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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Athens Metro

Athens-Clarke County, GA · 4 counties · 215,415 residents · 1,025 sq mi
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The short version

Athens is a metro area of 215,415 people. This skews young, with a median age of 33.3. 49,336 more people live here than in 2000. About 41% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The poverty rate is 20.7%, above the 12.8% national rate. Owners hold 56% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 33.3
US median: 38.8
More educated
41% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 28%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
215,415
+30%since 2000
from 166,079 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
210 / sq mi
+30%since 2000
from 162 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
33.3
+13%since 2000
from 29.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,025 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
128K153K178K203K229K19902000201020202024Athens
2024220K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.3%(11,414)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(12,069)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.9%(12,715)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.3%(15,740)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2415%(32,401)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.9%(29,856)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.6%(25,035)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.8%(23,301)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6410.5%(22,645)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.5%(18,414)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.2%(9,021)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.3%(2,804)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$53,341
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,413 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,910
+64%since 2000
from $18,211 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
35.0%
+10.7 ptssince 2009
from 24.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
20.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2000
from 21.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.2%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade8.6%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade4.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services4.7%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance4.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 2.5%
Public administration2.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.2%
US avg: 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 2%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$199,834
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,024 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$885
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $528 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
55.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2000
from 57.1% in 2000
44.3% rent
Persons per household
2.50 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.61 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.0
−5%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.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic65.2%(140,539)
Black17.8%(38,265)
Hispanic / Latino9.1%(19,508)
Asian3.5%(7,641)
Other2.5%(5,440)
Segregation Score
36
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%(10,514)
Central American1.2%(2,575)
Salvadoran0.7%(1,514)
Puerto Rican0.7%(1,407)
Cuban0.4%(856)
Peruvian0.3%(584)
Honduran0.3%(568)
Colombian0.3%(488)
Argentine0.2%(447)
Venezuelan0.3%(424)
Dominican0.2%(263)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Guatemalan0.2%(223)
Nicaraguan0.1%(169)
Spaniard0.1%(154)
Bolivian0%(30)
Uruguayan0%(28)
Chilean0%(19)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.1%(1,793)
Chinese0.9%(1,754)
Korean0.6%(1,066)
Filipino0.3%(663)
Burmese0.9%(380)
Vietnamese0.2%(343)
Japanese0.1%(167)
Pakistani0.1%(136)
Thai0.1%(123)
Laotian0.1%(89)
Taiwanese0%(59)
Cambodian0%(39)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Malaysian0%(31)
Hmong0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(37)
Ancestry
English10.5%(22,084)
Irish9.6%(20,216)
German8.4%(17,600)
American7.2%(15,037)
Italian2.8%(5,922)
Scottish2.6%(5,381)
Scotch-Irish1.9%(4,087)
French1.8%(3,740)
British1.2%(2,569)
Polish1.2%(2,502)
Dutch1%(2,064)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.6%(1,337)
Swedish0.5%(1,086)
Norwegian0.4%(822)
Russian0.3%(733)
West Indian0.4%(721)
Greek0.3%(515)
Czech0.2%(498)
Lebanese0.3%(456)
Hungarian0.2%(444)
Jamaican0.2%(408)
Nigerian0.2%(390)
Canadian0.2%(319)
Ghanaian0.2%(299)
Danish0.1%(275)
Haitian0.2%(272)
Swiss0.1%(260)
Jordanian0.2%(231)
Austrian0.1%(230)
Turkish0.1%(227)
Ukrainian0.1%(227)
Portuguese0.1%(217)
Kenyan0.2%(195)
Lithuanian0.1%(186)
Iranian0.1%(174)
Latvian0.1%(159)
Brazilian0.1%(150)
Romanian0.1%(149)
Croatian0.1%(139)
Finnish0.1%(120)
Egyptian0.1%(106)
Bulgarian0.1%(104)
Belgian0.1%(101)
Slovak0%(97)
Israeli0.1%(91)
Armenian0%(65)
Syrian0%(41)
Serbian0%(24)
Ethiopian0%(14)
Arab0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
40.9%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 33.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
89.3%
+9.6 ptssince 2000
from 79.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
20.7%
+5.5 ptssince 2000
from 15.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.5 min
+54%since 2000
from 14.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
76.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 77.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.3%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 7.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
62.0%
+2.5 ptssince 2011
from 59.4% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.5%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
42.7%
+4.7 ptssince 2009
from 38.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
51.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
7.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.5%
−5.4 ptssince 2013
from 16.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
92.7%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
78.9%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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

Uninsured
11.5%
−5.4 ptssince 2013
from 16.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
57.3%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
15.0%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.0%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
15.1%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.9%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
70.2%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
27.9%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.7%(1,672)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)24.2%(2,292)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era39.6%(3,746)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War6.5%(615)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.1%(201)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 9,456 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

AthensCENTRAL128,612Watkinsville4,131Comer1,631Bogart1,326Winterville1,203Crawford918Danielsville895Colbert679North High Shoals576Arnoldsville445Ila376Bishop362Carlton311Hull248Maxeys225Lexington218
What's inside

4 component counties

Clarke CountyCENTRAL129,921Oconee CountyCENTRAL44,893Madison County32,919Oglethorpe County16,415
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 Athens
Head to head

Compare Athens side by side

ATHENS VS
Punta Gorda
Income$69,952+31%
Home value$328,900+65%
Population217,212−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS VS
Jacksonville
Income$68,148+28%
Home value$236,400+18%
Population217,175−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS VS
Panama City
Income$71,687+34%
Home value$293,695+47%
Population231,174+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS VS
Columbia
Income$72,269+35%
Home value$262,026+31%
Population219,062−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

Athens-Clarke County, GA has about 215,415 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The typical household in Athens-Clarke County, GA earns about $53,341 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 $199,834, and the typical rent is about $885 a month.

How educated are people in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

About 40.9% 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 20.7% 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 79,390 residents, a change of about 58 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Athens-Clarke County, GA (2020): population, income & housing data · CensusEasy