Georgetown-Quitman County unified government, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Georgetown-Quitman County unified government · Quitman County, Georgia
Population 2,092 (est. 2026: ~2,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 8.22% annual growth projection

Georgetown-Quitman County Unified Government, Georgia

Quitman County, Georgia · Population 2,235

Georgetown sits at the southwestern corner of Georgia, tucked against the Chattahoochee River where it forms the state line with Alabama. Quitman County is one of the smallest and most rural counties in Georgia — the entire county and its unified government together hold just 2,235 people. The county seat and the county government are effectively the same entity here, consolidated into a single unified government. The nearest city of any size is Columbus, Georgia, roughly 60 miles to the north. This is a place defined by deep rural character, an older population, and the kind of quiet that comes from being genuinely off the beaten path.

People & Demographics

The 2022 American Community Survey counted 2,180 residents. The population skews significantly older — the median age is 59.1, which is well above the Georgia state median of roughly 37. Only 239 residents are children under 18, underscoring just how few young families are rooted here. Of 958 total households, 536 are family households, with an average household size of 2.28.

Racially, the community is split closely: 1,146 residents identify as Black and 953 as White, making this a majority-Black community by a narrow margin. The Hispanic and Latino population is 83. No Asian residents were counted. Average household size of 2.28 reflects the older, often smaller-family demographic that dominates the county.

Economy & Employment

The median household income is $38,889 — well below the Georgia statewide median, which typically runs near $65,000. Per capita income sits at $22,189. Poverty is a significant reality here: 333 residents fall below the poverty line, representing roughly 15 percent of the population.

The labor force numbers reflect the county's older age structure. Only 686 residents are in the labor force, and of those, 161 are unemployed — an unemployment rate of about 23 percent among the active labor force, a figure that reflects both structural underemployment and the limited local job market in one of Georgia's least economically active counties.

Housing

Of 1,715 total housing units, only 958 are occupied. That leaves 757 vacant units — a vacancy rate of 44 percent. That number is striking and points to decades of population decline, out-migration, and rural disinvestment that have left nearly half the county's housing stock sitting empty.

Owner-occupied units number 773; renters account for 185 households. The median home value is $85,800, which is low even by rural Georgia standards and reflects both the vacancy situation and the limited demand for housing in the area. Median rent is $740 per month.

For buyers or renters priced out of larger Georgia markets, the raw cost of housing here is accessible — but the economic context that produces those prices should not be overlooked.

Schools

School data was not available in the provided sources. Quitman County operates its own school system. For current enrollment, school names, and performance data, the Georgia Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics maintain updated records.

Getting Around

525 workers were counted in the commuting data. Of those, 467 drove alone, 50 carpooled, and just 8 worked from home. No residents used public transit or walked to work. There is no public transit infrastructure here — a car is essential for every aspect of daily life.

Total aggregate commute time across all workers is 17,015 minutes, which averages to roughly 32 minutes per worker each way. That suggests most employed residents are driving to jobs in neighboring counties — likely toward Columbus to the north or Dothan, Alabama to the southwest.

Healthcare

No hospitals or major healthcare facilities operate within Quitman County itself. Residents typically travel to Columbus, Georgia or to facilities in adjacent southwest Georgia counties for hospital-level care. The CMS NPI Registry can be searched for any locally-licensed providers at: https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/api/?version=2.1&city=Georgetown-Quitman%20County%20unified%20government&state=GA&limit=50

Parks & Recreation

The Chattahoochee River forms the county's western boundary and provides the primary natural amenity of the area — fishing, boating, and access to river bottom bottomland. The Walter F. George Lake (also called Lake Eufaula), just upriver, spans the Georgia-Alabama line and draws recreational visitors from a wider region. No National Park Service units or federally managed visitor centers were listed in the available data for Quitman County specifically.

Natural Hazards

Quitman County's FEMA disaster declaration history is extensive for a small county, and it tells a consistent story: southwest Georgia sits in the path of Gulf Coast weather systems.

Eleven declarations since 1994 amount to roughly one significant federal disaster event every three years. Residents here have lived through multiple named storm events and should treat hurricane preparedness, flood insurance, and emergency planning as baseline necessities — not precautions.

Government & Municipal Code

Georgetown-Quitman County operates as a unified government — the city and county consolidated into a single governing body. The municipal code is published through Municode and is publicly available at:

https://library.municode.com/ga/georgetown-quitman-county-unified-government-georgia

No local building code is in effect. Construction and development questions should be directed to the unified government offices directly, as state-level codes would govern in the absence of a local ordinance.

Weather

Quitman County falls within the forecast area of the National Weather Service office serving the region. Current forecasts are available at https://www.weather.gov. The climate is humid subtropical — hot, humid summers, mild winters, and a real vulnerability to late-summer and fall tropical weather systems, as the disaster history makes clear.

References

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