Damascus, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Damascus · Early County, Georgia
Population 333 (est. 2026: ~200)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -18.32% annual growth projection

Damascus, Georgia

Early County, Georgia · Population 212

Damascus sits in the southwestern corner of Georgia, a small city in Early County where peanut fields and timber land define the landscape between Blakely (the county seat, about 10 miles northeast) and the Florida state line roughly 50 miles south. With just over 200 residents, it is one of the smaller incorporated places in a county that itself holds fewer than 11,000 people. Life here runs at a pace shaped by agriculture, tight community ties, and the kind of self-sufficiency that comes from being far from any major metro — Albany is the nearest city of regional scale, about 45 miles northeast.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Damascus's population at 331, with 135 occupied households and an average household size of 2.45. The town is roughly split between Black residents (146) and white residents (122), with a notable Hispanic/Latino population of 64 — significant for a place this size, likely reflecting agricultural and packing labor in the region. There are no Asian residents counted in the data.

The median age of 47.8 skews older than Georgia's statewide median, which sits in the mid-30s. With only 53 children under 18 in the entire town, Damascus trends heavily toward middle-aged and older households. Of 135 total households, 111 are family households — a high proportion that signals stable, rooted residents rather than transient renters.

Economy & Employment

Of 145 residents in the labor force, only 2 are counted as unemployed — a low number that may reflect the small sample as much as strong employment. The 137 workers commute out almost entirely by car, consistent with rural southwest Georgia where local commercial employment is limited.

Median household income sits at $53,313, which compares reasonably to Georgia's statewide median (roughly $61,000–$65,000 range) but must be read against the region's cost of living. Per capita income of $22,326 is modest. Poverty affects 32 residents by the ACS count — in a town of 331, that is a meaningful share. Early County as a whole has historically been among Georgia's lower-income counties, and Damascus reflects that pattern.

Housing

Damascus has 156 total housing units. Of those, 135 are occupied and 21 sit vacant — a 13.5% vacancy rate that is elevated but not unusual for small rural towns in this part of Georgia. Ownership dominates dramatically: 128 units are owner-occupied while only 7 are renter-occupied. That near-95% homeownership rate among occupied units is exceptional and signals a deeply settled, long-term resident base.

Median rent comes in at $817, which is functional data for the small rental market here. Median home value data was not available in this dataset.

Schools

Damascus students attend Early County schools, which serve the entire county rather than individual municipalities:

All three schools are county-wide institutions based in or near Blakely. For Damascus families, the county school system is the only public option, and the drive to Blakely is the routine.

Getting Around

Damascus is a car-required town, full stop. Of 137 workers, 132 drove alone to work. Three carpooled. No one used public transit, walked, or worked from home in this dataset. Total aggregate commute time across all workers was 3,555 minutes, putting the average one-way trip around 26 minutes — consistent with a drive to Blakely or toward Bainbridge (Decatur County seat, to the east).

There is no local transit infrastructure, and none is expected given the county's rural character.

Healthcare

Early County is served by LifeBrite Community Hospital of Early, a small rural hospital that is the county's primary inpatient facility. For specialized care, Albany's Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is the regional referral center about 45 miles away.

Local provider listings for Damascus can be searched through the CMS NPI Registry.

Library

The Lucy Hilton Maddox Memorial Library is located approximately 1.0 mile from Damascus. Phone: (229) 723-3079. It serves as the public library resource for Damascus residents and is part of the regional library system covering Early County.

Natural Hazards

Early County has an extensive FEMA disaster declaration history — 15 separate declarations going back to 1977. Southwest Georgia sits in a geographic corridor that catches Atlantic hurricanes as they track inland, and the record shows it:

Beyond hurricanes, the county has been hit by severe storms, tornadoes, and straight-line wind events in 2017, 2009, and 1990, plus flooding tied to Tropical Storm Alberto in 1994, and a drought emergency in 1977.

Anyone living in Damascus should take hurricane season seriously from June through November, maintain adequate insurance, and understand that inland southwest Georgia is not beyond the reach of major storm systems.

Government & Municipal Code

Damascus is an incorporated city with a published municipal code hosted by Municode: library.municode.com/ga/damascus-city-georgia

The city does not have its own building code on file with Municode. Residents and contractors should confirm applicable codes with Early County or state-level agencies before beginning construction or renovation work.

Weather

Current forecast for Damascus: NWS Forecast — Damascus, GA

Active weather alerts: NWS Alerts

The nearest weather observation station is Columbia, approximately 11.1 miles away.

References

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