METRO AREA
Athens Metro
Athens-Clarke County, GA · 4 counties · 224,148 residents (2025 est.) · 1,025 sq mi
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The short version
With 220,197 people, Athens is a metro area. That puts it in the top 10% of US metro areas for household income. This skews young, with a median age of 34.3. 54,118 more people live here than in 2000. About 44% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The poverty rate is 19.8%, above the 12.5% national rate.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 66%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
220,197
+33%since 2000
from 166,079 in 2000
224,148 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,025 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024220K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.9%(10,806)
5 to 95.7%(12,584)
10 to 145.6%(12,299)
15 to 199.2%(20,210)
20 to 2412.9%(28,501)
25 to 3413.2%(29,167)
35 to 4412.3%(27,013)
45 to 5411%(24,204)
55 to 6410.5%(23,144)
65 to 748.9%(19,627)
75 to 844.4%(9,710)
85 and over1.3%(2,932)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$69,695
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,413 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
46.1%
+21.8 ptssince 2009
from 24.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.7%
Retail trade8.7%
Wholesale trade5.9%
Finance & insurance5.4%
Other services5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.8%
Public administration2.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
Construction1.1%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$314,999
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,024 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.8
+14%since 2009
from 4.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
82
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic71.4%(118,537)
Black20.3%(33,790)
Hispanic / Latino4.8%(7,950)
Asian2.2%(3,635)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic64.4%(141,763)
Black18.2%(39,973)
Hispanic / Latino9.6%(21,184)
Asian3.7%(8,160)
Other4.1%(9,117)
64
+16%since 2009
from 56 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
32
−9%since 2020
from 36 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican5.4%(11,960)
Central American1.7%(3,850)
Guatemalan0.8%(1,595)
South American0.7%(1,563)
Salvadoran0.7%(1,338)
Puerto Rican0.5%(1,114)
Cuban0.5%(995)
Honduran0.3%(654)
Colombian0.3%(586)
Dominican0.3%(495)
Peruvian0.2%(484)
Spaniard0.1%(306)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(201)
Venezuelan0.1%(134)
Ecuadorian0.1%(119)
Nicaraguan0.1%(104)
Costa Rican0.1%(88)
Panamanian0%(71)
Chilean0%(31)
Bolivian0%(8)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.2%(2,210)
Chinese0.9%(1,935)
Korean0.6%(1,202)
Burmese0.5%(861)
Vietnamese0.2%(491)
Filipino0.2%(300)
Thai0.1%(233)
Pakistani0.1%(195)
Japanese0.1%(166)
Taiwanese0%(84)
Sri Lankan0%(54)
Hmong0%(50)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
English14.8%(32,628)
Irish9.5%(20,852)
German8.6%(18,883)
American6.5%(14,326)
Scottish2.7%(5,850)
Italian2.7%(5,844)
French1.6%(3,551)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(3,532)
Polish1.4%(2,991)
Subsaharan African1.1%(2,375)
Dutch0.8%(1,870)
British0.8%(1,832)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian0.7%(1,575)
Norwegian0.5%(1,207)
Russian0.5%(1,118)
Swedish0.5%(1,081)
Welsh0.5%(1,073)
Arab0.4%(904)
Jamaican0.4%(768)
Haitian0.3%(587)
Swiss0.3%(572)
Greek0.3%(571)
Danish0.2%(545)
Czech0.2%(528)
French Canadian0.2%(479)
Hungarian0.2%(447)
Lebanese0.2%(415)
Portuguese0.3%(415)
Nigerian0.2%(390)
Turkish0.2%(351)
Austrian0.2%(326)
Canadian0.1%(313)
Brazilian0.2%(311)
Iranian0.1%(273)
Ukrainian0.1%(267)
Belgian0.1%(242)
Lithuanian0.1%(209)
Egyptian0.1%(181)
Ghanaian0.1%(166)
Kenyan0.1%(161)
Finnish0.1%(151)
Armenian0.1%(111)
Croatian0.1%(105)
Israeli0.1%(105)
Bulgarian0.1%(90)
Romanian0.1%(88)
Ethiopian0.1%(85)
Syrian0%(82)
Palestinian0.1%(73)
Slovak0%(53)
Macedonian0%(32)
Barbadian0%(26)
Australian0%(23)
Latvian0%(20)
Guyanese0%(17)
Serbian0%(13)
Moroccan0%(6)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
90.0%
+10.3 ptssince 2000
from 79.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 72.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.8%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 92.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married46%(40,532)
Married44.2%(38,969)
Widowed2.2%(1,929)
Divorced7.5%(6,639)
Women 15+
Never married41.6%(40,085)
Married41%(39,492)
Widowed7.2%(6,973)
Divorced10.3%(9,889)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
16.8%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 70.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 27.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)19.3%(1,679)
Gulf War (1990s)23.3%(2,025)
Vietnam era40.2%(3,495)
Korean War4.5%(389)
World War II1.5%(131)
Share of the 8,697 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
4 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Athens
Punta Gorda
Pop 217,212
Jacksonville
Pop 217,175
Panama City
Pop 231,174
Columbia
Pop 219,062
Places similar to AthensHead to head
Compare Athens side by side
ATHENS VS
Punta Gorda
Income$69,952same
Home value$328,900+4%
Population217,212−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS VS
Jacksonville
Income$68,148−2%
Home value$236,400−25%
Population217,175−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS VS
Panama City
Income$71,687+3%
Home value$293,695−7%
Population231,174+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS VS
Columbia
Income$72,269+4%
Home value$262,026−17%
Population219,062−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
Athens-Clarke County, GA has about 220,197 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
The typical household in Athens-Clarke County, GA earns about $69,695 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Athens-Clarke County, GA expensive?
In Athens-Clarke County, GA, the median home is worth about $314,999, and the typical rent is about $1,210 a month.
How educated are people in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
About 43.8% of adults age 25 and over in Athens-Clarke County, GA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
About 19.8% of people in Athens-Clarke County, GA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Athens-Clarke County, GA grown since 1990?
Yes, Athens-Clarke County, GA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 84,172 residents, a change of about 62 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024