older, not a bedroom suburb with young families cycling through — this is a place where people stay.

People & Demographics

Adel's 5,571 residents represent about 32 percent of Cook County's total population of 17,229. The town is nearly evenly split racially: 2,412 residents identify as white and 2,490 as Black, making Adel one of South Georgia's more balanced communities by that measure. The Hispanic and Latino population stands at 345. Asian residents number 21.

There are 2,407 occupied households, with an average size of 2.24 people. Of those, 1,331 are family households. Children under 18 account for 1,202 residents — about 22 percent of the population.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Adel is $26,800 — a number that demands context. Georgia's statewide median household income sits well above $60,000. Adel's figure is not a rounding error; it reflects a structurally rural economy with limited high-wage employment options. Per capita income is $23,611.

Of the 2,747 residents in the labor force, 170 are unemployed, an unemployment rate of roughly 6.2 percent. The poverty count stands at 1,434 residents — more than one in four people — which is consistent with patterns across rural South Georgia but still a number that shapes everything from school resources to housing demand.

Housing

Adel has 2,780 total housing units, of which 2,407 are occupied and 373 sit vacant — a vacancy rate of about 13 percent. Among occupied units, 1,394 are owner-occupied and 1,013 are renter-occupied, a roughly 58/42 split.

The median home value is $125,600. That figure is substantially below Georgia's statewide median and makes homeownership accessible on incomes that would not compete in metro markets. Median rent runs $886 per month, which is not dramatically lower than what renters pay in larger Georgia cities, a dynamic that can strain lower-income households despite relatively modest home values.

Schools

Adel's public schools operate under Cook County Schools. Two campuses serve the local student population:

Both schools draw from across Cook County, not just Adel proper. The high school's enrollment of 909 is substantial for a county of this size.

Getting Around

Adel is a car-required community. Of 2,577 total workers, 1,914 drive alone and 517 carpool. Zero residents use public transit — there is none. Forty-seven walk to work and 56 work from home.

Aggregate travel time across all workers totals 64,680 minutes, producing an average one-way commute of roughly 25 minutes. Many residents commute to Valdosta or to agricultural and industrial sites dispersed across the county.

Healthcare

Adel is served by Southwell Medical, a campus of TRMC, which provides local access to the Tift Regional Medical Center system based in Tifton, about 25 miles north. This affiliation gives residents a local care point without requiring the full drive to a regional hospital for routine needs.

A directory of individual providers registered in Adel with the National Provider Identifier system is available through the CMS NPI Registry.

Library

The Cook County Library serves Adel and the surrounding county. It can be reached at (229) 896-3652. As part of the public library system, it provides residents with access to digital resources, physical collections, and programming that would otherwise require a trip to Valdosta or Tifton.

Natural Hazards

Cook County has accumulated a significant FEMA disaster declaration history — 15 declarations between 2004 and 2024. The pattern tells a clear story: this part of South Georgia sits directly in the path of Atlantic and Gulf storm systems that weaken but remain destructive as they push inland.

Recent major events include Hurricane Helene (2024), which generated both an emergency and major disaster declaration in the span of four days in late September 2024. Tropical Storm Debby (2024) hit earlier that same year, also producing dual declarations. Hurricane Idalia (2023), Hurricane Michael (2018), Hurricane Irma (2017), and Tropical Storm Frances (2004) all struck the county as well. A separate 2017 declaration covered severe storms, tornadoes, and straight-line winds. The county also served as an evacuation destination during Hurricane Katrina (2005).

Anyone buying property or renting here should treat storm preparedness as routine, not exceptional. Flood insurance eligibility and wind mitigation are practical concerns, not hypothetical ones.

Current weather conditions and forecasts are available from the National Weather Service using the Adel area forecast. Active alerts can be checked at the NWS alerts page. The nearest weather station is ADEL, located 2.1 miles from town center.

Government & Municipal Code

Adel operates under a municipal code published through Municode. The full code is accessible at library.municode.com/ga/adel. Note that Adel's municipal code does not include a locally adopted building code — residents and contractors should verify applicable state-level standards for construction projects.

References

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