Economic Inequality in Georgia: The Poorest Counties to Watch in 2025

The air changes once you leave Atlanta’s skyline. Gas stations turn into the last stop before long stretches of quiet farmland. Town squares grow smaller, slower. 

Here, in Georgia’s poorest counties, the numbers on paper are more than statistics; they’re people figuring out how to make ends meet. Poverty, wages, and access to basic services tell a story that still hasn’t found a good ending.

Rural Georgia’s economy carries the scars of industries that left long ago. A recent report on Top 10 Poorest Cities in Georgia showed how small towns face declining jobs, aging populations, and thinning hope. 

Schools close earlier now. Stores stay empty longer. While big cities attract development, many rural communities keep falling behind. Across the world, the same divide repeats itself: urban centers grow richer while rural towns struggle to stay relevant.

Poorest Counties in Georgia, 2025

County	Median Income (USD)	Poverty Rate (%)	Population Trend
Randolph	24,638	28.1	Declining
Jenkins	26,900	27.9	Shrinking
Hancock	31,767	27.5	Declining
Macon	33,960	26.4	Flat
Webster	34,200	26.7	Shrinking
Wheeler	36,354	25.8	Declining
Telfair	37,150	25	Flat
Atkinson	37,400	25	Declining
Quitman	35,600	26	Shrinking
Taylor	34,980	26.5	Declining

Economic Inequality in Georgia: The Poorest Counties to Watch in 2025

The divide between Georgia’s rich and poor counties keeps stretching. Rural areas depend mostly on agriculture or small factories that can’t match the wages of growing metro zones. Many residents juggle two jobs and still live paycheck to paycheck. 

Some towns haven’t seen new businesses in years. For these counties, the challenge isn’t just economic, it’s about keeping their communities alive.

1. Randolph County

Farm trucks rumble down quiet streets where stores closed long ago. With few employers left, most residents rely on seasonal work. Poverty here feels ordinary, almost accepted.

2. Jenkins County

Old mills stand empty. Families talk about how their children moved away for jobs that actually pay. The county still waits for its revival plan to start.

3. Hancock County

Historic charm hides hard truths. Many residents live below the poverty line, and health care access is a daily concern. The courthouse stays busy with social aid cases.

4. Macon County

Despite its name, this county doesn’t share the city’s prosperity. Farming keeps food on the table, but low crop prices hurt. Local leaders push for small business growth.

5. Webster County

Internet connection cuts off mid-sentence here. Without broadband, education and remote work are harder dreams. Most income comes from small farms.

6. Wheeler County

The pine smell hangs thick in the air. Prisons provide most jobs, but locals wish for more variety, something that builds pride, not dependency.

7. Telfair County

A quiet town with working-class grit. People make do with what’s around, farm work, factory shifts, or long commutes. Poverty lingers like humidity in summer.

8. Atkinson County

The nearest hospital is miles away. Roads are cracked. Yet on weekends, residents gather for local football games, cheering like the world’s still okay for a while.

9. Quitman County

The population dips each year. A handful of stores remain. Community drives, church events, and potlucks hold everyone together when money can’t.

10. Taylor County

Fields stretch for miles. Families work hard, but incomes lag. Every year, more young people pack up for jobs in bigger towns, leaving behind quiet streets and half-lit homes.

The Uneven Map of Progress

Georgia’s economy keeps growing, but not everywhere. For some counties, progress feels like something that happens to other people. Investment skips past them, jobs vanish before they appear, and the young leave as soon as they can. 

Economic inequality in Georgia isn’t new—it’s just getting harder to ignore. If 2025 brings real change, it will come through steady attention to the people living where opportunity rarely stops.

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