Millen, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Millen · Jenkins County, Georgia
Population 2,959 (est. 2026: ~2,900)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -0.1% annual growth projection

Millen, Georgia

Jenkins County, Georgia · Population 2,966

Millen sits at the center of Jenkins County in the Coastal Plain of east-central Georgia, roughly 60 miles southwest of Augusta and about 50 miles northwest of Savannah. It functions as the county seat and commercial hub for a rural stretch of Georgia where farmland dominates the landscape and the nearest interstate is a real drive away. This is small-town Georgia in a straightforward sense — a place where the median age is 54.5, poverty runs deep, and the county hospital is the largest employer most residents can name. Understanding Millen means understanding what it is: a small, aging county seat serving a county of fewer than 9,000 people in one of the more economically challenged corners of the state.

People & Demographics

Millen's population of 2,973 represents about 34% of Jenkins County's total 8,674 residents. The town is nearly evenly split between white (1,390) and Black (1,410) residents. The Hispanic or Latino population stands at 173. There are 1,151 households with an average household size of 2.51, and family households account for 666 of that total. Children under 18 number 388, a relatively small share of the population. The median age of 54.5 is notably high — considerably older than both the Georgia state median and national figures — which reflects the broader pattern of younger residents leaving rural Georgia communities over time.

Economy & Employment

The economic picture in Millen is austere. Median household income sits at $34,213, well below the Georgia statewide median, which hovers above $65,000. Per capita income is $17,338. Of the 2,973 residents counted, 983 fall below the poverty line — roughly 33%, a rate that stands in stark contrast to Georgia's overall poverty rate of around 14%.

The labor force numbers 1,030 people, with 103 unemployed. That unemployment count, measured against a small labor force, reflects the limited job base that defines most rural Georgia county seats. Agriculture, county government, healthcare, and small retail are the primary economic pillars here. Jenkins County Medical Center is the most significant institutional employer in town.

Housing

Millen has 1,512 total housing units, of which 1,151 are occupied and 361 sit vacant — a vacancy rate of about 24%, which is high even by rural Georgia standards. Owner-occupied units account for 831 households; renters occupy 320.

The median home value of $63,200 is strikingly low by any measure and makes homeownership financially accessible in nominal terms, though incomes are equally low. Median gross rent is $690 per month. For anyone relocating from a metro area, these numbers signal real affordability — but that affordability is inseparable from the underlying economic conditions that drive it.

Schools

All K–12 students in Millen attend Jenkins County Schools, a single-system district with three campuses:

Total district enrollment across all three buildings is 1,146 students. There are no private or charter schools listed in the NCES data for Millen.

Getting Around

Millen is a car-required town. Of 927 total workers counted, 833 drive alone to work. Carpooling accounts for 20 commuters. Public transit: zero. Walking: zero. Eleven workers reported working from home. The aggregate travel time for all workers totals 17,055 minutes, working out to an average commute of roughly 18 minutes — modest, but entirely automobile-dependent. Savannah, Augusta, and Statesboro are the nearest larger employment centers, each requiring a 45-to-60-minute drive.

Healthcare

Jenkins County Medical Center serves Millen and the surrounding county. It is the only hospital in the county. For specialized care, residents travel to Augusta or Savannah. Local provider search through the NPI Registry is available at npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov.

Library

The Jenkins County Memorial Library serves as the public library for Millen and Jenkins County. Phone: (478) 982-4244. It is part of the Georgia Public Library Service network.

Natural Hazards

Jenkins County has been struck hard and repeatedly by Atlantic weather systems. FEMA has issued 15 disaster and emergency declarations for the county since 2014:

The pattern is clear: Jenkins County sits in Georgia's coastal plain in a direct line for Atlantic tropical systems tracking northward. Hurricane season — June through November — is not an abstraction here. Residents should have evacuation plans and understand that federal disaster declarations have become routine, not exceptional.

Government & Municipal Code

Millen's municipal code is published by Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/millen. The city does not have a locally adopted building code on file in the Municode system.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions are available through the National Weather Service at forecast.weather.gov. Active weather alerts for the area can be monitored at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest official weather observation station is Millen 4 N, located 4.4 miles from town.

References

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