Cadwell, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Cadwell · Laurens County, Georgia
Population 538 (est. 2026: ~300)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -12.64% annual growth projection

Cadwell, Georgia

Laurens County, Georgia · Population 381

Cadwell sits in the pine flatwoods of central Georgia, tucked into Laurens County roughly between Dublin and Eastman along the US-23/441 corridor. It is a small, tight community — 381 people in a town where the average household holds nearly four people and nearly a third of the population is under 18. This is not a suburb or a bedroom community with commuters flooding back on weekends. Cadwell is its own place, quiet and working-class, with young families, modest incomes, and housing costs that remain genuinely affordable by any Georgia measure.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 five-year estimates put Cadwell's population at 633, with a median age of just 28.1 years — strikingly young. For context, Georgia's statewide median age is around 37. This is a community with children: 193 residents are under 18, out of a total population of 633. That is roughly 30 percent.

The town is predominantly white (504 residents), with a Hispanic/Latino population of 45 and a Black population of 21. Asian residents number 5. There are 172 occupied households, with 136 classified as family households. The average household size of 3.68 is well above the state average, reinforcing how family-oriented this community is.

Laurens County as a whole holds 49,570 people, meaning Cadwell accounts for a small but distinct slice of a county centered on Dublin, the county seat about 12 miles north.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Cadwell is $41,250, and per capita income sits at $19,830. Georgia's statewide median household income runs considerably higher — Cadwell earns noticeably less. Poverty is a real factor here: 182 residents fall below the federal poverty line, which is a substantial share of the 633-person population.

Of the 239 people counted in the labor force, only 6 are unemployed — a very low unemployment rate. The 226 workers who commute account for nearly all working-age adults. What people do for work isn't broken out in the available data, but the income profile and location suggest employment in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and service industries centered on Dublin and Eastman.

Housing

Cadwell has 198 total housing units. Of those, 172 are occupied and 26 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 13 percent, which is slightly elevated but not unusual for rural Georgia towns. Of occupied units, 117 are owner-occupied and 55 are renter-occupied, putting the homeownership rate at roughly 68 percent.

The median home value is $79,200. That number is not a typo — it is genuinely low, even by rural Georgia standards. For buyers priced out of Dublin or larger markets, Cadwell offers real affordability. Median rent runs $660 per month.

The town has no building code on file through Municode, meaning construction and renovation standards default to county-level oversight.

Schools

The one educational institution identified in Cadwell itself is the Cadwell RYDC (Regional Youth Detention Center), serving grades 7–11 with 14 students. This is a state juvenile justice facility, not a traditional neighborhood school.

Children in Cadwell for standard K–12 education attend Laurens County Schools, with Dublin-area campuses serving the county. Families should contact Laurens County School District directly for attendance zone assignments.

Getting Around

Cadwell runs on cars. Of the 226 workers who commute, 204 drive alone and 15 carpool. Zero use public transit — none exists in this area. Four people walk to work, and 3 work from home. The aggregate commute time across all workers is 8,065 minutes, averaging roughly 35–36 minutes each way per commuting worker. Dublin to the north and Eastman to the south are the most likely employment destinations.

Healthcare

The closest hospitals are in Dublin: Fairview Park Hospital and the Dublin VA Medical Center, both serving veterans and civilians in the region. Specific ratings and emergency department details were not available in the current data.

For individual provider lookup in Cadwell and surrounding Laurens County, the NPI Registry can be searched directly: NPI Registry — Cadwell, GA providers

Library

The nearest public library is the Dodge County – Murrell Memorial Library, located 12.7 miles from Cadwell. Phone: (478) 374-4711. Residents without easy internet access or who need physical collections, programming, or research support will find this the primary public library option.

Parks & Recreation

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park Service, lies approximately 47.6 miles from Cadwell near Macon. One of the most significant archaeological sites in the American Southeast, the park preserves plateau mounds built by Indigenous peoples over a thousand years ago. The Ocmulgee Mounds Visitor Center provides exhibits, ranger programming, and trail access. It is a meaningful day trip for Cadwell-area residents.

Natural Hazards

Laurens County has a long and documented federal disaster history. The county has been included in 15 FEMA declarations since 1998:

Tropical systems are the dominant threat — the county has been struck or affected by named storms repeatedly. Winter storms and severe convective weather round out the hazard profile. Residents should maintain readiness plans accordingly.

Government & Municipal Code

Cadwell's municipal code is published through Municode and available at: https://library.municode.com/ga/cadwell-town-georgia

No local building code is on file. Construction projects should be coordinated with Laurens County for applicable standards.

Weather

Current forecasts for the Cadwell area are available from the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast — Cadwell, GA

Active weather alerts: NWS Alerts — Cadwell, GA

The nearest weather observation station is Eastman 4.3 NNE, located 8.3 miles from town.

References

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