Lanier County, Georgia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Lanier County is located in Georgia with a total population of 10,221. It is the 124th most populous county out of 159 in Georgia. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lanier County is 36.8 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 37.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lanier County is $47,186. This is 39% lower than the state median of $77,353. It is also 42% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 26.2%. This is 95% 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 4.0%. This is 22% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $162,300. Housing costs are 46% lower than the state median of $303,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.4x. 73.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% higher than the state average of 65.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lanier County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 64.7% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 24.2%. The Asian population (1.2%) is well below the state average of 4.5%.

Education

19.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 45% 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 88.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lanier 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.