Woodland, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Woodland · Talbot County, Georgia
Population 303 (est. 2026: ~200)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -10.23% annual growth projection

Woodland, Georgia

Talbot County, Georgia · Population 305

Woodland sits in the rolling red-clay countryside of Talbot County, roughly midway between Columbus and Macon in west-central Georgia. With 305 residents spread across a compact grid of streets, it is one of the smallest incorporated municipalities in a county that itself holds only 5,733 people. This is deep rural Georgia — quiet, affordable, and economically lean. The median age of 58.8 years tells the essential story: this is a place where longtime residents have stayed and younger generations have largely moved on. Nearly equal numbers of Black and white residents (141 and 142, respectively) make Woodland one of the more evenly split communities in the state by race, a demographic pattern common to old Cotton Belt towns across middle Georgia.

People & Demographics

The 2022 ACS counted 296 residents living in 151 occupied households, with an average household size of 1.96 — well below the Georgia state average, reflecting the older population and prevalence of single-person and two-person households. Of those 151 households, only 66 are family households. Just 38 children under 18 live here. There are no Asian or Hispanic/Latino residents recorded in the data. The median age of 58.8 is significantly older than the Georgia median, consistent with the broader pattern of rural population aging seen across Talbot County and the surrounding region.

Economy & Employment

The local economy is tight. Median household income sits at $31,850, and per capita income is $21,979 — both well below Georgia state medians. Of the 296 residents counted, 73 fall below the federal poverty line, representing a substantial share of the population. The labor force stands at 99 people, with 10 unemployed. The nearest significant employment centers are Columbus (roughly 45 miles west) and Macon (roughly 55 miles east), and most working residents commute out of the county for jobs in manufacturing, healthcare, government, or services. Woodland itself has minimal commercial or industrial base.

Housing

Housing in Woodland is inexpensive by any Georgia standard. The median home value is $85,000 — a fraction of Georgia's statewide median. Of 211 total housing units, 151 are occupied and 60 sit vacant, a vacancy rate of about 28%. That elevated vacancy figure is common in shrinking rural communities and can reflect aging housing stock, absentee ownership, or homes awaiting estate settlement. Owner-occupied units account for 118 of the 151 occupied homes; only 33 are renter-occupied. The strong ownership rate (78%) is a stable feature of small Southern towns where residents have deep roots and low mobility. Median rent data is not available for this town.

Schools

Students in Woodland are served by Central Elementary/High School, a combined K–12 campus that enrolls 408 students. The enrollment exceeds the town's population, meaning the school draws from across the surrounding rural area. A single consolidated campus serving grades pre-K through 12 is the practical solution for a county with Talbot's population density, keeping all students under one roof rather than maintaining separate facilities that enrollment numbers couldn't sustain.

Getting Around

Woodland is car-dependent. Of 89 total workers, 66 drive alone to work. Six carpool, five use public transit, and 12 work from home. No workers are recorded walking to work. The aggregate commute travel time for all workers totals 2,925 minutes — working out to roughly 33 minutes per worker on average — consistent with driving to employment in Columbus, Thomaston, or other regional centers. The presence of any public transit use (5 workers) is notable for a town this size and likely reflects county-operated or demand-response rural transit services rather than fixed-route bus lines.

Healthcare

No hospitals or clinical providers were identified within Woodland proper through available data. The nearest hospital-level care is accessible via Columbus or Thomaston, both of which are 40–50 miles away. For a current list of licensed healthcare providers who have registered in Woodland with the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, the NPI Registry provides a searchable record.

Library

The Talbot County Library is located 0.8 miles from Woodland and serves as the primary public library resource for the community. Phone: (706) 665-3134. It is the county's main branch and provides access to books, computers, and programs for a county with limited internet infrastructure.

Parks & Recreation

Two units of the National Park Service are accessible as day trips from Woodland. Andersonville National Historic Site preserves the site of the Civil War prisoner-of-war camp where nearly 13,000 Union soldiers died and is home to the National Prisoner of War Museum, approximately 41.8 miles away. Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains, which encompasses the 39th president's birthplace, boyhood farm, and related sites, is about 46 miles away — with the Plains High School Visitor Center and Museum also at that distance. Both parks are significant draws for visitors passing through the region and worth the drive for residents seeking structured outdoor and historical experiences.

Natural Hazards

Talbot County has a long and varied disaster history. FEMA records show 15 declarations touching this county since 1990, covering nearly every major weather threat that affects Georgia:

The pattern is consistent: Talbot County sits in a corridor vulnerable to Gulf hurricane remnants, severe spring storm systems, and periodic winter weather events. Residents should maintain awareness of NWS alerts for the area.

Government & Municipal Code

Woodland operates as an incorporated city under Georgia law. The municipal code is published through Municode and is publicly accessible at library.municode.com/ga/woodland-city-georgia. No local building code is on file for Woodland, meaning construction and development standards default to state and county-level requirements.

Weather

Current forecasts for the Woodland area are available through the National Weather Service at forecast.weather.gov. Active alerts can be checked at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest weather observation station is Talbotton, 1.3 miles away.

References

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