Baconton, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Baconton · Mitchell County, Georgia
Population 1,134 (est. 2026: ~300)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -30.34% annual growth projection

Baconton, Georgia

Mitchell County, Georgia · Population 856

Baconton sits in the heart of southwest Georgia's agricultural flatlands, about 15 miles southeast of Camilla and roughly 35 miles south of Albany along US-19. It is a small, tight-knit Black Belt community—the kind of town where nearly everyone knows their neighbors, households run larger than the state average, and a single charter school serves the entire K–12 population. Mitchell County surrounds it with 21,755 residents spread across a landscape defined by peanut and cotton production, and Baconton's identity is firmly rooted in that rural South Georgia context.

People & Demographics

Baconton's Census-measured population is 964, skewing young—the median age is 32.6, noticeably below the national median. Children under 18 account for 270 residents, which tracks with the average household size of 3.27 people, well above typical Georgia suburban figures. The town is majority Black (631 residents), with 305 white residents and 29 Hispanic or Latino residents. Asian population is recorded at zero. Family households make up 226 of 295 total households, reflecting the community's generational, family-centered character.

Economy & Employment

The labor force numbers 510 people, with 34 recorded as unemployed—an unemployment count that is modest in absolute terms but meaningful in a town of this size. Median household income sits at $54,850, a figure that holds up reasonably well for rural southwest Georgia. Per capita income is $23,632. Poverty touches 132 residents. The county economy leans heavily on agriculture, food processing, and public-sector employment, patterns consistent throughout Mitchell County. Workers here do not have the option of plugging into a large metro job market—Albany, roughly 35 miles north, is the nearest city of meaningful scale.

Housing

Baconton's 333 total housing units are largely occupied—295 units filled, leaving 38 vacant. Owner-occupied households number 204 versus 91 renter-occupied, making this a homeowner-majority community. The median home value of $83,500 reflects rural southwest Georgia pricing and makes ownership genuinely accessible by income, especially compared to Atlanta-metro or coastal Georgia markets. Median rent is $837 per month. The combination of low home prices and decent household incomes gives Baconton a housing affordability picture that many larger Georgia cities cannot match.

Schools

Baconton Community Charter School is the centerpiece of local education, serving grades K–12 with an enrollment of 890 students—a number that actually exceeds the town's Census-measured population, indicating the school draws from the surrounding rural area. The all-in-one structure means students don't transfer between elementary, middle, and high school buildings; they stay within the same campus community. Mitchell County Elementary School, serving grades 3–5 with 268 students, also operates in the county. Students pursuing higher education typically look toward Albany Technical College or Albany State University in Albany.

Getting Around

Baconton is car-dependent, full stop. Of 476 total workers, 357 drive alone to work. Another 81 carpool. Zero residents use public transit, and only 8 walk to work. Twenty-four people work from home. Aggregate travel time across all workers totals 12,100 minutes, which works out to an average commute of roughly 25 minutes—consistent with driving to Camilla or further toward Albany for employment. No bus or rail service connects Baconton to regional centers.

Healthcare

Mitchell County is served by Archbold Mitchell hospital. Local provider lookup is available through the CMS NPI Registry for Baconton, GA. For specialized or emergency care beyond what's locally available, residents typically look to Albany, where Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital serves as the regional referral center for southwest Georgia.

Library

The De Soto Trail Regional Library System Headquarters serves this area, located approximately 10.4 miles from Baconton. Contact: (229) 336-8372. The regional system provides access to physical collections, digital resources, and programming that a town of Baconton's size would not be able to sustain independently.

Parks & Recreation

The Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains, Georgia—about 48 miles northeast—is the nearest National Park Service site. The park preserves the hometown and legacy of the 39th U.S. President, including the Plains High School Visitor Center and Museum roughly 47.8 miles away. Southwest Georgia's flat terrain and rural character also offer hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation on private and Wildlife Management Area lands throughout Mitchell County.

Natural Hazards

Mitchell County has a documented federal disaster history that every resident and prospective homeowner should understand. Since 1998, the county has received 15 FEMA declarations spanning hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, and straight-line winds:

This is not a theoretical risk profile. Mitchell County has faced repeated, federally recognized disaster events across multiple hazard types. Flood insurance, wind coverage, and structural preparedness are practical necessities here, not optional add-ons.

Government & Municipal Code

Baconton's municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/baconton-city-georgia. No local building code is currently on file through this system—residents and contractors working on construction or renovation projects should confirm applicable codes directly with city or county officials.

Weather

Current forecasts for Baconton are available through the National Weather Service. Active weather alerts are at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest observation station is Baconton 4.8 NE, approximately 4.6 miles from town. Southwest Georgia's climate brings hot, humid summers, a distinct Atlantic hurricane-season exposure, and occasional severe weather from late winter through spring.

References

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