Zebulon, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Zebulon · Pike County, Georgia
Population 1,711 (est. 2026: ~1,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -0.76% annual growth projection

Zebulon, Georgia

Pike County, Georgia · Population 1,225

Zebulon sits at the geographic and governmental heart of Pike County, about 55 miles south of Atlanta along U.S. Highway 19. As the county seat, it punches above its weight for a town of roughly 1,225 people — the courthouse square anchors daily life in a way that most small Georgia towns would recognize. This is not a suburb and not a bedroom community in any real sense; it's a working small town surrounded by pasture, timber land, and the kind of quiet that people either seek out or drive past on the way to Griffin or Thomaston. The nearest metro pull is Atlanta to the north and Macon to the southeast, but Zebulon remains distinctly its own place.

People & Demographics

The Census ACS 2022 figures put Zebulon's total population at 1,625, with a median age of 37.4 years. The town is majority white (1,139), with a Black population of 356 and an Asian population of 63. Hispanic or Latino residents number 39. There are 561 occupied households across the community, of which 407 are family households. The average household size is 2.85 — slightly above what most small Georgia towns report — and 363 residents are children under 18, meaning families with kids make up a meaningful share of the population. Pike County as a whole carries 18,889 residents, so Zebulon holds about 6.5% of the county's population despite being its seat.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Zebulon is $43,456, and per capita income sits at $25,136. Georgia's statewide median household income runs considerably higher, which puts Zebulon on the lower end of the spectrum — consistent with a rural county seat that serves agriculture, small retail, and local government rather than professional services or manufacturing clusters. Of the 661 residents counted in the labor force, 53 were unemployed at the time of the survey, a rate that tracks with the modest economic base. Poverty touches 400 residents, a substantial share given the overall population.

The local economy leans on county government, school system employment, and the small commercial corridor along Highway 19. Residents who work in higher-wage industries typically commute north toward the Atlanta metro or west toward Columbus.

Housing

Zebulon has 690 total housing units, with 561 occupied and 129 vacant — a vacancy rate of roughly 18.7%, which is elevated and reflects the challenges of housing stock turnover in rural Georgia. Ownership and renting are nearly split down the middle: 280 owner-occupied units versus 281 renter-occupied. Median home value is $195,800, and median gross rent is $868 per month. For a town at this income level, that rent figure represents a meaningful cost burden for households near or below the poverty line. On the ownership side, the home values are accessible by Georgia standards — well below metro Atlanta prices — which draws some remote workers and retirees looking for affordability within a few hours of the city.

Schools

Zebulon and Pike County share a consolidated school district. The main campuses serve the entire county:

In addition, Zebulon High School operates as a separate 9–12 campus with 56 students — a smaller setting within the same community, likely serving an alternative or specialized population.

The district consolidates students from across the county rather than maintaining neighborhood schools in each small town, which is standard practice for rural Georgia systems of this size.

Getting Around

Zebulon is a car-required town. Of 591 total workers, 494 drive alone to work and 46 carpool. Public transit records zero users, and zero residents walked to work. Fifty-one people worked from home — a small but growing share. Aggregate travel time across all commuters totals 15,615 minutes, which works out to an average one-way commute of roughly 26 minutes. That's consistent with workers driving to Griffin, Thomaston, or further north toward the Atlanta suburbs. There are no local transit options and no practical pedestrian commuting infrastructure.

Healthcare

No hospital operates within Zebulon itself. Residents typically access hospital care in Griffin (Wellstar Southern Regional) or Thomaston (Upson Regional Medical Center), both within roughly 20–30 miles. For local provider listings, the CMS National Provider Identifier registry can be searched directly for Zebulon, GA providers: NPI Registry — Zebulon, GA.

Library

The J. Joel Edwards Public Library serves Zebulon and Pike County residents. Phone: (770) 567-2014. It is part of the Flint River Regional Library System and functions as the primary public library access point for the county.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service sites sit within reasonable driving distance of Zebulon, though neither is a quick trip:

Locally, Pike County's rural character offers hunting, fishing, and informal outdoor recreation across its timber and agricultural land, consistent with other counties in this part of middle Georgia.

Natural Hazards

Pike County has a long FEMA disaster declaration history. The record going back to 1998 includes:

The pattern is clear: Pike County deals with winter ice storms, tropical system remnants, and severe thunderstorm outbreaks on a recurring basis. Hurricane Helene's 2024 declarations confirm that inland Georgia felt genuine impact from that storm, not just coastal effects.

Government & Municipal Code

Zebulon's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/zebulon. Note that Zebulon does not have a locally adopted building code on record, which may be relevant for anyone planning construction or renovation — state minimum standards would apply by default.

Weather

Current forecasts and alerts for Zebulon are available through the National Weather Service:

The nearest weather observation station is ZEBULON 0.1 WNW, located approximately 1.0 mile from town center.

References

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