Shady Dale, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Shady Dale · Jasper County, Georgia
Population 347 (est. 2026: ~300)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -0.58% annual growth projection

Shady Dale, Georgia

Jasper County, Georgia · Population 252

Shady Dale sits quietly in Jasper County, in Georgia's upper Piedmont region, roughly halfway between Macon and Atlanta. The town is small by any measure — 252 residents, a handful of streets, and the kind of density that makes everyone a neighbor. It is not a suburb, not a bedroom community in any functional sense, and not a tourist destination. What it is: a historic small settlement that has persisted while many similar Georgia towns have not. The county seat, Monticello, handles most commercial and civic functions for the area. That relationship defines daily life in Shady Dale more than anything within the town limits itself.

People & Demographics

The Census ACS 2022 counted 288 residents in Shady Dale, organized into 94 households. The median age is 40.5 years. The town is notably diverse for its size: 141 residents identify as white, 53 as Black, and 107 as Hispanic or Latino — meaning Hispanic residents make up roughly 37% of the population, a share that stands out sharply against Georgia's overall Hispanic population of around 10%. There are 61 children under 18, and the average household holds 3.06 people, slightly above Georgia norms.

Jasper County as a whole counts 14,588 residents, meaning Shady Dale accounts for less than 2% of the county. That scale matters when understanding what local government can and cannot realistically provide.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Shady Dale is $60,000, which tracks reasonably close to Georgia's statewide median. Per capita income sits at $25,332, reflecting household sizes larger than the state average rather than depressed wages alone. Of the 137 residents counted in the labor force, just 4 are unemployed — a very low absolute number, though the small sample size makes percentage comparisons less reliable. Twenty-one residents fall below the poverty line.

Employment destinations are mostly outside town. There is no commercial core to speak of in Shady Dale itself; workers commute to Monticello, the broader Jasper County area, or beyond.

Housing

Shady Dale has 131 total housing units. Of those, 94 are occupied and 37 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 28%, well above typical Georgia rates, which suggests a mix of seasonal properties, dilapidated stock, and simply slow turnover in a very small market.

Owner-occupancy dominates: 83 of 94 occupied units are owner-occupied, with only 11 rentals. The median home value is $101,400, which is low by Georgia standards and makes ownership accessible relative to most of the state. Median rent runs $1,078 per month — a figure that may seem high given the home values, but reflects the thin rental market where a handful of units can skew the number significantly.

Schools

Shady Dale students attend Jasper County schools. The full county system includes:

All schools serve countywide enrollment. Shady Dale has no school buildings within town.

Getting Around

118 workers commute out of Shady Dale. The overwhelming majority — 84 — drive alone. Another 21 carpool. Zero residents use public transit, and zero walk to work. Only 4 work from home. The aggregate commute time across all workers is 3,095 minutes, which averages out to roughly 26 minutes per worker each way. A car is not optional here; it is the only practical way to move.

Healthcare

The nearest hospital serving Jasper County is Jasper Memorial Hospital in Monticello. For local provider lookup, the CMS NPI Registry can be searched directly for Shady Dale, GA: NPI Registry Search.

Library

The Jasper County Library serves residents at 1.3 miles from town. Contact: (706) 468-6292. It functions as the primary public library access point for Shady Dale and the surrounding area.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service sites are within regional reach:

Neither is a day-trip afterthought. Both represent major cultural and historical resources accessible within an hour or less of Shady Dale.

Natural Hazards

Jasper County has a long FEMA declaration history. Since 2000, the county has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations:

The pattern is consistent: tropical systems tracking inland from the Gulf and Atlantic hit Jasper County with regularity, and winter storms cause recurring disruption. Residents should maintain preparedness for both categories.

Government & Municipal Code

Shady Dale maintains a municipal code published through Municode: https://library.municode.com/ga/shady-dale-town-georgia

The town does not have a local building code on file. Construction and development standards default to state and county frameworks.

Weather

Current National Weather Service forecasts for Shady Dale are available at: NWS Forecast – Shady Dale area

Active weather alerts: NWS Alerts

The nearest weather observation station is Monticello 2 NW, located 1.3 miles from town.

References

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