Effingham County, Georgia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Effingham County is located in Georgia with a total population of 69,143. It is the 35th most populous county out of 159 in Georgia. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Effingham County is 37.0 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 37.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Effingham County is $88,438. This is 14% higher than the state median of $77,353. It is also 10% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 6.8%. This is 49% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.4%. The unemployment rate is 5.5%. This is 8% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $276,000. Housing costs are 9% lower than the state median of $303,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 78.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 19% higher than the state average of 65.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Effingham County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 72.9% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 14.4%. The Black or African American population (14.4%) is well below the state average of 30.7%. The Asian population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 4.5%.

Education

27.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 22% lower 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 90.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Effingham County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Georgia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.