Waresboro, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Waresboro · Ware County, Georgia
Population 197 (est. 2026: ~0)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -45.18% annual growth projection

Waresboro, Georgia

Ware County, Georgia · Population 375

Waresboro sits in the flatlands of southeast Georgia, a small census-designated place tucked inside Ware County roughly at the geographic heart of the county. It is not Waycross — the county seat, a city of roughly 14,000 that holds the hospitals, the courts, the retail, and most of the jobs. Waresboro is the quieter place behind it: low home prices, a young population, and a community where the nearest stoplight is probably in someone else's town. The Okefenokee Swamp, one of the largest intact freshwater wetlands in North America, lies just to the south and southwest, which means Waresboro residents live in genuine proximity to one of Georgia's most consequential natural landscapes.

People & Demographics

The 2022 American Community Survey counted 463 people in Waresboro. The median age is 21.6 years — strikingly young, well below Georgia's statewide median and a reflection of the fact that 187 of those residents are children under 18. That is roughly 40 percent of the entire population. Family structure here skews heavily toward households built around children.

The town has 202 occupied households with an average size of 2.29 people. Of the total population, 364 identify as white and 99 as Black. No Asian or Hispanic/Latino residents were counted in this survey period. Ware County as a whole holds 36,251 people, meaning Waresboro represents just over 1 percent of county population — a small satellite in a county that is itself rural by Georgia standards.

Economy & Employment

Per capita income in Waresboro is $20,872 — a figure that trails the Georgia statewide per capita income significantly. Median household income data was not available for this survey period.

Of the 191 residents counted in the labor force, 21 were unemployed at the time of the survey — an unemployment rate of roughly 11 percent, notably higher than state and national benchmarks. Poverty data shows 79 residents below the federal poverty line, representing a meaningful share of the population in a place where incomes are already modest.

Most working residents commute out. The county seat of Waycross holds the region's employment base: healthcare, retail, logistics, and light industry. There is no significant employment center within Waresboro itself.

Housing

Housing in Waresboro is among the most affordable in Georgia by raw price. The median home value is $84,700 — a fraction of the Georgia statewide median. Of 262 total housing units, 202 are occupied and 60 are vacant, a vacancy rate of about 23 percent. That vacancy level is high and reflects the broader pattern of population pressure in rural southeast Georgia.

Owner-occupancy is the dominant tenure here: 181 of 202 occupied units are owner-occupied, compared to just 21 rental units. That's an ownership rate approaching 90 percent — unusual for a low-income community and suggests long-established, rooted households rather than transient renters. Median rent data was not available for this survey period.

Schools

Students in Waresboro are served by Ware County Schools, the county school district based in Waycross. No school buildings are located within the CDP boundary itself; students travel to Waycross for public education. The district serves Ware County's rural and urban communities together.

Getting Around

Of 170 workers, 124 drove alone to work and 46 carpooled. No residents were counted using public transit, walking, or working from home. Waresboro is entirely car-dependent — there is no local transit infrastructure, and the distances to employment in Waycross and beyond make personal vehicles a practical necessity. Aggregate commute time data was not available for this survey period.

Healthcare

The nearest full-service hospital is Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross, located a short drive from Waresboro. Waycross serves as the regional healthcare hub for Ware County and surrounding rural counties. For a directory of individual healthcare providers credentialed in Waresboro, the CMS NPI Registry can be searched directly: NPI Provider Search — Waresboro, GA.

Parks & Recreation

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge lies immediately to the south and west of Waresboro, making this one of the few American communities where a federally protected wilderness of 402,000 acres is essentially a neighbor. The refuge's Okefenokee Swamp is a UNESCO World Heritage nominee and one of the oldest intact freshwater ecosystems in the country. Canoe trails, fishing, wildlife observation, and ranger-led programs are available. The Stephen C. Foster State Park, within the refuge, offers camping. For residents, this is not a tourist abstraction — it is the defining landscape of everyday life in this part of Georgia.

Natural Hazards

Ware County has been struck repeatedly and seriously by named storms and other disasters. FEMA declarations affecting this county since 2016 include:

The pattern is unambiguous: this corner of Georgia sits in a zone of compounding storm risk, wildfire risk from the Okefenokee's peat and vegetation, and periodic flooding. Residents living here should maintain hurricane preparedness plans year-round, not just during peak season.

Government & Municipal Code

Waresboro is a census-designated place (CDP), meaning it has no incorporated municipal government. Despite this, a municipal code is published and maintained through Municode: Waresboro CDP Municipal Code. Notably, no local building code is on record, which is relevant for anyone planning construction or renovation — county-level codes through Ware County would govern in the absence of a local standard.

Weather

Current forecasts for Waresboro are available through the National Weather Service — Jacksonville, FL office, which covers southeast Georgia including Ware County. The nearest official weather station is in Waycross.

References

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