Tiger, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Tiger · Rabun County, Georgia
Population 384 (est. 2026: ~300)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -5.73% annual growth projection

Tiger, Georgia

Rabun County, Georgia · Population 422

Tiger sits in the northeastern corner of Georgia, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains along US-76 between Clayton and Tallulah Falls. It is a small, unincorporated-feeling place that carries a town charter — Rabun County's mountain topography shapes daily life here as much as any municipal policy does. The Chattooga River corridor and the Chattahoochee National Forest press in from multiple directions, making Tiger less a commercial hub than a residential foothold in one of Georgia's most scenically striking counties. People who live here have made a deliberate choice about terrain, pace, and distance from metro sprawl.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 count puts Tiger's population at 549, with a median age of 47.5 — noticeably older than Georgia's statewide median, which reflects a pattern common to rural mountain communities where younger residents leave for job markets in Atlanta, Gainesville, or Asheville. Of 549 residents, 515 identify as white, 11 as Black, and 4 as Asian. The Hispanic and Latino population numbers 58, a meaningful share for a town this size.

There are 195 households, 91 of them family households. The average household size is 2.32. Children under 18 number 118 — about one in five residents — suggesting Tiger is not exclusively a retirement or second-home community, though its age profile leans that direction. Rabun County overall holds 16,883 people, meaning Tiger accounts for roughly 3 percent of county population.

Economy & Employment

The labor force stands at 181, with only 3 people counted as unemployed — an unemployment rate well under 2 percent, though in a town this small those numbers can move sharply with a handful of job changes. Median household income is $43,594, and per capita income is $20,334. Both figures sit below Georgia state medians, which is consistent with rural Appalachian communities across the region. Fifty-six residents fall below the federal poverty line.

Tiger does not function as an employment center. Most working residents commute out to Clayton, the Rabun County seat roughly 6 miles north, or farther into the region for work in healthcare, hospitality, construction, and trades that support both the permanent population and the area's substantial tourism economy.

Housing

Tiger has 247 total housing units, of which 195 are occupied and 52 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 21 percent, high by urban standards but not unusual for a mountain community where seasonal and second-home ownership inflates the vacant count. Of occupied units, 128 are owner-occupied and 67 are renter-occupied.

Median home value is $180,400. The median gross rent figure of $3,169 is a statistical outlier almost certainly reflecting a very small renter sample with wide variation rather than a true market rate, and should be interpreted cautiously. The ownership rate of roughly 66 percent aligns with the broader rural Georgia pattern.

Schools

Tiger students attend Rabun County schools, which serve the entire county rather than individual municipalities.

All four schools are in Clayton. Total enrollment across the system runs just over 2,270 students. For a county of fewer than 17,000 people, these are reasonably sized schools with complete grade-band coverage.

Getting Around

Of 178 workers counted in the commute data, 155 drove alone and 16 carpooled. Zero used public transit — there is none. Zero walked to work. Seven worked from home. The aggregate travel time for all workers combined is 2,235 minutes, which works out to an average one-way commute of roughly 12–13 minutes. That figure reflects short trips to Clayton primarily, though some residents commute considerably farther toward Gainesville or the I-985 corridor.

A car is not optional in Tiger. This is unambiguously an automobile-dependent community.

Healthcare

The nearest hospital is Mountain Lakes Medical Center, located to serve the Rabun County region. Detailed ratings and emergency service data were not available in current sources. For a directory of individual healthcare providers registered in Tiger, the CMS NPI Registry can be queried directly: NPI Provider Search — Tiger, GA.

For anything beyond routine care, residents typically travel toward Gainesville (roughly 65 miles) where Northeast Georgia Medical Center operates a major regional facility.

Library

The Rabun County Public Library serves Tiger residents and is located 3.7 miles away. Phone: (706) 782-3731. It is the county's primary public library branch and provides the standard range of physical collections, digital resources, and programming for all ages.

Parks & Recreation

The mountains surrounding Tiger are the recreation. The Chattahoochee National Forest begins essentially at the town's edge, with trails, swimming holes, and fishing access throughout. The Chattooga Wild and Scenic River — made famous in part by the film Deliverance, portions of which were filmed in Rabun County — runs along the South Carolina border.

For those willing to drive, Deep Creek Campground in the Nantahala National Forest is approximately 43.8 miles out. The Waterrock Knob Visitor Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 451.2) is about 46.4 miles, and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is roughly 47.8 miles. These distances are drivable for a day trip on mountain roads — expect longer travel times than the mileage suggests.

Natural Hazards

Rabun County has a substantial FEMA disaster declaration history, and Tiger sits squarely within it. Declared events affecting the county include:

The pattern is clear: this region faces recurring threats from both tropical systems tracking inland from the Gulf and Atlantic, and from winter storms that can isolate mountain communities quickly. Hurricane Helene in 2024 brought catastrophic flooding to nearby areas of western North Carolina and demonstrated how severely inland mountain towns can be affected by storms that make landfall hundreds of miles away.

Government & Municipal Code

Tiger operates under a town charter and publishes its municipal code through Municode: Tiger Town Municipal Code

Tiger does not have a local building code on file through Municode. Construction and development standards default to state and county requirements.

Weather

Current National Weather Service forecast for Tiger: NWS Forecast — Tiger, GA

Active weather alerts: NWS Alerts — Tiger, GA

The nearest weather observation station is TIGER 1.9 NW, approximately 3.9 miles from town. Mountain weather in this part of Georgia changes quickly. Fog, ice, and rapid temperature drops are routine in winter months. The elevation differential between valley floors and surrounding ridgelines means conditions can vary significantly within a short drive.

References

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