Lone Oak, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Lone Oak · Meriwether County, Georgia
Population 176 (est. 2026: ~1,000)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 68.75% annual growth projection

Lone Oak, Georgia

Meriwether County, Georgia · Population 114

Lone Oak sits in Meriwether County in west-central Georgia, roughly halfway between Columbus and Atlanta along the rural interior of the state. It is a small place by almost any measure — fewer than 200 residents, a single main road, and no commercial core to speak of. What defines Lone Oak is not what it has but what surrounds it: farmland, pine forest, and the quiet infrastructure of a county seat town (Manchester, about six miles away) that handles most of the civic and commercial needs of the area. For residents, Lone Oak is a place to live, not a destination. That distinction shapes everything about it.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Lone Oak's population at 182, though the official Census count stands at 114 — a gap that reflects the challenge of counting small, rural places consistently. The town holds 51 households with an average household size of 3.57, which is considerably larger than the Georgia statewide average near 2.5. That figure points to multigenerational or extended family living arrangements that are common in rural Georgia communities.

The median age is 32.7 — a younger-than-average community, which aligns with the high number of children: 74 residents under 18, in a total population of 182. That ratio means roughly 40 percent of the town is under 18, an unusually high share. Family households account for 48 of the 51 total households.

The racial composition is 177 white and 5 Black residents, with no Asian or Hispanic/Latino population recorded. Meriwether County as a whole (population 20,613) is considerably more diverse, with a significant Black population across the county seat and rural communities.

Economy & Employment

Of 182 residents, only 35 are counted as being in the labor force — a figure that reflects both the age structure (many children) and likely undercounting of informal or agricultural work. Notably, recorded unemployment is zero, meaning all 35 counted workers are employed.

Per capita income is $19,069. The median household income field returned no usable figure in the available data, but the per capita number places Lone Oak well below the Georgia statewide per capita income, which typically runs in the mid-$30,000s. The poverty data is stark: 85 of 182 residents fall below the federal poverty line. That is roughly 47 percent of the population — a poverty rate far exceeding both Meriwether County and the state as a whole.

Most workers drive to jobs elsewhere. The county's economic anchors include healthcare (Warm Springs Medical Center), county government in Manchester, and agriculture.

Housing

There are 68 total housing units in Lone Oak. Of those, 51 are occupied and 17 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 25 percent, which is high by most standards and typical of rural Georgia towns experiencing slow population decline.

Ownership dominates almost completely: 50 of 51 occupied units are owner-occupied. Only 1 unit is renter-occupied. This near-total owner-occupancy is unusual and suggests Lone Oak functions as a stable, rooted residential community rather than a transient one. Median home value and median rent figures were not available in the underlying data.

Schools

Lone Oak students attend Meriwether County Schools. Based on NCES data, the relevant campuses include:

Manchester, the county seat roughly six miles from Lone Oak, is where most secondary students are served. Greenville, the other major community in Meriwether County, provides an alternative secondary pathway.

Getting Around

All 35 workers in Lone Oak commute by car — 27 drove alone, 3 carpooled, and 5 worked from home. No one used public transit or walked to work, which reflects the complete absence of transit infrastructure in rural Meriwether County. The aggregate commute time for all workers is 820 minutes, producing an average one-way commute of roughly 23 minutes. Most jobs are in Manchester, Greenville, or further out toward LaGrange or Columbus.

A personal vehicle is not optional here. It is the only way to access groceries, medical care, school, or work.

Healthcare

The nearest hospital is Warm Springs Medical Center, located in Warm Springs, Meriwether County. Hospital rating and emergency services data were not available for this facility through CMS Hospital Compare at the time of this writing.

For provider lookups, the CMS NPI Registry can be searched for licensed providers listing Lone Oak addresses.

Library

The Manchester Public Library is the nearest public library, located approximately 0.1 miles from Lone Oak's center. Phone: (706) 846-3851. It is part of the Meriwether County library system and serves as the primary public library resource for Lone Oak residents.

Natural Hazards

Meriwether County has a long and varied federal disaster history. FEMA declarations going back to 1993 include:

The pattern is clear: Meriwether County deals with the full range of Georgia weather threats — ice storms in winter, tornado outbreaks in spring, and tropical storm remnants moving inland from the Gulf in summer and fall. Fifteen federal declarations in roughly 30 years is a meaningful signal for anyone building, buying, or insuring property here.

Government & Municipal Code

Lone Oak is an incorporated town with a municipal code published through Municode: https://library.municode.com/ga/lone-oak-town-georgia

No local building code is in effect. Construction and building standards default to county and state minimums.

Weather

Current forecasts for Lone Oak are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast — Lone Oak, GA

Active alerts: Weather Alerts for this location

The nearest weather observation station is Manchester 3.6 ENE, approximately 3.3 miles from the town center.

References

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