Sumner, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Sumner · Worth County, Georgia
Population 465 (est. 2026: ~400)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -5.59% annual growth projection

Sumner, Georgia

Worth County, Georgia · Population 445

Sumner sits in the flat, agricultural heart of southwest Georgia, tucked into Worth County about 10 miles west of Sylvester, the county seat. It is a small town by any measure — 445 residents, a tight grid of streets, and the kind of deep-rooted community character common to rural Georgia towns that have outlasted the economic shifts of the last half-century. The surrounding landscape is pine timber, row crops, and open sky. Sylvester is the practical hub for most daily needs, while Albany, roughly 35 miles to the northwest, serves as the nearest regional center for specialized retail, medical, and employment. Sumner is not a suburb of anything — it is its own place, small and self-aware.

People & Demographics

The Census ACS 2022 count places Sumner's population at 404 across 158 households, with an average household size of 2.56. The median age is 40.0. Racially, the town is majority white at 235 residents, with 129 Black residents and 27 Hispanic or Latino residents. Asian population is reported at zero.

Of the 158 occupied households, 104 are family households. There are 99 children under 18 living in town. Worth County as a whole holds 20,784 residents, meaning Sumner accounts for roughly 2% of the county population — a small but stable community in a predominantly rural county.

Economy & Employment

Of the 170 residents counted in the labor force, 6 are unemployed — a low raw number that reflects both the small population and limited local job base. Most employment follows patterns typical of rural Worth County: agriculture, logistics, and public-sector work connected to county services and schools.

Median household income sits at $46,786, and per capita income at $24,658. Neither figure is high by Georgia standards — the state median household income runs considerably higher — but they reflect the economic reality of rural southwest Georgia. Eighty-nine residents fall below the federal poverty line, representing a meaningful share of the town's small population. For higher-paying or more specialized work, residents look toward Sylvester, Albany, or Tifton.

Housing

Sumner has 177 total housing units, of which 158 are occupied and 19 are vacant — a vacancy rate of roughly 10.7%. Owner-occupied units number 103; 55 households rent. The median home value is $80,700, making Sumner one of the more affordable places to own property in the state. Median rent, however, runs $1,018 per month — a figure that feels high relative to home values and local incomes, and suggests limited rental stock driving up unit costs.

For buyers, the low home values create real entry points. For renters working at local wages, the rent-to-income ratio is a genuine pressure point.

Schools

Sumner students attend Worth County Schools, a countywide district serving the area through five campuses:

All campuses are based in the Sylvester area. The Achievement Center serves students who need an alternative path to graduation.

Getting Around

Of 162 workers counted, 133 drive alone to work. Seven carpool. Only 2 use public transit, and 17 work from home. The aggregate travel time across all workers is 4,865 minutes, which works out to an average one-way commute of roughly 30 minutes — consistent with driving to Sylvester, Albany, or Tifton for work. Sumner is car-dependent. There is no meaningful local transit infrastructure.

Healthcare

The primary hospital serving Worth County is Phoebe Worth Medical Center in Sylvester. For higher-acuity care, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany handles regional specialty and emergency needs. Local provider searches can be run through the CMS NPI Registry for Sumner, GA.

Library

The Margaret Jones Public Library is located 1.4 miles from Sumner's center and serves as the local branch for Worth County residents. Phone: (229) 776-2096.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service sites sit within reasonable driving distance and draw visitors from across southwest Georgia:

The Plains High School Visitor Center and Museum in Plains, about 46.9 miles from Sumner, offers additional historic context for the Jimmy Carter sites.

Natural Hazards

Worth County has a long and serious federal disaster declaration record. Since 2004, the county has been included in 15 separate FEMA emergency or major disaster declarations:

Hurricanes and tropical systems: Helene (2024, two declarations), Debby (2024), Michael (2018, two declarations), Irma (2017, two declarations), and Tropical Storm Frances (2004). The county also staged evacuation support during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Severe storms: Two back-to-back disaster declarations in January 2017 for tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding. Similar events in 2009 and 2007.

COVID-19: Two declarations in March 2020.

Southwest Georgia is in a corridor that catches the remnants of Gulf Coast and Atlantic storms with regularity. Flooding, wind damage, and tornadoes are recurring, not exceptional, events in this region. Residents should maintain awareness through the NWS forecast for Sumner and monitor active weather alerts. The nearest official weather observation station is Sylvester 1.5 NW, located 0.9 miles away.

Government & Municipal Code

Sumner operates under a municipal code published through Municode: https://library.municode.com/ga/sumner-town-georgia

No local building code is on file for Sumner. Construction and development standards default to state and county requirements.

References

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