Deenwood, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Deenwood · Ware County, Georgia
Population 2,340 (est. 2026: ~2,400)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.85% annual growth projection

Deenwood, Georgia

Ware County, Georgia · Population 2,207

Deenwood sits in the flatwoods of southeast Georgia, tucked into Ware County roughly midway between the Florida state line and the city of Waycross — which is also the county seat and the commercial center that most Deenwood residents depend on. This is deep South Georgia pine country: timber, paper mills, and the vast Okefenokee Swamp to the south define the regional economy and landscape. Deenwood is a census-designated place rather than an incorporated municipality, which means it has no mayor, no city council, and — notably — no locally adopted building code. Life here is quiet, car-dependent, and rooted in the working-class fabric of one of Georgia's older timber communities.

People & Demographics

Deenwood's 2,146 counted residents (ACS 2022) skew slightly older than the state average, with a median age of 41.5. The community is predominantly white (1,586), with Black residents making up 275 of the total, 144 Asian residents, and a Hispanic or Latino population of 115. There are 823 occupied households, and families make up 527 of those — a majority-family community with an average household size of 2.61. Children under 18 number 498, or roughly 23 percent of the population.

Ware County as a whole counts 36,251 residents, meaning Deenwood represents about 6 percent of county population — a meaningful concentration in what is otherwise a lightly settled rural county.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Deenwood is $49,417, and per capita income is $29,240. Georgia's statewide median household income runs considerably higher, placing Deenwood solidly below the state average — though consistent with much of rural South Georgia. Poverty touches 451 residents, a share that reflects the economic constraints common to rural Ware County.

Of the 753 residents counted in the labor force, only 25 are unemployed — a low unemployment rate that likely reflects a mix of employment in Waycross's manufacturing and healthcare sectors, along with the timber and agriculture industries that underpin the county economy. Okefenokee-area tourism generates some local service employment as well.

Housing

Deenwood's 889 total housing units carry a vacancy rate of about 7.4 percent — 66 units sitting empty. Of the 823 occupied units, 584 are owner-occupied and 239 are renter-occupied, giving an owner-occupancy rate of roughly 71 percent, which is high even by Georgia rural standards.

Median home value is $135,800. Median rent is $828 per month. Both figures reflect the affordability of the deep-rural Southeast compared to Georgia's metro areas, and for buyers seeking low entry costs and stable ownership, Deenwood's housing market is accessible by almost any measure.

Schools

Deenwood CDP falls within the Ware County School District, which operates schools in and around Waycross. Specific campus assignments depend on address; families should confirm zoning directly with the district. No colleges or post-secondary campuses are located within Deenwood itself — the nearest higher education options are in Waycross, including Waycross College (now part of the University of Georgia system's regional network).

Getting Around

Deenwood runs almost entirely on cars. Of 706 counted workers, 673 drive alone to work — 95 percent of the commuting workforce. Twelve carpool. Nine use public transit. Twelve work from home. Zero walk to work. The aggregate commute time across all workers is 16,005 minutes, yielding an average one-way commute of about 22.7 minutes — consistent with a short drive into Waycross for most workers.

There is no local transit infrastructure in Deenwood. A personal vehicle is not optional here.

Healthcare

The nearest hospital serving Deenwood is Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross. As a CDP embedded in the Waycross metro area, Deenwood residents are within a short drive of emergency services. For a full list of licensed healthcare providers with a Deenwood address on file, the CMS National Provider Identifier registry can be searched directly:

Search NPI Registry for Deenwood, GA providers

Parks & Recreation

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge — one of the largest intact freshwater ecosystems in North America and a designated National Natural Landmark — sits immediately to the south of Ware County. The refuge's Folkston entrance and the Stephen C. Foster State Park entrance in neighboring Charlton County are both within reasonable driving distance. The swamp offers canoeing, wildlife observation, and guided boat tours through cypress-blackwater terrain that has no equivalent elsewhere in Georgia.

Waycross itself hosts the Okefenokee Heritage Center and the Southern Forest World museum, both relevant to the timber and natural history of the region.

Natural Hazards

Ware County has accumulated a striking FEMA disaster declaration record. Since 2016, the county has been named in fifteen separate federal disaster or emergency declarations, covering:

The frequency of hurricane-related declarations is significant. Deenwood sits far enough inland that storm surge is not a direct risk, but wind damage and inland flooding from Gulf and Atlantic systems are real and recurring threats. The 2024 season — with Debby, Idalia, and Helene all generating county-level declarations — underscores that Ware County is regularly in the path of tropical systems that weaken but don't dissipate before reaching southeast Georgia.

Government & Municipal Code

Deenwood is a census-designated place with no municipal government. Ware County handles governance, zoning authority, and public services. The CDP does have a Municode page on file:

Deenwood CDP Municipal Code — Municode

No locally adopted building code is on record for Deenwood. State minimum standards apply by default.

Weather

Deenwood falls under the National Weather Service forecast office in Jacksonville, Florida. Current forecasts, hazardous weather outlooks, and storm warnings for Ware County are available at weather.gov/jax. Southeast Georgia's climate features hot, humid summers, mild winters, and a long tropical storm season running June through November.

References

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