Population 293 (est. 2026: ~200)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -17.75% annual growth projection
Gumbranch, Georgia
Liberty County, Georgia · Population 235
Gumbranch sits in the coastal plain of Liberty County, roughly midway between Savannah and Brunswick, tucked into a stretch of southeastern Georgia where longleaf pine flatlands meet the military presence of Fort Stewart. It is one of the smallest incorporated places in the county — a tight rural community where the population skews exceptionally young, households are large, and nearly everyone who works drives themselves out to do it. Liberty County's economy is shaped heavily by Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, and that influence reaches into Gumbranch. The nearest commercial center is Hinesville, the county seat, just a few miles away.
People & Demographics
The ACS 2022 data records Gumbranch's population at 648, with a median age of just 16.2 years — strikingly low even by the standards of military-adjacent communities in Georgia. For comparison, Georgia's statewide median age sits around 37. There are 384 children under 18 in a community of 648 people, which means children make up the majority of the population. Average household size is 4.56 — well above typical American households. The racial composition is 646 white residents, with 5 Hispanic or Latino residents. Total households number 142, of which 111 are family households.
The demographic profile here points clearly toward young military families: large households, lots of children, and incomes that reflect dual-income or allowance-supplemented military pay rather than local civilian wages alone.
Economy & Employment
Median household income in Gumbranch is $88,750 — a figure that stands well above Georgia's statewide median household income and reflects the compensation patterns common in military households. Per capita income, however, tells a different story: $17,089. That gap between household and per capita income is a direct consequence of very large households where much of the population — children especially — contributes nothing to the income total.
Of 198 people in the labor force, only 4 are unemployed. Fifty-four residents fall below the poverty line. The labor market here is heavily tied to Fort Stewart's economy, with civilian employment, contractor work, and service-sector jobs in Hinesville absorbing most of the working population.
Housing
Gumbranch has 173 total housing units, 142 of them occupied and 31 vacant — a vacancy rate of roughly 18 percent, which is elevated and likely reflects the transient nature of military-adjacent housing. Of occupied units, 111 are owner-occupied and 31 are renter-occupied.
Median home value is $96,100 — low by Georgia standards, and reflecting the rural, small-town character of the area. Median rent is $650 per month, which is affordable by almost any measure. For families stationed nearby who choose to live off-base, Gumbranch offers entry-level homeownership at a price point rarely found closer to Savannah.
Schools
Gumbranch itself does not host schools — students are served by the Liberty County School System, which operates a full ladder of campuses across the county. Schools serving county students include:
Elementary (PK–5): - Button Gwinnett Elementary School — 1,119 students - Waldo Pafford Elementary School — 831 students - Joseph Martin Elementary School — 772 students - Liberty Elementary School — 737 students - Frank Long Elementary School — 728 students - Taylors Creek Elementary School — 625 students - Lyman Hall Elementary School — 604 students
Middle (6–8): - Snelson-Golden Middle School — 876 students - Lewis Frasier Middle School — 779 students - Midway Middle School — 707 students
High School (9–12): - Bradwell Institute — 1,755 students - Liberty County High School — 1,077 students
Among adults 25 and older in Gumbranch, 97 hold a high school diploma and 56 hold a bachelor's degree. No residents in this age group are recorded with master's or doctoral degrees in the ACS data.
Getting Around
Gumbranch is car-dependent — there is no public transit, and essentially no one walks or bikes to work. Of 194 total workers, 180 drove alone, 11 carpooled, 1 walked, and 2 worked from home. Aggregate commute time across all workers totals 7,450 minutes, which works out to roughly 38 minutes per commuter on average — consistent with driving to Fort Stewart, Hinesville, or other employment centers in Liberty County.
Healthcare
Two hospitals serve the broader Liberty County area. Liberty Regional Medical Center is the civilian hospital serving Hinesville and surrounding communities. Winn Army Community Hospital, located on Fort Stewart, primarily serves active-duty military and their families. For a full listing of healthcare providers with active NPI numbers in Gumbranch, the CMS NPI Registry can be queried directly: NPI Registry — Gumbranch, GA.
Library
The nearest public library is the Hinesville Library, approximately 4.1 miles from Gumbranch. It can be reached at (912) 368-4003 and serves as the primary public library resource for Liberty County residents in this part of the county.
Parks & Recreation
Two National Park Service sites are within reasonable distance:
- Fort Frederica National Monument — 43.3 miles south, on St. Simons Island, preserving the site of the 18th-century British fort that helped secure Georgia's colonial southern boundary. The Fort Frederica Visitor Center is on site.
- Fort Pulaski National Monument — 42.4 miles north, near the mouth of the Savannah River, preserving a 19th-century masonry fort significant in Civil War history. The Fort Pulaski Visitor Center is on site.
Both sites are accessible for day trips and represent some of the most historically significant landscapes on the Georgia coast.
Natural Hazards
Liberty County has a well-documented history of disaster declarations, overwhelmingly hurricane-related. This part of coastal Georgia sits directly in the path of Atlantic storm systems moving up or across the southeastern seaboard. Federal declarations affecting the county include:
- Hurricane Helene (2024) — both emergency and major disaster declarations
- Tropical Storm / Hurricane Debby (2024) — both emergency and major disaster declarations
- COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
- Hurricane Dorian (2019)
- Hurricane Michael (2018)
- Hurricane Irma (2017) — both emergency and major disaster declarations
- Hurricane Matthew (2016) — both emergency and major disaster declarations
- Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (2005)
- Hurricane Floyd (1999)
- Severe Storms and Flooding (1998)
Fifteen separate FEMA declarations since 1998. Anyone moving to Gumbranch should carry flood insurance, maintain hurricane preparedness supplies, and know their evacuation routes — this is not a theoretical risk.
Government & Municipal Code
Gumbranch is an incorporated city with its own municipal code, published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/gumbranch-city-georgia. The municipality does not have an adopted local building code on record.
Weather
Current forecasts and active weather alerts for Gumbranch are available through the National Weather Service:
The nearest weather observation station is Walthourville 3.4 WNW, approximately 2.7 miles away.
References
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 5-Year Estimates — Tables B01001, B01002, B02001, B03001, B09001, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25001, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25064, B25077
- National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (NCES CCD) 2022
- FEMA Disaster Declarations — Liberty County, Georgia
- CMS NPI Registry — npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — Hinesville Library
- National Park Service — Fort Frederica National Monument; Fort Pulaski National Monument
- NOAA / National Weather Service — forecast.weather.gov
- Municode — Gumbranch City Code
The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)