Wilkes County, GA

County

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2023 Population

9,553

0.593% 1-year decline

US Senator

Jon Ossoff

Democratic Party

US Senator

Raphael Warnock

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

46.3

1.76% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

17%

4.8% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$52,542

1.47% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$105,000

13.5% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

3,830

3.38% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Wilkes County, GA had a population of 9.55k people with a median age of 46.3 and a median household income of $52,542. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Wilkes County, GA declined from 9,610 to 9,553, a −0.593% decrease and its median household income grew from $51,780 to $52,542, a 1.47% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Wilkes County, GA are White (Non-Hispanic) (51.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (40.9%), Other (Hispanic) (2.5%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.32%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.8%).

None of the households in Wilkes County, GA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.8% of the residents in Wilkes County, GA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Wilkes County, GA was $105,000, and the homeownership rate was 66.7%.

Most people in Wilkes County, GA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Wilkes County, GA was 2 cars per household.

Wilkes County, GA borders Elbert County, GA, Lincoln County, GA, McDuffie County, GA, Oglethorpe County, GA, Taliaferro County, GA, and Warren County, GA.

United States Georgia

Population & Diversity

Wilkes County, GA is home to a population of 9.55k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.63% of Wilkes County, GA residents were born outside of the country (251 people).

In 2023, there were 1.26 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.94k people) in Wilkes County, GA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.91k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 239 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%

2023 Citizenship

97.6%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.8% of Wilkes County, GA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Wilkes County, GA was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Wilkes County, GA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wilkes County, GA

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.94k ± 28
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
3.91k ± 148
Other (Hispanic)
239 ± 150

4.64%

Hispanic Population

443 people

4.64% of the people in Wilkes County, GA are hispanic (443 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Wilkes County, GA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Georgia.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
222,301 ± 11,455 people
India
103,637 ± 7,865 people
Jamaica
49,864 ± 5,470 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Georgia was Mexico, the natal country of 222,301 Georgia residents, followed by India with 103,637 and Jamaica with 49,864.

Foreign-Born Population

2.63%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

251 people

2.81%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

270 people

As of 2023, 2.63% of Wilkes County, GA residents (251 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wilkes County, GA was 2.81%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Wilkes County, GA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
129 ± 69
Vietnam
112 ± 53
Gulf War (1990s)
80 ± 47

Wilkes County, GA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.15 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Wilkes County, GA employs 3.83k people. The largest industries in Wilkes County, GA are Manufacturing (621 people), Retail Trade (611 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (421 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($71,597), Finance & Insurance ($56,645), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,513).

Males in Georgia have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,988. The income inequality in Georgia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.474, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

3.83k

2023 Value

± 419

−3.38%

1 Year decline

± 15.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wilkes County, GA declined at a rate of −3.38%, from 3.96k employees to 3.83k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wilkes County, GA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (572 people), Production Occupations (443 people), and Management Occupations (294 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wilkes County, GA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Georgia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.83k

2023 Value

± 419

−3.38%

1 Year decline

± 15.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wilkes County, GA declined at a rate of −3.38%, from 3.96k employees to 3.83k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wilkes County, GA, are Manufacturing (621 people), Retail Trade (611 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (421 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wilkes County, GA, though some of these residents may live in Wilkes County, GA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$36,400

Median earning men ± $4,055

$30,719

Median earning women ± $2,762

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,430), Other Services Except Public Administration ($50,139), and Manufacturing ($45,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,711), Manufacturing ($33,854), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($30,726).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Georgia.

Y-Axis

2.94%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.87M people employed in Georgia. This represents a 2.94% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Georgia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

17
Retail Trade
16
Other Services (except Public Administration)
15
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$22.6k
Construction
$19.1k
Manufacturing
$12.6k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Wilkes County, GA went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (43%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.915%).

Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are the senators currently representing the state of Georgia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Georgia is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (56.1%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (43%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.915%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Wilkes County, GA went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (43%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.915%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Wilkes County, GA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Georgia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Georgia.

Jon Ossoff

Senator from Georgia

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Inauguration delayed as incumbent senator David Perdue's term expired on January 3, 2021, two days prior to the runoff election.

Raphael Warnock

Senator from Georgia

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Elected to the seat to succeed Kelly Loeffler, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of Johnny Isakson.

Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are the senators currently representing Georgia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Georgia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Georgia

Georgia is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Georgia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Georgia.

Measure

In 2022, 1.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.03% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Georgia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.33M), Some college (1.78M), and Bachelors Degree (1.56M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wilkes County, GA was $105,000 in 2023, which is 0.346 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $92,500 to $105,000, a 13.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Wilkes County, GA is 66.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Wilkes County, GA have an average commute time of 29.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wilkes County, GA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Wilkes County, GA is $52,542. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Wilkes County, GA was Census Tract 101.02 with a value of $67,098, followed by Census Tract 103.01 and Census Tract 101.01, with respective values of $62,697 and $56,000.

In 2023, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wilkes County, GA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 8.4%.

Housing

Property

$105,000

Median Property Value 2023

±$12,266

$2,740

Median Property Taxes

±$317

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wilkes County, GA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Wilkes County, GA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.7%

Homeownership

2023

63.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 66.7% of the housing units in Wilkes County, GA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wilkes County, GA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 101.02
Census Tract 103.01
Census Tract 101.01

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wilkes County, GA was Census Tract 101.02 with a value of $67,098, followed by Census Tract 103.01 and Census Tract 101.01, with respective values of $62,697 and $56,000.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Wilkes County, GA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$52,542

Median Household Income

± $4,703

4.11k

Number of Households

± 445

In 2023, the median household income of the 4.11k households in Wilkes County, GA grew to $52,542 from the previous year's value of $51,780.

The following chart displays the households in Wilkes County, GA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wilkes County, GA is from Georgia.

0.474

2022 Wage GINI in Georgia

0.475

2021 Wage GINI in Georgia

In 2022, the income inequality in Georgia was 0.474 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.224% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Georgia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Georgia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Georgia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (81.6%)
Carpooled (10.4%)
Worked At Home (5.49%)

In 2023, 81.6% of workers in Wilkes County, GA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.4%) and those who worked at home (5.49%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

29.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wilkes County, GA have a longer commute time (29.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.57% of the workforce in Wilkes County, GA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Wilkes County, GA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wilkes County, GA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wilkes County, GA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wilkes County, GA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 8.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

17% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wilkes County, GA (1.6k out of 9.44k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wilkes County, GA is Black, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 33.6% of the children was living in poverty in Wilkes County, GA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

81.4% of the population of Wilkes County, GA has health coverage, with 31.7% on employee plans, 18.6% on Medicaid, 16.9% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 1.85% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Wilkes County, GA see 2424 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.818% decrease from the previous year (2444 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4756 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 4756 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.7% were men and 53.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,424 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Wilkes County, GA

Primary care physicians in Wilkes County, GA see an average of 2,424 patients per year. This represents a 0.818% decrease from the previous year (2,444 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Wilkes County, GA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.1% under 18 years, 17% between 18 and 34 years, 38.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.7% were men and 53.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

18.6%

Uninsured

31.7%

Employer Coverage

18.6%

Medicaid

16.9%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

1.85%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wilkes County, GA declined by 5.42% from 19.6% to 18.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Wilkes County, GA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.