Rocky Ford, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Rocky Ford · Screven County, Georgia
Population 309 (est. 2026: ~200)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -10.68% annual growth projection

Rocky Ford, Georgia

Screven County, Georgia · Population 167

Rocky Ford sits in Screven County in Georgia's Coastal Plain, roughly midway between Savannah and Augusta along the quieter stretches of rural southeast Georgia. The town is small enough that most people who live here know each other — 167 residents, a handful of streets, and a pace that reflects deep-rooted rural life rather than suburban growth. Sylvania, the Screven County seat about ten miles away, handles most of the county's commercial and civic activity. Rocky Ford's identity is its own: a tight-knit community where the median age runs older, homeownership rates are high, and most people drive to work somewhere nearby.

People & Demographics

Rocky Ford's ACS-measured population is 246, with 107 households and an average household size of 2.30. The median age is 51.5 — noticeably older than the Georgia statewide median, which signals a town where younger residents have mostly left for larger labor markets while longtime residents have stayed. There are 48 children under 18, and 76 of 107 households are family households.

The racial composition is 183 white residents, 45 Black residents, and 7 Hispanic or Latino residents, with no Asian population counted. The demographics reflect Screven County's broader rural composition, though Rocky Ford skews somewhat whiter than the county as a whole.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Rocky Ford is $56,875 — a figure that sits above what many surrounding rural Georgia communities report, though it masks real economic stress. Per capita income is $22,511, and 37 residents fall below the poverty line.

Of the 96 residents counted in the labor force, 14 are unemployed, a rate that reflects the limited local job market typical of small agricultural communities in southeast Georgia. Most working residents commute out of town; there is no significant commercial or industrial base within Rocky Ford itself.

Housing

Rocky Ford has 135 total housing units. Of those, 107 are occupied and 28 sit vacant — a vacancy rate of about 21%, which is high and typical of shrinking rural communities across Georgia's Coastal Plain.

Owner-occupied households number 85; renter-occupied total 22. That strong ownership ratio — nearly 80% of occupied units — reflects the long-term stability of the resident base rather than a dynamic rental market.

The median home value is $70,700, which is exceptionally affordable by any Georgia standard. The median rent is $813 per month. For buyers, this market offers entry-level prices that are a fraction of what would be found in Savannah or Augusta.

Schools

Rocky Ford students are served by Screven County schools. Two schools draw from the broader area:

High school students attend Screven County High School in Sylvania. The schools serve the county-wide population, not Rocky Ford alone, meaning students travel into Sylvania for most of their education.

Getting Around

Rocky Ford is car-dependent. Of 80 total workers, 63 drive alone to work and 14 carpool. Three residents walk to work. No one uses public transit, and no one works from home. The aggregate commute time for all workers totals 2,065 minutes, putting the average one-way trip at roughly 26 minutes — suggesting most employment is in Sylvania or surrounding small towns rather than in distant metros. There is no public bus or rail service.

Healthcare

The nearest hospital is Optim Medical Center – Screven, located in Sylvania. For emergency care, residents depend on that facility or face longer drives toward Savannah's larger hospital network. For a directory of individual healthcare providers registered in Rocky Ford, the CMS NPI Registry can be queried directly: NPI Registry – Rocky Ford, GA.

Library

The Screven County Library is approximately 1.0 mile from Rocky Ford. It can be reached at (912) 564-7526. As part of the county library system, it provides the primary public library access for Rocky Ford residents.

Natural Hazards

Screven County has been hit repeatedly by named storms and weather events. The FEMA declaration history is extensive:

That is 15 federal declarations over roughly a decade. The pattern is clear: southeast Georgia's position in the path of Atlantic and Gulf storm tracks makes Screven County a recurring disaster zone. Residents planning to live here should treat hurricane preparedness and flood insurance as standard practice, not optional considerations.

Government & Municipal Code

Rocky Ford's municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/rocky-ford-town-georgia. The town does not have a local building code on file through that platform, meaning construction and renovation projects likely default to state and county standards.

Weather

Current forecasts for Rocky Ford are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast – Rocky Ford. Active weather alerts can be checked at NWS Alerts. The nearest weather observation station is Sylvania 2 SSE, approximately 1.0 mile away.

References

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