Calvary, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Calvary · Grady County, Georgia
Population 184 (est. 2026: ~300)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 11.41% annual growth projection

Calvary, Georgia

Grady County, Georgia · Population 129

Calvary sits in the southwestern corner of Georgia, tucked into Grady County about a mile from the Florida state line and roughly eight miles south of Cairo, the county seat. It is a census-designated place — not an incorporated municipality — which means no city hall, no city council, and no local building department. The community is small by any measure: 129 people at the county level, with 82 counted in the most recent American Community Survey sample. Life here runs on the rhythms of rural South Georgia: long summers, flat agricultural land, and a quiet that comes with being far from any metro corridor. Tallahassee, Florida sits about 45 miles to the southwest and serves as the practical anchor for major retail, medical specialties, and employment that the local area cannot provide.

People & Demographics

Calvary's ACS-estimated population of 82 skews noticeably older than the state as a whole. The median age is 50.7 years — well above Georgia's statewide median, which hovers in the mid-to-upper 30s. The community counts 36 occupied households averaging 2.28 people each. Of those households, 20 are family households. Thirteen residents are children under 18, meaning children make up roughly 16 percent of the population.

The racial composition is almost entirely white — 81 of 82 counted residents — with one Black resident and no recorded Asian or Hispanic/Latino population in the survey period. Grady County as a whole is more diverse, with a total population of 26,236, and a meaningful Black population that Calvary's numbers do not reflect. The CDP's demographics are not representative of the broader county.

Poverty is nearly absent in the sample: only 1 resident falls below the poverty line. That figure should be read cautiously given the small sample size, but it does not signal a community in economic distress on paper.

Economy & Employment

Of the 68 residents counted in the labor force, zero are recorded as unemployed — a 0% unemployment rate that again reflects the limits of small-sample survey data as much as it reflects local conditions. Per capita income is $35,715, a figure that sits reasonably well relative to rural Georgia benchmarks. Median household income data was not available for this community at the CDP level.

The data does not identify specific employers or industries, but Grady County's economy is rooted in agriculture — peanuts, cotton, timber — along with public sector employment centered in Cairo. Many Calvary residents likely commute north to Cairo or south toward the Tallahassee metro for work.

Housing

Calvary has 44 total housing units, of which 36 are occupied and 8 sit vacant — an 18% vacancy rate that is notable for a place this size. Of occupied units, 12 are owner-occupied and 24 are renter-occupied, meaning renters outnumber owners two to one. That is an unusual ratio for a rural CDP and may reflect the presence of agricultural or workforce housing. Median home value and median rent were not available at the CDP level.

Schools

Calvary students attend Grady County public schools, with Cairo serving as the hub. The district operates six campuses:

Cairo High School is the county's single high school, serving all of Grady County. Whigham Elementary serves the Whigham community and combines elementary and middle grades on one campus, which is common in smaller rural districts.

Getting Around

Every one of the 68 workers counted in Calvary drives alone to work. There is no carpooling, no public transit, no walking, and no remote work recorded in the survey data. Calvary is entirely car-dependent, as is typical of rural CDPs across southwest Georgia. Aggregate travel time data was not available, but proximity to Cairo — less than ten miles — means most commutes are short by rural standards.

Healthcare

Grady General Hospital serves the county and is located in Cairo. Specific rating and emergency service data were not available for this facility. For residents with complex needs, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and Tallahassee's other major systems are within roughly 45 miles. Providers in the Calvary area can be searched through the CMS NPI Registry.

Library

Roddenbery Memorial Library is the nearest public library, located 0.6 miles from Calvary's center. It is reachable by phone at (229) 377-3632 and serves as the county's main public library system out of Cairo.

Parks & Recreation

No NPS sites, campgrounds, or designated recreation areas were identified within the immediate CDP boundary. The Apalachicola National Forest begins across the Florida state line to the south, and Lake Seminole — a significant recreational reservoir — lies roughly 25 miles to the west near Bainbridge, offering fishing, boating, and camping for residents willing to make the drive.

Natural Hazards

Grady County has accumulated fifteen federal disaster declarations since 1994 — a record that reflects the county's exposure to Gulf-origin weather systems and severe storm patterns. The list runs from major hurricanes to tornadic events:

Hurricane Michael's 2018 track directly over this part of Georgia is particularly relevant — it caused widespread structural damage to homes and timber in Grady County. Residents should treat hurricane season as a genuine local concern, not just a coastal one.

Government & Municipal Code

Calvary is a census-designated place without incorporated municipal government. A municipal code is published through Municode and is accessible at library.municode.com/ga/calvary-cdp-georgia. No local building code is in effect. Building permits and construction standards default to Grady County jurisdiction.

Weather

Current forecasts for Calvary are available through the National Weather Service. Active weather alerts can be monitored at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest official weather observation station is Cairo 1SW, located 0.8 miles away.

References

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