Wildwood, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Wildwood · Dade County, Georgia
Population 244 (est. 2026: ~1,000)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 50.82% annual growth projection

Wildwood, Georgia

Dade County, Georgia · Population 382

Wildwood sits in the extreme northwest corner of Georgia, tucked into the folds of Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain along the Tennessee state line. It's a small Census-Designated Place in Dade County — itself one of Georgia's most geographically isolated counties, bordered on three sides by Alabama and Tennessee and connected to the rest of Georgia primarily through a single mountain corridor. The nearest city of any size is Chattanooga, Tennessee, roughly 20 miles to the north. That geography shapes almost everything about daily life here: where people work, where they shop, and which state they're more likely to identify with culturally. Despite its tiny footprint, Wildwood carries a notably educated population for a community of its size, a housing market that remains accessible by any regional standard, and a surrounding landscape defined by Civil War history and Appalachian terrain.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimate puts Wildwood's population at 559, with a median age of 30.6 — noticeably younger than most small rural Georgia communities. Of 214 total households, 118 are family households, and the average household size is 2.44 persons. Children under 18 account for 106 residents.

The population is predominantly white (531 residents), with 19 Black residents. No Hispanic or Latino residents and no Asian residents were recorded in the survey period.

Dade County as a whole holds 16,251 people, meaning Wildwood represents a small but notable slice of the county's overall population.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Wildwood is $73,900 — a figure that compares favorably against Georgia's statewide median and reflects the community's relatively high educational attainment. Per capita income sits at $26,878.

The labor picture has some tension in it. Of 265 residents in the labor force, 121 are recorded as unemployed — a rate that stands out even accounting for survey margin of error in small populations. Fifty-six residents fall below the poverty line.

Given Wildwood's position near the Georgia-Tennessee border, a significant share of the working population likely commutes into the Chattanooga metro for employment, where manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and professional services dominate the regional economy.

Housing

Wildwood's 217 total housing units are nearly all occupied — only 3 sit vacant, a vacancy rate of roughly 1.4%, which is exceptionally low and signals stable demand. Of 214 occupied units, 124 are owner-occupied and 90 are renter-occupied, putting the ownership rate at about 58%.

The median home value is $107,400. That number places Wildwood well below Georgia's statewide median home value, making it one of the more affordable communities in the region for buyers. Median rent data was not available for this community.

Schools

Students in Wildwood attend Dade County Schools, a consolidated county system that serves the entire county from a centralized set of campuses.

The county system is small enough that families across Wildwood, Trenton, and surrounding communities share the same schools and athletic programs. Trenton serves as the county seat and the functional center for county services including education.

Getting Around

Wildwood is car country, full stop. All 144 surveyed workers drove alone to work. No carpooling, no public transit, no walking, and no remote work was recorded in the commuting data. The aggregate travel time for those workers totals 7,310 minutes, which works out to an average one-way commute of roughly 51 minutes — consistent with a workforce commuting over the mountain to Chattanooga or to other employment centers across the state line.

There is no regional transit connection serving Wildwood.

Healthcare

No hospitals are located within Wildwood itself. Residents rely on facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee — most notably Erlanger Health System and CHI Memorial — for hospital-level care. The proximity to a major metro medical center is one of the practical advantages of Wildwood's border location.

For local provider lookup, the CMS NPI Registry can be searched for providers registered in Wildwood: Search NPI Registry for Wildwood, GA

Library

The Dade County Public Library is located 0.9 miles from Wildwood and serves the entire county. Phone: (706) 657-7857

Parks & Recreation

Wildwood's location on Lookout Mountain puts it in one of the most historically and naturally significant landscapes in the eastern United States.

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park — the oldest and largest military park in the National Park System — straddles the Georgia-Tennessee border just miles from Wildwood. The Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center is 15.5 miles away; the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center is 13.8 miles away. These sites draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and represent a genuine backyard asset for residents.

Russell Cave National Monument in Alabama is accessible within regional driving distance, as is Little River Canyon National Preserve, one of the deepest river gorges in the eastern U.S., located in DeKalb County, Alabama. The Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor Center, associated with the canyon preserve, is 17.9 miles from Wildwood.

Hiking, rock climbing, hang gliding, and cave exploration are all pursued in the immediate area by locals and visitors alike. Cloudland Canyon State Park, one of Georgia's flagship parks, is located in neighboring Walker County and draws climbers and backpackers from across the region.

Natural Hazards

Dade County's FEMA disaster history is long and varied, reflecting the region's exposure to weather systems moving through the southern Appalachians and the Tennessee Valley.

Declared disasters and emergencies on record for the county include:

Winter ice storms and severe thunderstorms represent recurring threats. The county's mountain geography can accelerate wind events and create localized flooding. Gulf hurricanes, while weakened by the time they reach northwest Georgia, have repeatedly caused enough damage here to trigger federal declarations.

Government & Municipal Code

Wildwood is a Census-Designated Place, meaning it functions with limited formal municipal infrastructure. The municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at: https://library.municode.com/ga/wildwood-cdp-georgia

No local building code is in effect for Wildwood.

Weather

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

The nearest weather observation station is Trenton 5.8 S, located approximately 4.8 miles from Wildwood.

References

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