Matthews, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Matthews · Jefferson County, Georgia
Population 201 (est. 2026: ~100)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -33.33% annual growth projection

Matthews, Georgia

Jefferson County, Georgia · Population 146

Matthews sits in the rural heart of Jefferson County in east-central Georgia, roughly halfway between Augusta and Macon along the US-1 corridor. It is a census-designated place — not an incorporated municipality — which means no city hall, no mayor, and no local police department. What it has is a tight cluster of households surrounded by the pine flatwoods and farmland that define this part of Georgia's coastal plain. The county seat of Louisville lies just a few miles away and handles most of what residents need day to day. Matthews is, by any measure, one of the smallest recognized places in the state, and it functions accordingly: quietly, without much institutional infrastructure of its own, embedded in the wider rhythms of Jefferson County.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Matthews at 185 residents spread across 47 households, with a median age of 39.8. Every one of those 185 residents is identified as white in the census data. The average household size is 3.94 — well above the Georgia state average — which reflects the presence of large family units rather than single-person or couple-only households. There are 39 children under 18 in the community. All 47 households are classified as family households, and that number is identical to the total housing unit count, meaning the community is entirely composed of occupied family homes with no solo renters or single-occupant units in the data.

Jefferson County as a whole has 15,709 residents, making Matthews a fraction of one percent of the county's total population.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Matthews is $41,397. That figure sits below the Jefferson County median and well below Georgia's statewide median household income. Per capita income is $12,397 — a number that reflects both the large household sizes and the concentration of lower-wage employment in this part of rural Georgia.

Seventy of the 185 residents fall below the federal poverty line, representing roughly 38 percent of the population. That poverty rate is significantly higher than the state average and points to the economic pressures common across rural Jefferson County.

Of 51 people counted as being in the labor force, the ACS data reports zero unemployed — meaning all 51 are employed, though the per capita income figure suggests most of those jobs are in lower-wage sectors typical of rural east Georgia: agriculture, light manufacturing, retail, and service work based in Louisville or nearby Wrens.

Housing

Matthews has 47 housing units. All 47 are occupied, all 47 are owner-occupied, and none are rented. Vacancy is zero. This is an unusual profile — a community where every single home is owned by its occupant, with no rental market to speak of. The census data does not produce a reliable median home value or median rent figure for a place this small, so those numbers are not available.

The ownership-only character of Matthews suggests a long-settled, stable residential community rather than a place with significant turnover or a transient population.

Schools

Matthews students attend Jefferson County Schools. The schools serving this area include:

All schools operate under the Jefferson County School District, headquartered in Louisville.

Getting Around

Every one of the 51 workers in Matthews drives alone to work. The data shows zero carpoolers, zero public transit users, zero walkers, and zero remote workers. This is a car-dependent community with no transit infrastructure — a pattern consistent across rural Jefferson County. Louisville, approximately 8 miles away, is the primary destination for most errands, employment, and services.

Healthcare

Jefferson Hospital serves Jefferson County. The nearest library is the Wadley Public Library, located 0.4 miles from Matthews, reachable at (478) 252-1366. For provider-level healthcare searches in Matthews, the CMS NPI Registry can be queried directly at npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov.

Library

The Wadley Public Library is 0.4 miles from Matthews — effectively within walking distance for most residents, though the all-car commute pattern suggests most people drive. Contact: (478) 252-1366.

Natural Hazards

Jefferson County has accumulated a substantial FEMA disaster declaration record. The county has been hit by or responded to the following federally declared events:

That is 15 federal declarations across roughly two decades. The pattern makes clear that Jefferson County faces recurring threats from Gulf-track hurricanes, winter ice storms, and severe convective weather. Residents should treat emergency preparedness — particularly around hurricanes and winter storms — as a routine part of living here, not an occasional concern.

Government & Municipal Code

Matthews is a census-designated place, not an incorporated municipality, but Municode hosts its code at library.municode.com/ga/matthews-cdp-georgia. The published code does not include a local building code, meaning construction and development standards default to Jefferson County and state-level regulations.

Weather

Current forecasts for Matthews are available through the National Weather Service at forecast.weather.gov. Active weather alerts can be checked at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest weather observation station is Louisville, Georgia, 8.1 miles away.

References

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