Empire Authority

Empire is a lower-income, family-oriented village of 306 with home prices 2.5× below the Georgia median.

Population 306

Source: Census ACS 2023

Empire, Georgia

Bleckley County, Georgia · Population 319

Empire sits in the geographic center of Georgia, tucked into Bleckley County's flat, agricultural middle. The town is a census-designated place — no incorporated city government, no downtown grid — just a tight cluster of households about three miles northeast of Cochran, the county seat. Cochran handles most of what Empire residents need: groceries, county services, the hospital. Empire itself is residential in the most literal sense: people live here, raise families here, and drive somewhere else to work. The median age of 27.6 years makes this one of the younger communities in the state, and the household size of 3.39 people reflects a place built around families rather than retirees or singles.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Empire's population at 488, with 144 occupied households. Of those, 115 are family households. The racial breakdown is 305 white residents and 183 Black residents. No Asian or Hispanic/Latino population was recorded in the survey period.

That median age of 27.6 is notably low — Georgia's statewide median sits several years higher. The 31 children under 18 represent a meaningful share of a small population, consistent with the above-average household size. Empire is a place where young families are the norm, not the exception.

Bleckley County as a whole holds 12,583 people. Empire accounts for roughly 4 percent of that.

Economy & Employment

Of 203 workers in the labor force, zero were recorded as unemployed in the ACS 2022 data — an unusually low figure that likely reflects survey margin of error in a small sample rather than genuine full employment. Per capita income stands at $32,526.

Median household income data was not available for this CDP. Poverty figures are stark: 187 residents fall below the federal poverty line. In a population of 488, that represents a significant share of the community — a meaningful contrast to the per capita income figure, which likely reflects a small number of higher earners pulling the average up.

Most workers drive: 131 commute alone, 43 carpool. The aggregate travel time across all 203 workers is 4,770 minutes, putting average one-way commute time at roughly 23 minutes — consistent with a short drive to Cochran or the longer haul toward Macon, about 35 miles to the northwest.

Housing

Empire has 164 total housing units, 144 of them occupied and 20 vacant — a vacancy rate of about 12 percent. Owner-occupancy dominates heavily: 119 of the 144 occupied units are owned, leaving only 25 rental units in the entire CDP.

The median home value is $98,300 — well below Georgia's statewide median, making Empire one of the more affordable places in the state for buyers. Median rent data was not available for this CDP.

Schools

Empire students attend Bleckley County Schools, a single-district system serving the entire county. The schools and their enrollment:

• Bleckley County Primary School — Grades PK–2, 766 students

• Bleckley County Elementary School — Grades 3–5, 554 students

• Bleckley Middle School — Grades 6–8, 561 students

• Bleckley County High School — Grades 9–12, 671 students

• Bleckley County Success Academy — Grades 6–12, 53 students (alternative program)

All schools are based in or near Cochran. There are no schools physically located within Empire's CDP boundaries.

Getting Around

Empire is car-dependent. No public transit use was recorded, and no residents reported walking to work. Twenty-nine workers worked from home. Driving alone is the dominant mode, with carpooling accounting for 43 workers — a higher carpool rate than most suburban communities, which may reflect shared work destinations or informal ride arrangements common in small rural towns.

The nearest city with a broader employment base is Macon (Bibb County), accessible via US-23 or I-16.

Healthcare

Bleckley Memorial Hospital is the county's primary care facility, located in Cochran. Rating and emergency service data were not available in the CMS dataset.

For a broader search of individual healthcare providers registered in Empire, the NPI Registry can be queried directly: NPI Registry — Empire, GA

Library

The Tessie W. Norris / Cochran-Bleckley Library serves Empire residents and is located 1.7 miles away in Cochran. Phone: (478) 934-2904. It is part of the public library system serving Bleckley County.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service sites are within reasonable driving distance:

• Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park — approximately 34 miles northwest, near Macon. One of the most significant Native American archaeological sites in the Southeast, with mounds dating back more than a thousand years. The visitor center is 34.3 miles from Empire.

• Andersonville National Historic Site — approximately 48.7 miles southwest. The site of the Civil War's most notorious Confederate prison camp, now home to the National Prisoner of War Museum.

Natural Hazards

Bleckley County has a long and active FEMA disaster declaration history. The county has been affected by:

• Hurricane Helene (2024) — both an emergency declaration and a major disaster declaration

• Severe Winter Storm (2026, 2014) — two separate winter storm declarations

• Hurricane Michael (2018)

• Hurricane Irma (2017)

• COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)

• Tropical Storm Frances (2004)

• Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (2005) — county served as a receiving area

• Severe Storms and Flooding (1998)

• Severe Snowfall / Winter Storm (1993)

• Drought (1977)

The pattern is clear: this part of middle Georgia sits in a corridor where Gulf and Atlantic storms lose enough strength to remain dangerous without losing their rainfall. Flooding and wind events are recurring, not rare.

Government & Municipal Code

Empire is a census-designated place, meaning it has no incorporated municipal government. A municipal code is published through Municode: library.municode.com/ga/empire-cdp-georgia

No local building code is in effect for this CDP.

Weather

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

• NWS Forecast for Empire, GA

• Active Weather Alerts

The nearest weather observation station is Cochran 3 NE, located 1.8 miles from Empire.

References

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 5-Year Estimates (Tables B01001, B01002, B02001, B03001, B09001, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25001, B25002, B25003, B08006, B08013, B25010, B25064, B25077)

• NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022

• FEMA Disaster Declarations — Bleckley County, GA

• CMS Hospital Compare — Bleckley Memorial Hospital

• IMLS Public Library Survey — Tessie W. Norris / Cochran-Bleckley Library

• National Park Service — Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park; Andersonville National Historic Site

• CMS NPI Registry

• NOAA / National Weather Service — Forecast Point 32.400611, -83.32879; Station COCHRAN 3 NE

• Municode — Empire CDP, Georgia Municipal Code

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