Elberton, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Elberton · Elbert County, Georgia
Population 4,691 (est. 2026: ~4,800)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.62% annual growth projection

Elberton, Georgia

Elbert County, Georgia · Population 4,640

Elberton sits in the Georgia Piedmont about 90 miles northeast of Atlanta and 30 miles south of the South Carolina state line, anchored to the Savannah River watershed. It is the county seat of Elbert County and carries a title most locals say without irony: the Granite Capital of the World. The region's quarries have supplied granite for monuments, curbing, and building stone across the country for over a century, and that industry still shapes who lives here and what the economy looks like. Elberton is small — fewer than 5,000 people — but it functions as the commercial and civic hub for a county of nearly 20,000. The nearest significant metro is Athens, roughly 45 miles to the southwest.

People & Demographics

Elberton's population of 4,627 is almost evenly split between White (2,162) and Black (2,127) residents, making it one of the more racially balanced small cities in northeast Georgia. Hispanic and Latino residents number 378. The median age is 34.6, which skews younger than the state median, partly explained by the 1,394 children under 18 living in the city — a substantial share of a community this size.

Average household size is 2.44 across 1,838 occupied households, and 1,017 of those are family households. The city accounts for roughly a quarter of Elbert County's total population of 19,637.

Economy & Employment

The labor force stands at 1,976, with 165 unemployed — an unemployment count that reflects the limited economic diversity of a small rural county seat. Median household income is $38,562, well below Georgia's state median, and per capita income is $24,891. Poverty affects 1,344 residents, a notable share of the population.

Granite quarrying and processing remain a foundational industry. Beyond the quarries, Elberton's economy runs on local government, healthcare, retail serving the surrounding county, and a modest manufacturing base. Workers seeking professional or specialized employment often commute toward Athens or beyond.

Housing

With a median home value of $86,900, Elberton is among the more affordable places to own property in Georgia — though that figure also reflects the economic constraints of the local market. Median rent is $811 per month.

Of the 2,169 total housing units, 1,838 are occupied and 331 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 15 percent, higher than typical for a healthy housing market. The owner-renter split is nearly even: 909 owner-occupied units versus 929 renter-occupied, making this a city where renting is slightly more common than owning.

Schools

All public schools in Elberton operate under Elbert County Schools, a consolidated county system with no separate city district. The schools serving Elberton students:

Total enrollment across the county system exceeds 3,000 students.

Getting Around

Elberton is a car-required community. Of 1,788 workers, 1,533 drove alone to work and 113 carpooled. Zero workers reported using public transit — there is none. Nine people walked to work. Working from home accounted for 133 workers, a share that reflects some post-pandemic flexibility in certain jobs.

Aggregate commute time across all workers totals 36,995 minutes, suggesting average one-way commutes somewhere in the 20-minute range — reasonable for a town this size, though workers commuting to Athens or other destinations face longer drives. State Routes 17, 72, and 77 are the primary corridors in and out.

Healthcare

Elbert Memorial Hospital serves as the county's local hospital, located in Elberton. Detailed ratings and emergency service classifications were not available in current CMS data. For a complete list of licensed healthcare providers practicing in Elberton, the NPI Registry maintains current records of physicians, nurses, and specialists registered in the city.

Residents needing specialty or tertiary care typically travel to Athens — home to Piedmont Athens Regional — or in some cases to Augusta's hospital systems, roughly 70 miles to the southeast.

Library

The Elbert County Public Library serves Elberton and the surrounding county. Phone: (706) 283-5375. It operates as part of the broader public library network serving northeast Georgia.

Parks & Recreation

Richard B. Russell State Park lies approximately 10 miles from Elberton on Richard B. Russell Lake — a Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Savannah River. The park offers camping, swimming, and boating access. The lake itself straddles the Georgia-South Carolina line and provides water-based recreation largely absent from the immediate town.

The Ninety Six National Historic Site, an NPS unit preserving a Revolutionary War-era frontier town and fortification, sits about 49 miles away across the state line in South Carolina — a reasonable day trip.

Natural Hazards

Elbert County has a significant FEMA disaster declaration history reaching back to 1993. The county has been declared for or responded to:

The Helene declarations in September 2024 are the most recent major event, a reminder that even inland Georgia communities absorb significant wind and flooding impacts from Gulf and Atlantic storms tracking inland.

Government & Municipal Code

Elberton's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/elberton-city-georgia. The city does not have a separate building code on file through Municode's system.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Elberton are available through the National Weather Service:

The nearest official weather observation station is ELBERTON 0.7 WNW, located 0.6 miles from the city center.

References

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