Danielsville, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Danielsville · Madison County, Georgia
Population 971 (est. 2026: ~900)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -1.96% annual growth projection

Danielsville, Georgia

Madison County, Georgia · Population 654

Danielsville sits at the center of Madison County in the Georgia Piedmont, roughly 20 miles northeast of Athens and about 75 miles northeast of Atlanta. As the county seat of one of Georgia's smaller rural counties, it carries administrative weight well out of proportion to its size — the courthouse anchors the small downtown, and most county services run through here. This is not a suburb. It is a working small town where the population skews young, households run large, and the nearest significant retail, medical, and higher education options require a drive to Athens.

People & Demographics

Danielsville's ACS-estimated population of 953 is notably higher than the city's official Census count of 654, reflecting survey margin variability typical of small places. Either way, this is a compact community. The median age of 27.7 years is strikingly low — well below Georgia's statewide median — shaped in part by an average household size of 3.23 and 186 children under 18 living in just 295 households. Family households account for 210 of those 295.

The population is predominantly white (634), with a meaningful Hispanic and Latino community of 122 residents — roughly 13% of the ACS total — reflecting broader growth patterns seen across northeast Georgia's rural corridor. Madison County as a whole counts 30,120 residents, meaning Danielsville proper holds a small fraction of that base despite being the seat.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Danielsville is $60,069, which sits in a reasonable range relative to rural Georgia but reflects the limited local job base. Per capita income of $26,073 tells a more constrained story once household size is factored in. Of 612 residents counted in the labor force, 29 are unemployed — an unemployment rate near 4.7%.

Danielsville itself offers few large employers. Most working residents commute to Athens-Clarke County or elsewhere in the region for work in manufacturing, healthcare, education, and services. The town functions economically as a residential and administrative center, not an employment hub.

Seventy-six residents fall below the federal poverty line.

Housing

With 316 total housing units, Danielsville is a tight market. Vacancy is low — only 21 units sit unoccupied, a vacancy rate of about 6.6%. Owner-occupancy dominates: 210 of the 295 occupied units are owner-occupied (roughly 71%), with 85 renter households making up the balance.

The median home value of $172,000 is accessible by Georgia standards, and well below what comparable square footage costs in the Athens market 20 miles west. Median rent of $1,011 per month is less obviously a bargain — it represents a significant share of income for households in the lower wage brackets common here. Anyone priced out of Athens proper increasingly looks at Madison County, and Danielsville's proximity to the US-29 and US-441 corridors makes it a realistic commuting base.

Schools

Students in Danielsville attend Madison County schools. Danielsville Elementary School serves grades pre-K through 5 with 679 students — one of the larger elementary enrollments in the county system. Ila Elementary School, also in the county system, serves grades K–5 with 437 students. Both feed into Madison County High School, which serves grades 9–12 with 1,436 students. There is no separate middle school listed in the NCES data for this district.

For higher education, the University of Georgia in Athens is the closest major option, roughly 20 miles away.

Getting Around

Danielsville is car-dependent, full stop. Of 533 workers, 485 drive alone to work. Another 39 carpool. Zero residents use public transit — no bus or rail service reaches Madison County. Seven people walk to work, and just 2 work from home.

The aggregate commute data works out to an average one-way travel time of roughly 27 minutes per worker, consistent with a population largely commuting to Athens or other nearby employment centers. Anyone relocating here should plan around owning at least one reliable vehicle.

Healthcare

No hospital operates within Danielsville. The nearest full-service hospital is in Athens, approximately 20 miles southwest. Piedmont Athens Regional is the primary regional facility serving Madison County residents for emergency and specialty care.

Local provider listings through the CMS NPI Registry can be searched directly for Danielsville-based clinicians and practices: NPI Registry — Danielsville, GA.

Library

Madison County Library serves county residents including those in Danielsville. Phone: (706) 795-5597. The library is part of the Athens Regional Library System, connecting Madison County residents to broader interlibrary resources and digital services.

Natural Hazards

Madison County has a documented history of federally declared disasters, and the record shows diversity in the types of threats:

Hurricanes and tropical systems have reached this far inland with meaningful impact. Hurricane Helene triggered both an emergency declaration (September 26, 2024) and a major disaster declaration (September 30, 2024) — back-to-back declarations reflecting the storm's severity. Hurricane Irma similarly produced dual declarations in September 2017. Hurricane Ivan brought a disaster declaration in September 2004.

Severe winter storms have hit multiple times — federal declarations in February 2014, March 2014, April 2015, and most recently January 2026. Northeast Georgia's ice storm vulnerability is real and often underestimated by newcomers.

COVID-19 produced emergency and disaster declarations in March 2020. A drought declaration dates to 1977, and a tornado and flooding event was declared in April 1973.

The pattern is clear: residents here need to prepare for inland hurricane effects (especially wind and rain), serious winter ice events, and the occasional severe thunderstorm or tornado threat.

Government & Municipal Code

Danielsville operates under a municipal code published through Municode: https://library.municode.com/ga/danielsville-city-georgia

Note: Danielsville does not have a locally adopted building code on file in the available municipal records. Property owners and contractors should verify current requirements directly with the city or fall back on state-level standards.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Danielsville are available through the National Weather Service: - NWS Forecast — Danielsville, GA - Active Weather Alerts

The nearest weather observation station is Danielsville 0.1 WSW, located 0.7 miles from the town center.

References

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