Heard County, Georgia Demographics 2026

Name: Heard County, Georgia Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Heard County, Georgia has a population of 11,773, the 117th most populous county in Georgia. The median household income is $65,868 and the median home value is $186,800. The poverty rate is 17.9%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Heard County Quick Facts

Population 11,773

Median Household Income $65,868

Median Home Value $186,800

Poverty Rate 17.9%

Unemployment Rate 4.3%

Median Age 41.1 years

Homeownership Rate 72.3%

Affordability Ratio 2.8x

Bachelor's Degree+ 12.8%

High School Graduation 87.9%

Cities/Places 3

Population 11,773 117th of 159

Median Income $65,868 15% lower than state

Poverty Rate 17.9%

Unemployment 4.3%

How Heard County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	11,616	11,773	+1.4%
Median household income	$62,907	$65,868	+4.7%
Median home value	$161,000	$186,800	+16.0%

Median Household Income

Heard

$65,868

$77,353

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Heard

$186,800

$303,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 20.1%

$25K-$50K 23.1%

$50K-$100K 24.7%

$100K+ 32.2%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.9%

$10K-$15K

7.0%

$15K-$20K

3.5%

$20K-$25K

3.6%

$25K-$30K

5.7%

$30K-$35K

4.3%

$35K-$40K

3.1%

$40K-$45K

4.0%

$45K-$50K

6.0%

$50K-$60K

5.1%

$60K-$75K

7.6%

$75K-$100K

11.9%

$100K-$125K

11.9%

$125K-$150K

7.5%

$150K-$200K

6.2%

$200K+

6.6%

Employment

4.3% Unemployment Rate State: 5.1%|National: 5.2%

53.2% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 72.3%

Renter 27.7%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.8x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $917/mo 16.7% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

23.1%

18-34

20.4%

35-54

24.3%

55-74

25.9%

75+

6.2%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 65 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Heard County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Franklin	958	$32,917	26.0%	$366,700
Centralhatchee	662	$43,698	11.6%	N/A
Ephesus	642	$61,250	19.5%	$150,600

Explore Georgia Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Heard County is located in Georgia with a total population of 11,773. It is the 117th most populous county out of 159 in Georgia. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Heard County is 41.1 years. This is 9% higher than the state median of 37.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Heard County is $65,868. This is 15% lower than the state median of $77,353. It is also 18% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 17.9%. This is 34% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.4%. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 17% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $186,800. Housing costs are 38% lower than the state median of $303,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Heard County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 72.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 65.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Heard County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.4% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 7.8%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (84.4% vs 49.1%). The Black or African American population (7.8%) is well below the state average of 30.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.8%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 4.5%.

Education

12.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 63% 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 87.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Heard 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Heard County, Georgia?

Heard County has a population of 11,773, making it the 117th most populous county in Georgia.

What is the median income in Heard County?

The median household income in Heard County is $65,868 with a poverty rate of 17.9%.

How many cities are in Heard County, Georgia?

Heard County contains 3 Census-designated places.