Jakin, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Jakin · Early County, Georgia
Population 189 (est. 2026: ~100)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -17.99% annual growth projection

Jakin, Georgia

Early County, Georgia · Population 131

Jakin sits in the southwestern corner of Georgia, tucked into Early County about 25 miles west of Blakely and roughly 50 miles north of Dothan, Alabama. It is a small, quiet farming community—the kind of place where nearly everyone drives to work, the median resident is past 50, and the surrounding land is flat and open. With 131 residents by one count and 235 by the ACS, Jakin is not a destination. It is a home—and for many families here, it has been for generations.

People & Demographics

Jakin's ACS-estimated population of 235 lives in 94 occupied households, with an average household size of 2.50. The median age is 50.5, noticeably older than Georgia's statewide median. Of the 235 residents, 167 are white, 65 are Black, and 3 identify as Hispanic or Latino. Forty children under 18 live here, representing a relatively small share of a population that skews heavily toward middle age and older adults. Early County as a whole holds 10,854 people, meaning Jakin accounts for a small fraction of county life.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Jakin is $49,318, and per capita income sits at $22,534. Georgia's statewide median household income runs considerably higher, placing Jakin in the lower tier of the state's earning communities. Of the 235 residents, 39 fall below the federal poverty line—a meaningful portion of a small population.

Eighty residents are counted in the labor force, with zero reported unemployed—an unusual figure that may reflect how labor force participation is measured in very small geographies. Seventy-six workers make up the commuting population. The local economy follows patterns common across rural southwest Georgia: agriculture, logistics, and public-sector employment in nearby Blakely anchor most working lives.

Housing

Jakin has 127 housing units, 94 of which are occupied. The 33 vacant units represent a vacancy rate of roughly 26%—high by most standards, consistent with slow population movement in rural Georgia communities.

Of occupied units, 58 are owner-occupied and 36 are renter-occupied. The median home value is $205,900, which is notably high relative to the income profile here and likely reflects the characteristics of a small sample. Median rent is $681 per month—affordable in absolute terms, and well below Georgia's statewide median rent.

Schools

Jakin students attend Early County Schools, a consolidated district serving the entire county. The three schools are:

All three schools are located in Blakely, the county seat. There are no schools within Jakin itself.

Getting Around

Car ownership is not optional in Jakin. Of 76 total workers, 69 drive alone to work and 2 carpool. No one commutes by public transit, and no one walks to work. Five residents work from home. Aggregate travel time across all workers is 2,280 minutes, working out to an average one-way commute of roughly 30 minutes—typical for rural southwest Georgia, where Blakely and Bainbridge are the nearest employment centers of any size.

Healthcare

The nearest hospital is Lifebrite Community Hospital of Early, located in Blakely. Rating and emergency service details were not available at time of publication. For a full list of healthcare providers registered in Jakin with the National Provider Identifier system, the NPI Registry maintains current records.

Library

The Lucy Hilton Maddox Memorial Library serves Jakin residents and is located approximately 1.0 mile away. Phone: (229) 723-3079.

Natural Hazards

Early County has a long and serious history with federally declared disasters. FEMA has issued declarations for this county going back to 1977, and the pattern is clear: southwest Georgia gets hit repeatedly by tropical systems, severe storms, and flooding.

Major events include: - Hurricane Helene (2024) — emergency declaration issued September 26, 2024 - COVID-19 Pandemic (2020) — both emergency and major disaster declarations - Hurricane Michael (2018) — a Category 5 at landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, which caused catastrophic wind damage across southwest Georgia - Hurricane Irma (2017) — disaster and emergency declarations issued within a week of each other - Severe Storms and Tornadoes (2017) — separate January event - Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2009) - Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (2005) — Early County received evacuees - Hurricane Ivan (2004) - Severe Storms and Flooding (1998) - Tropical Storm Alberto (1994) — one of the deadliest storms in Georgia history - Severe Storms and Flooding (1990) - Drought (1977)

Residents should carry flood insurance, maintain emergency supplies, and monitor tropical forecasts closely from June through November.

Government & Municipal Code

Jakin maintains a municipal code published through Municode. The full code is available at library.municode.com/ga/jakin-city-georgia. No local building code is on file with Municode.

Weather

Current forecasts for Jakin are provided by the National Weather Service. The official NWS forecast covers the area, with the nearest weather observation station located in Columbia, 11.1 miles away. Active weather alerts can be checked at alerts.weather.gov.

References

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