Ivey, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Ivey · Wilkinson County, Georgia
Population 962 (est. 2026: ~1,000)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.21% annual growth projection

Ivey, Georgia

Wilkinson County, Georgia · Population 1,037

Ivey sits in the geographic center of Georgia, a small city in Wilkinson County roughly midway between Macon and Dublin along U.S. Highway 441. The county seat is Irwinton, just a few miles away. Ivey is not a suburb of anything — the nearest metropolitan area is Macon, about 40 miles southwest. This is rural Middle Georgia kaolin country, a landscape of red clay roads, pine timber, and small towns that function largely independently of each other. With just over 1,000 residents, Ivey is a genuine small town: the kind of place where the school enrollment and the labor force are roughly the same number.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 count puts Ivey's population at 1,060, with a median age of 32.9 — notably young for a small rural Georgia town, driven in part by 329 children under 18 living here. That's nearly a third of the population under 18.

The racial makeup is 861 White residents, 131 Black residents, and 3 Hispanic or Latino residents. There are 371 total households, of which 254 are family households, with an average household size of 2.84 people.

Ivey is home to about 12 percent of Wilkinson County's total population of 8,877. The county itself is one of Georgia's smaller rural counties.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Ivey is $40,938, and per capita income is $21,068. Both figures sit well below Georgia's statewide medians, reflecting the economic realities of rural Middle Georgia. With 250 residents below the poverty line out of a population of 1,060, the poverty rate is roughly 24 percent — a significant share.

The labor force stands at 403 people, with 41 unemployed. Major employers in Wilkinson County have historically included kaolin mining and processing operations, along with agriculture, government, and healthcare. Ivey residents within commuting distance of Macon can access a broader job market, but most employment stays within the county or the immediate region.

Housing

Ivey has 434 total housing units, of which 371 are occupied and 63 sit vacant — a vacancy rate of about 14.5 percent, higher than typical suburban Georgia but not unusual for small rural towns.

Owner-occupied housing dominates: 307 units versus 64 renter-occupied. The median home value is $57,700, which is dramatically lower than Georgia's statewide median. That affordability is real for buyers with cash or conventional financing, though it also reflects limited appreciation history and the challenges of rural markets. Median gross rent is $709 per month.

For anyone relocating from Atlanta, Macon, or most other Georgia metros, the housing costs in Ivey represent a significant shift downward — both in price and in what the local market will support.

Schools

Ivey hosts two of Wilkinson County's public schools:

Upper grades are served elsewhere in the county system. Wilkinson County Schools is the sole public school district serving this area. There are no colleges or universities within the immediate area; the nearest higher education options are in Macon or Dublin.

Getting Around

Car ownership is essential in Ivey. Of 362 workers, 338 drive alone. Just 3 carpool, 6 walk, and 13 work from home. Public transit does not exist here — zero workers commute by transit. The aggregate travel time for all workers is 11,240 minutes, putting the average one-way commute at roughly 31 minutes. That reflects a population that largely works outside Ivey itself, in Irwinton, Dublin, or Macon.

U.S. 441 is the primary corridor connecting Ivey to the broader region.

Healthcare

No hospitals are located within Ivey. The nearest acute care facility serving Wilkinson County residents is typically accessed through the Dublin or Macon corridors. The closest major medical center is in Macon, approximately 40 miles away.

For a list of healthcare providers registered in Ivey through the CMS National Provider Identifier system, see the NPI Registry search for Ivey, GA.

Library

East Wilkinson County Public Library is located 1.8 miles from Ivey's center and can be reached at (478) 946-2778. It serves as the primary public library resource for residents of this part of the county.

Parks & Recreation

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is the major nearby NPS site, located approximately 23.5 miles away near Macon. The park preserves one of the most significant Indigenous archaeological sites in the American Southeast, with mounds built more than 1,000 years ago. The Ocmulgee Mounds Visitor Center is at that same distance and serves as the entry point for the park. For residents of rural Wilkinson County, this is the closest nationally designated natural and historical resource of significance.

Natural Hazards

Wilkinson County has accumulated a substantial FEMA declaration history. Fifteen separate federal emergency or disaster declarations have been issued since 1998:

The pattern is clear: Wilkinson County sits in the path of Gulf Coast hurricanes that track inland, and it is also vulnerable to severe winter weather events. Residents should maintain preparedness for both.

Government & Municipal Code

Ivey operates as an incorporated city within Wilkinson County. The municipal code is published through Municode and is publicly accessible at library.municode.com/ga/ivey-city-georgia.

No building code is currently on file for Ivey. Residents undertaking construction or renovation projects should verify applicable county-level building requirements directly with Wilkinson County.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for the Ivey area are available through the National Weather Service:

The nearest official weather observation station is Irwinton 4 WNW, located 2.5 miles from Ivey.

References

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