Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Athens-Clarke County is a major urban center located in Georgia, within Clarke County. The total population is 127,345. It ranks as the 6th most populous out of 669 Census-designated places in Georgia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Athens-Clarke County is 29.4 years. This is 22% lower than the state median of 37.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Athens-Clarke County is $52,974. This is 32% lower than the state median of $77,353. It is also 34% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 26.5%. This is 98% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.4%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 5.3%. This is 4% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $299,200. Housing costs are 1% lower than the state median of $303,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.6x. 40.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 38% lower than the state average of 65.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Athens-Clarke County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 53.8% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 25.7%.

Education

47.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Athens-Clarke County in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 35% higher than the state rate of 34.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.5%. Notably, 24.3% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Athens-Clarke County, Georgia is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Georgia state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 669 Census-designated places in Georgia. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.