McRae-Helena, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
McRae-Helena · Telfair County, Georgia
Population 5,959 (est. 2026: ~6,200)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 1.19% annual growth projection

McRae-Helena, Georgia

Telfair County, Georgia · Population 6,253

McRae-Helena sits at the geographic heart of South Georgia, roughly 140 miles southeast of Atlanta and about 60 miles east of Macon, in Telfair County along the Ocmulgee River. The city was formed by the consolidation of McRae and Helena, two adjacent towns that grew up together and eventually merged rather than compete. It serves as the Telfair County seat, making it the administrative and commercial hub for a county of roughly 12,477 people. The surrounding landscape is flat piney woods and farmland — timber, agriculture, and public-sector employment define the economic reality here. This is a small, majority-minority Southern county seat with a substantial Hispanic population, high poverty, and housing that costs a fraction of the Georgia average.

People & Demographics

McRae-Helena's 6,338 residents represent more than half of Telfair County's total population. The median age is 36.4, somewhat younger than the Georgia state median. Racial composition is roughly divided: 2,638 residents identify as white, 2,153 as Black, and 1,557 as Hispanic or Latino — making this one of the more ethnically diverse small towns in South Georgia. The Hispanic community represents nearly a quarter of the population, a proportion significantly above the rural Georgia norm and likely tied to agricultural and poultry processing employment in the region.

Average household size runs 3.49 — notably large compared to state and national averages — and there are 1,555 children under 18 in the city. Of 1,215 total households, 853 are family households.

Economy & Employment

The per capita income in McRae-Helena is $12,592, a figure that tells the core economic story here. By comparison, Georgia's statewide per capita income is substantially higher, placing McRae-Helena among the lower-income communities in the state.

Poverty is widespread: 1,761 residents fall below the federal poverty line out of a total population of 6,338 — roughly 28%. The labor force numbers 1,509, with just 14 residents counted as unemployed in the survey data, though the low labor force participation relative to total population suggests many residents are outside the workforce entirely. Public employment — county government, schools, courts — anchors much of the local economy alongside agriculture and whatever regional manufacturing exists in the corridor.

Housing

McRae-Helena has 1,843 total housing units, of which 1,215 are occupied and 628 are vacant — a vacancy rate of approximately 34%, which is exceptionally high and reflects both population loss over time and the challenges of maintaining older housing stock in lower-income rural communities.

Of occupied units, 842 are owner-occupied and 373 are renter-occupied. The median home value is $89,300, far below the Georgia median, making homeownership financially accessible in raw dollar terms. Median rent sits at $621 per month. For households with very low incomes, even these modest costs can represent a significant burden given the per capita income of $12,592.

Schools

McRae-Helena is served by Telfair County Schools. The county's schools include Telfair County Elementary, Telfair County Middle School, and Telfair County High School, all located within or immediately adjacent to McRae-Helena as the county seat. Students in Telfair County are educated within a single-district system with no school choice alternatives nearby. The nearest community college serving this area is East Georgia State College in Swainsboro, approximately 45 miles northeast.

Getting Around

McRae-Helena is a car-required community. Of 1,476 workers, 1,331 drive alone. Just 31 carpool. Zero residents commute by public transit, and zero walk to work. No meaningful transit infrastructure exists. Working from home accounts for 114 workers, modest but notable.

The aggregate commute travel time across all workers totals 27,230 minutes, suggesting an average one-way commute of roughly 18–19 minutes — consistent with workers reaching nearby employers within the county or traveling to Douglas, Valdosta, or other regional centers for work.

Healthcare

The nearest full-service hospital to McRae-Helena is Appling Healthcare in Baxley, approximately 40 miles east, or Dodge County Hospital in Eastman, roughly 30 miles north. For more specialized care, residents travel to Macon (roughly 90 miles) or Augusta. The region's distance from major medical centers is a persistent challenge for health access.

Local and regional providers registered with CMS can be searched through the NPI Registry for McRae-Helena, GA.

Library

The Telfair County Public Library serves McRae-Helena and is part of the Uncle Remus Regional Library System, which covers several Middle Georgia counties. The library provides the primary public internet access point and resource hub for county residents.

Parks & Recreation

The Ocmulgee River runs through Telfair County and provides fishing and paddling access. The Little Ocmulgee State Park, located just north of McRae-Helena near the town of McRae, sits directly adjacent to the city and offers an 18-hole golf course, lodge, tennis courts, and lake swimming — an unusually well-developed state park for a community of this size. It functions as the primary organized recreation anchor for the area.

Natural Hazards

Telfair County has been inside federal disaster declarations 15 times since 1994. The hazard pattern is unmistakable — this region sits in the path of Atlantic and Gulf storms that weaken as they move inland across South Georgia.

Hurricane Helene struck in late September 2024 and generated both an emergency declaration (EM-3616) and a major disaster declaration (DR-4830), making it one of the more damaging recent events. Hurricane Debby also triggered an emergency declaration in August 2024. Hurricane Michael (2018) and Hurricane Irma (2017) each produced paired emergency and major disaster declarations. The county also experienced the COVID-19 declarations in 2020, a severe winter storm declaration in January 2026, Hurricane Katrina evacuation support in 2005, Tropical Storm Frances impacts in 2004, and major flooding events from Tropical Storm Alberto in 1994 and other storm systems in 1998 and 2009.

Residents should maintain storm supplies, understand flood zone status for their property, and monitor NWS forecasts through the National Weather Service Tallahassee office, which covers this portion of South Georgia.

Government & Municipal Code

McRae-Helena's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/mcrae-helena. The city does not have a locally adopted building code on record with Municode, which can have implications for construction permitting and insurance.

References

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