Burke County, Georgia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Burke County, GA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 74% of counties in Georgia
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Burke County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,470 | 10,939,918 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 29.3 | 184.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.90% | 1.01% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.8 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,184 | 4,074,039 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Burke County grew by 7.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,470 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Burke County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.0% of residents. That is 0.7 points below Georgia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,385 22.0% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,613 18.9% -3.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,973 20.3% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,308 17.6% +2.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Georgia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.6% of the people living in Burke County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Georgia 51.2%
- Men 48.4% Georgia 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Burke County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Burke County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Burke County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,563 | $77,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.68% | 5.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Burke County is about 31% lower than in Georgia.
Housing
| Metric | Burke County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $24,090 | $256,986 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $758 | $1,392 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.0% | 65.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Burke County is about 2.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $758 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Burke County spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 211 hours, about 8.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Burke County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.4 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 50.7 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 211 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,554 | $6,109 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,227 | 11,986 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 395 | 1,447 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Georgia:
Chattahoochee County (8.6 min), Ben Hill County (12.7 min), Tift County (15.8 min).
Slowest:
Talbot County (40.8 min), McIntosh County (37.7 min), Paulding County (36.4 min).
The average commute time in Burke County is 25 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Georgia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Burke County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Burke County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.7% | 30.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.64 | 2.62 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Georgia:
Oconee County (0.4), Fulton County (0.4), Forsyth County (0.4).
Lowest:
Quitman County (0.1), Hancock County (0.1), Taliaferro County (0.1).
Health
Burke County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Burke County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.8 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.9% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.3% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Georgia:
Forsyth County (0.8), Oconee County (0.8), Fayette County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clinch County (0.7), Clay County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7).
Burke County, GA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Burke County, GA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke County, GA | 24,470 | $53,563 #3/3 | $24,090 #3/3 | 25.4 min #3/3 |
| Richmond County, GA | 206,056 | $56,121 | $141,895 | 18.7 min |
| Columbia County, GA | 162,330 | $95,509 | $303,017 | 23.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Burke County, Georgia.
What is the population of Burke County, Georgia?
About 24,470 people live in Burke County, Georgia, in 9,184 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 36.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Burke County, Georgia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Burke County, Georgia has 29 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 34% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Burke County, Georgia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($24,090 against $53,563), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $758 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Burke County, Georgia have a college degree?
13.7% of adults in Burke County, Georgia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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