Ludowici, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Ludowici · Long County, Georgia
Population 1,822 (est. 2026: ~2,100)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 4.12% annual growth projection

Ludowici, Georgia

Long County, Georgia · Population 1,590

Ludowici sits at the center of Long County in coastal Georgia, roughly 60 miles southwest of Savannah and about 25 miles inland from the Atlantic. It is the county seat of one of Georgia's smaller counties — Long County holds just over 16,000 people, and Ludowici accounts for roughly one in ten of them. The town is a compact government and commercial hub surrounded by pine flatwoods and farm country, positioned along US-301 in a corridor that sees steady traffic between Florida and points north. Fort Stewart, one of the Army's largest installations, sits just to the west in Liberty County, and its presence shapes the broader regional economy even if Ludowici itself remains a small, working-class community with deep roots and persistent economic challenges.

People & Demographics

Ludowici's ACS 2022 population estimate is 2,137, with a median age of 33.8 — a notably young community. The racial composition breaks down to 1,201 white residents, 554 Black residents, and 9 Asian residents, with 287 Hispanic or Latino residents across all racial categories. The town holds 744 households, of which 378 are family households. Average household size is 2.73 people. Children under 18 make up 778 of the total population — a significant share that reflects both the town's youth and likely Fort Stewart's influence on surrounding communities.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Ludowici is $26,944, and per capita income sits at $18,921. Both figures are well below Georgia's statewide medians, placing Ludowici among the lower-income small towns in the state. Of the 570 residents counted below the poverty line, that represents a substantial portion of the population.

The labor force numbers 649 people, with 36 unemployed at the time of the survey — an unemployment rate of roughly 5.5 percent within that labor force. The local economy reflects the realities of a small county seat: government services, retail, and service-sector employment, with many residents commuting toward Hinesville, the Fort Stewart gateway city about 15 miles to the west, or toward I-95 corridor employment.

Housing

Ludowici has 844 total housing units, of which 744 are occupied and 100 sit vacant — a vacancy rate of about 11.8 percent. The ownership split leans toward renters: 415 renter-occupied units versus 329 owner-occupied units, meaning roughly 56 percent of occupied housing is rented. That ratio is notable for a small rural town and reflects the economic pressures at play.

The median home value is $180,600. For context, that figure is accessible relative to Georgia's broader coastal markets, though household incomes here make even modest mortgage payments a stretch. Median rent data was not available in the dataset.

Schools

All public schools in Ludowici serve Long County as a unified system. The schools and their enrollment figures:

Total enrollment across the county system exceeds 4,300 students — a substantial number relative to the county's overall population of 16,168, again reflecting the area's youth. All four schools are located in or near Ludowici, the county's educational center.

Getting Around

Of 613 workers in the commuting dataset, 425 drove alone — about 69 percent. Another 108 carpooled. Public transit accounts for just 14 workers, and 10 walked to work. Forty-two people worked from home. Total aggregate commute time across all workers was 13,540 minutes, placing average one-way travel time around 22 minutes. This is a car-dependent community; meaningful public transit does not exist here. Hinesville to the west and I-95 to the east are the primary employment corridors.

Healthcare

No hospital sits within Ludowici proper. Residents typically rely on facilities in Hinesville — Liberty Regional Medical Center is the nearest full-service hospital, roughly 15 miles west. For local provider information, the CMS NPI Registry lists healthcare providers registered in Ludowici: Search Ludowici providers on NPI Registry.

Library

The Long County Library serves Ludowici and Long County. Phone: (912) 545-2521. It is part of Georgia's public library network and functions as a key community resource in a county with limited institutional infrastructure.

Parks & Recreation

The nearest National Park Service site is Fort Frederica National Monument, approximately 39.2 miles from Ludowici on St. Simons Island. Fort Frederica preserves the site of a British colonial fortification from the 1730s and 1740s and includes a visitor center. The Georgia coast's barrier islands — Jekyll Island, Cumberland Island, and the Golden Isles — are within an hour's drive, giving residents reasonable access to significant natural and recreational areas despite the town's inland position.

Natural Hazards

Long County has an extensive FEMA disaster declaration history, and the record is dominated by Atlantic hurricanes and tropical systems. Declared events include:

The pattern is clear: this county sits in a zone of recurring tropical weather impacts. 2024 alone brought three separate FEMA actions. Residents should take hurricane preparedness seriously — evacuation routes, storm supplies, and awareness of surge and flooding potential are not theoretical concerns here.

Government & Municipal Code

Ludowici's municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/ludowici-city-georgia. The municipality does not currently have a local building code on file in the Municode system. State-level building codes apply.

Weather

Current forecasts for Ludowici are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast for Ludowici. Active weather alerts for the area: NWS Alerts. The nearest weather observation station is LUDOWICI, located 1.8 miles from the town center.

References

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