Wilkes County, Georgia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wilkes 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 77% 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 | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,549 | 10,939,918 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.1 | 184.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.48% | 1.01% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.5 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,133 | 4,074,039 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wilkes County declined by 7.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,549 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wilkes County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.8% of residents. That is 8.1 points above Georgia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,695 17.8% -4.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,702 17.8% -4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,955 20.5% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,180 22.8% +8.1 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 Wilkes County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Georgia 51.2%
- Men 48.4% Georgia 48.8%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wilkes County
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Economy
Wilkes County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,643 | $77,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.34% | 5.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.5% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wilkes County is about 31% lower than in Georgia.
Housing
| Metric | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $450,000 | $256,986 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $786 | $1,392 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.1% | 65.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wilkes County is about 47.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $786 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wilkes County spend about 60 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 252 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 252 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,799 | $6,109 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.9% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,004 | 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 Wilkes County is 30 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
Wilkes County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.7% | 30.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 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
Wilkes County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.7% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.9% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wilkes County, Georgia.
How big is Wilkes County, Georgia by population?
About 9,549 people live in Wilkes County, Georgia, in 4,133 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 46.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
How densely populated is Wilkes County, Georgia?
Averaged over its land area, Wilkes County, Georgia has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Wilkes County, Georgia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 8.4 times the median household income ($450,000 against $53,643), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $786 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Wilkes County, Georgia?
Unemployment in Wilkes County, Georgia is only 1.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Wilkes County, Georgia have a college degree?
14.7% of adults in Wilkes 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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