Ocilla, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Ocilla · Irwin County, Georgia
Population 3,233 (est. 2026: ~2,800)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -4.11% annual growth projection

Ocilla, Georgia

Irwin County, Georgia · Population 3,498

Ocilla sits in the flat wiregrass country of south-central Georgia, about 50 miles north of Valdosta and roughly 40 miles east of Tifton. It is the county seat of Irwin County, a rural county of fewer than 10,000 people. The town is small enough that most errands happen within a few blocks of the courthouse square, yet large enough to anchor a county school system, a county hospital, and a library that serves the surrounding area. Agriculture, particularly the sweet potato farms that have made Irwin County famous in Georgia, shapes the local economy and the calendar. Ocilla is not a suburb and does not function like one — it is a freestanding small town where the closest metro-area services are in Valdosta or Albany.

People & Demographics

Ocilla's ACS 2022 count puts the population at 3,338, with a median age of 39.5. The racial composition is majority Black at 2,197 residents, with 1,122 white residents and 5 Asian residents. 41 residents identify as Hispanic or Latino. The town holds 1,216 households, of which 675 are family households. Average household size is 2.51. Children under 18 number 804, making up roughly a quarter of the population. Irwin County as a whole runs just under 9,700 people, meaning Ocilla contains about a third of the county's total population.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Ocilla is $33,208 — well below Georgia's statewide median, which hovers near $65,000. Per capita income sits at $18,376. Of 1,338 people counted in the labor force, 54 are unemployed, an unemployment rate of roughly 4 percent. Poverty is a persistent reality: 909 residents fall below the federal poverty line, representing about 27 percent of the population. The local economy ties closely to agriculture, county government, and the hospital. Residents who need larger employers generally look toward Tifton, Fitzgerald, or Valdosta.

Housing

The housing stock totals 1,311 units, with 1,216 occupied and 95 vacant — a vacancy rate of about 7 percent. Of occupied units, 630 are owner-occupied and 586 are renter-occupied, an unusually even split. Median home value is $89,600, which is far below Georgia's statewide median but reflects rural south Georgia pricing broadly. Median gross rent is $760 per month. For buyers, entry costs are low; for renters, the market is limited in selection. New construction is sparse, and the existing stock skews older.

Schools

Ocilla is served entirely by Irwin County Schools, a single-district county system with three campuses.

All three schools serve county-wide enrollment. There are no municipal or charter school alternatives within the county. Families seeking private schooling or dual enrollment options typically look to Tifton or Valdosta.

Getting Around

Ocilla is car-dependent. Of 1,276 workers, 1,146 drive alone. 46 carpool. 51 walk to work, a figure that reflects both the town's compact size and its concentration of walking-distance employment. Zero workers use public transit — there is none. Only 13 work from home. Aggregate travel time for all workers is 25,805 minutes, averaging just over 20 minutes per worker per trip, consistent with short in-town or nearby county commutes. US-129 and GA-32 are the primary regional connections.

Healthcare

Irwin County Hospital is located in Ocilla and serves as the primary facility for the county. As a critical access hospital in a rural county, it provides the essential anchor so that residents are not required to travel to Valdosta or Tifton for every medical need. Provider-level lookup for Ocilla-based practitioners is available through the NPI Registry. Specialty care and major surgical services are generally accessed in Valdosta, home to South Georgia Medical Center roughly 50 miles south.

Library

The Irwin County Library serves Ocilla and the surrounding county. Contact: (229) 468-2148. It functions as the primary public library resource for county residents and provides access to digital resources, public computing, and programming for children and adults.

Natural Hazards

Irwin County has a long and active federal disaster declaration history. The record going back to 1977 includes:

The concentration of hurricane and tropical storm declarations reflects Ocilla's exposure to systems that track inland from the Gulf and Atlantic. Flooding, wind damage, and agricultural loss are the recurring threats. 2024's back-to-back Debby and Helene declarations make clear this is not historical risk — it is current.

Government & Municipal Code

Ocilla's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/ocilla. No local building code is on file in the available records, which may affect permitting and construction standards for new projects. Residents and contractors should confirm current requirements directly with city offices.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Ocilla are available through the National Weather Service. Active weather alerts can be monitored at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest official weather observation station is Ocilla WTP, located 1.3 miles from the town center.

References

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