Warm Springs, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Warm Springs · Meriwether County, Georgia
Population 568 (est. 2026: ~300)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -18.49% annual growth projection

Warm Springs, Georgia

Meriwether County, Georgia · Population 465

Warm Springs sits in the red-clay hills of west-central Georgia, about 70 miles southwest of Atlanta and 30 miles southeast of Columbus. The town carries a weight larger than its 465 residents suggest. Franklin D. Roosevelt built his Little White House here, drawn by the naturally heated mineral springs he hoped would ease his polio. That history defines the town's identity and drives most of its outside attention. Strip away the museum buses and the historic district, and what remains is a small, aging community with modest incomes, a tight housing stock, and deep roots in Meriwether County's rural landscape.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Warm Springs at 543 residents — slightly above the official 465 count depending on methodology — spread across 165 households. The racial makeup is nearly split: 293 white residents and 240 Black residents. No Asian or Hispanic/Latino population appears in the data.

The median age of 47.1 years is notably older than Georgia's statewide median, reflecting a pattern common to small rural towns that lose younger residents to Atlanta or Columbus for work and school. With 128 children under 18 and an average household size of 2.82, families remain present, but the demographic profile skews toward middle age and older.

Warm Springs represents a small slice of Meriwether County's 20,613 residents — roughly 2.5% of the county population.

Economy & Employment

The labor force numbers are thin. Of 205 residents counted as in the labor force, only 8 were unemployed at the time of the survey — a low raw number, though the workforce itself is small enough that every swing matters.

Median household income sits at $44,792, and per capita income is $21,704. Both figures trail Georgia's statewide medians by a meaningful margin. Of 543 residents, 129 fall below the federal poverty line — roughly 24%, a poverty rate that outpaces the state average considerably.

The local economy leans on tourism tied to the Little White House State Historic Site and the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, which has operated here since the 1920s. Beyond those anchors, residents largely commute out of town for work.

Housing

Warm Springs has 203 total housing units, of which 165 are occupied and 38 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 19%, high enough to signal limited housing pressure but also some structural disinvestment.

Renters outnumber owners: 90 renter-occupied units versus 75 owner-occupied. The median home value of $124,200 is low even by rural Georgia standards, making ownership accessible in principle. Median gross rent of $753 per month is affordable relative to Georgia metros, though against local per capita income of $21,704, even modest rent consumes a significant share of household earnings.

Schools

Public school options within Warm Springs proper are limited. The NCES data identifies one local educational institution: Good Shepherd Therapeutic Center, serving grades 9–10 with an enrollment of just 2 students. This is a specialized therapeutic setting, not a general-enrollment school. Meriwether County's conventional public schools — including Greenville and Manchester — serve the broader county population. Families in Warm Springs rely on county-level schooling for standard K–12 education.

Getting Around

Warm Springs is a car-dependent town. Of 195 workers, 164 drive alone to work. Fourteen carpool. Seven walk. Six work from home. Zero use public transit — there is none.

Aggregate travel time across all workers totals 4,975 minutes, putting average one-way commute around 25–26 minutes. That lines up with the reality that most jobs require leaving town — likely toward Manchester, Greenville, LaGrange, or Columbus. Highways serving the area connect to US-27 and GA-41, with I-85 reachable within roughly 30 minutes to the east.

Healthcare

Warm Springs Medical Center operates in town, though CMS Hospital Compare data does not include a star rating or confirmed emergency department status for this facility. The Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation has long provided specialized rehabilitation services and represents the area's most significant medical infrastructure historically.

For providers accepting Medicare and Medicaid, the NPI Registry lists practitioners with a Warm Springs, GA address: search current providers.

Residents needing emergency or specialty care beyond local capacity typically travel to Columbus or Newnan, each roughly 40–50 miles out.

Library

The nearest public library is the Manchester Public Library, located approximately 5.7 miles away in Manchester, the Meriwether County seat. Phone: (706) 846-3851. Manchester serves as the practical civic hub for county residents.

Parks & Recreation

The Little White House State Historic Site is the defining attraction — the home and museum complex where FDR spent significant time from 1924 until his death there in April 1945. The site draws visitors from across the region and operates as a Georgia State Park unit.

The broader Meriwether County area sits near Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park on Pine Mountain, one of Georgia's largest state parks, offering hiking, camping, and the historic Civilian Conservation Corps swimming pool. Pine Mountain is roughly 15 miles north of town and draws outdoor visitors year-round.

Natural Hazards

Meriwether County has accumulated a substantial FEMA disaster declaration history. Fifteen declarations span from 1993 to 2026, covering nearly every major weather category the region faces:

The pattern reflects Georgia's vulnerability to both Gulf-track hurricanes and severe winter weather events. Hurricane Helene's 2024 declaration is a recent reminder that inland areas remain exposed to tropical remnants. Residents should maintain preparedness for ice storms, tornadoes, and prolonged power outages.

Government & Municipal Code

Warm Springs maintains a municipal code published through Municode: library.municode.com/ga/warm_springs

Note: Warm Springs does not have a local building code on file in the Municode system. Construction and building standards default to state and county requirements.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions are available through the National Weather Service: - NWS Forecast for Warm Springs - Active Weather Alerts

The nearest weather observation station is Warm Springs 2.5 SSW, located 1.8 miles from town center.

References

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