Population 1,570 (est. 2026: ~1,800)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 3.82% annual growth projection
Moody AFB, Georgia
Lowndes County, Georgia · Population 1,307
Moody AFB is not a town in any conventional sense — it is a Census-Designated Place wrapped around Moody Air Force Base, a working military installation southwest of Valdosta in Lowndes County. The base dominates every aspect of life here. The population is overwhelmingly active-duty military and their dependents, housing is 100% government-controlled rental units, and the median age of 23.9 reflects a young, transient workforce that rotates on military assignment cycles. The nearest city of any size is Valdosta, roughly 10 miles northeast, which supplies most of the commercial, medical, and civic infrastructure that base residents use off-post.
People & Demographics
The CDP recorded 1,506 residents in the 2022 ACS, slightly above the 1,307 figure in earlier counts. The population skews exceptionally young — a median age of 23.9, compared to Lowndes County's broader population of 118,251 residents. That youth is a direct product of the base's enlisted workforce.
Of the 1,506 residents, 820 identify as white, 514 as Black, 67 as Asian, and 126 as Hispanic or Latino. That racial composition is meaningfully more diverse than rural south Georgia generally — a reflection of military demographics rather than local history.
There are 381 households, of which 325 are family households. Average household size is 2.15. Children under 18 number 159.
Economy & Employment
The economic data here requires careful reading. The ACS reports 891 people in the labor force and zero unemployed — a figure that reflects the nature of military employment rather than a thriving civilian job market. Active-duty service members are not counted as unemployed when they are assigned to the base.
Per capita income is $22,125. The median household income figure in the source data is flagged as unreliable and is omitted here. What is notable is that 403 residents fall below the federal poverty line — a high number for a population of 1,506. This likely reflects lower-ranking enlisted personnel and their families, whose pay scales put them near or below poverty thresholds despite stable federal employment.
Valdosta State University is located nearby in Valdosta (phone: 229-333-5800), providing higher education access for military spouses and dependents seeking degrees during an assignment.
Housing
Every one of the 381 housing units in the CDP is occupied, every one is renter-occupied, and there are zero vacant units and zero owner-occupied units. This is government housing — base family quarters assigned through the military. No one buys a home at Moody AFB.
Median rent is $975. There is no median home value to report because no homes are sold here. Anyone seeking to purchase a home would look to Valdosta or the surrounding Lowndes County market.
Schools
Students living on base attend Lowndes County Schools or Valdosta City Schools, depending on grade level and location. The schools serving this area include:
- Lowndes High School — Grades 9–12, 3,201 students
- Valdosta High School — Grades 9–12, 2,381 students
- Sallas Mahone Elementary — Grades PK–5, 1,078 students
- Valdosta Middle School — Grades 6–8, 1,060 students
- Westside Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 937 students
- W.G. Nunn Elementary — Grades PK–5, 901 students
- S.L. Mason Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 887 students
- Hahira Middle School — Grades 6–8, 859 students
- Dewar Elementary — Grades PK–5, 859 students
- Lowndes Middle School — Grades 6–8, 840 students
- Hahira Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 807 students
- Newbern Middle School — Grades 6–8, 806 students
- Pine Grove Middle School — Grades 6–8, 742 students
- Scintilla Charter Academy — Grades K–8, 721 students
- Pine Grove Elementary School — Grades PK–5, 664 students
Getting Around
Of 891 workers, 731 drive alone to work, 44 carpool, and 102 walk — that walking share is notably high and reflects the compact, pedestrian-accessible layout of the base itself. Zero workers use public transit, and zero work from home. Aggregate travel time for all workers totals 6,165 minutes, suggesting average one-way commutes well under 15 minutes for most residents — consistent with on-base or near-base employment.
Beyond the installation, a car is essential. Valdosta has no meaningful fixed-route transit serving the base, and the surrounding region is standard rural south Georgia: strip commercial corridors and spread-out development that requires driving.
Healthcare
Two hospitals serve the broader Valdosta–Lowndes County area: SGMC Health and Greenleaf Center, both in Valdosta. Active-duty personnel have access to on-base medical facilities; dependents and retirees may use SGMC Health for emergency and specialty care.
For a full listing of healthcare providers registered with CMS in the Moody AFB area, the NPI Registry can be searched directly: NPI Registry — Moody AFB, GA
Library
The Willis L. Miller Library is the nearest public library, located 2.0 miles from the CDP. Phone: (229) 333-0086. The base itself may maintain a separate lending facility through MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) services.
Natural Hazards
Lowndes County has been through a remarkable stretch of federally declared disasters. The county's FEMA record going back to 1998 includes:
- Hurricane Helene (2024) — two separate declarations (DR-4830, EM-3616)
- Tropical Storm / Hurricane Debby (2024) — two declarations (DR-4821, EM-3607)
- Hurricane Idalia (2023)
- COVID-19 Pandemic (2020) — two declarations
- Hurricane Michael (2018)
- Hurricane Irma (2017) — two declarations
- Severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding (2017)
- Severe storms, flooding, tornadoes, and straight-line winds (2009)
- Hurricane Katrina evacuation (2005)
- Tropical Storm Frances (2004)
- Severe storms and flooding (1998)
That is 15 federal disaster declarations in roughly 26 years — nearly one every two years. Lowndes County sits close enough to the Gulf Coast and Florida that every major storm track through the eastern Gulf or up the Florida Peninsula poses a direct threat. Flood and wind risk are not abstract here.
Government & Municipal Code
The Moody AFB CDP has a municipal code published through Municode: library.municode.com/ga/moody-afb-cdp-georgia
No local building code is in effect for this CDP, which makes sense given that all construction and infrastructure is managed by the federal government through the Department of Defense.
Weather
Current forecasts for the Moody AFB area are available from the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast — Moody AFB
Active weather alerts: NWS Alerts
The nearest surface weather observation station is Valdosta 2.1 NNE, located 1.1 miles from the CDP.
References
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 5-Year Estimates — Tables B01001, B01002, B02001, B03001, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25001, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25064, B25077, B08006, B08013
- National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022
- FEMA Disaster Declarations — Lowndes County, Georgia
- CMS Hospital Compare — SGMC Health; Greenleaf Center
- NPI Registry, CMS — Moody AFB, GA
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — Willis L. Miller Library
- National Weather Service — NWS Forecast and Alerts, Valdosta area
- Municode — Moody AFB CDP Municipal Code
The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)