Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety46#8,405/15,637
Economy13#13,672/15,631
Housing30#10,507/14,977
Health8#14,341/15,609
Healthcare15#13,334/15,650
Environment14#13,231/15,453
Education9#14,192/15,649
Infrastructure2#15,260/15,650
Community19#12,710/15,651
Leisure & amenities30#10,957/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Blakely, Georgia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Early County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Georgia 16.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionEarly County value
Pharmacies · high3.8 /10k
99/100Georgia 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEarly County value
Grocery stores · high3.8 /10k
98/100Georgia 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEarly County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low100 min
96/100Georgia 168 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesEarly County value
Students per teacher · low10.8×
95/100Georgia 14.1×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsEarly County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Georgia 7.4 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataEarly County value

Weaknesses

Job growth · low-14.4%
0/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataEarly County value
Dental care shortage · high22.0
0/100Georgia 5.9United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationEarly County value
Violent crime rate · high942 /100k
1/100Georgia 297 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationEarly County value
Loneliness · high42.4%
2/100Georgia 37.9%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.0 /10k
2/100Georgia 4.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEarly County value
Preventable hospital stays · high4,726 /100k
3/100Georgia 3,147 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEarly County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
4,652 (2015-2019) → 5,238 (2020-2024)
+13%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
47.3% (2015-2019) → 74.7% (2020-2024)
+27 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
67.0% (2015-2019) → 40.7% (2020-2024)
−26 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$22,276 (2015-2019) → $49,821 (2020-2024)
+124%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
44.3% (2015-2019) → 26.8% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Unemployment rateImproving
12.8% (2015-2019) → 4.2% (2020-2024)
−8.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Blakely, Georgia improved on 4 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Household income+124%$22,276 → $49,821
Poverty−18 points44.3% → 26.8%
Child poverty−26 points67.0% → 40.7%
Broadband+27 points47.3% → 74.7%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Blakely, Georgia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.6 min2015-2019	17.8 min2020-2024	−3.9 min	Within the margin of error	85%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.7%2015-2019	12.0%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Broadband subscriptions	47.3%2015-2019	74.7%2020-2024	+27 points	Improved	97%
Child poverty rate	67.0%2015-2019	40.7%2020-2024	−26 points	Improved	97%
Effective property tax rate	0.85%2015-2019	0.88%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	12%
High school diploma or higher	77.5%2015-2019	80.6%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Home price to income ratio	4.1×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	−1.0×	Within the margin of error	98%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4772015-2019	0.4572020-2024	−0.021	Within the margin of error	68%
Median household income	$22,2762015-2019	$49,8212020-2024	+124%	Improved	99%
Poverty rate	44.3%2015-2019	26.8%2020-2024	−18 points	Improved	98%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	29.9%2015-2019	29.6%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Rent-burdened households	49.4%2015-2019	49.0%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	20.0%2015-2019	15.7%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	84%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Blakely, Georgia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Blakely, Georgia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Blakely, Georgia itself moved +8.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,238 residents (±26)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 women (−5.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

5,238 residents (±26)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

White21%1,093
Black78%4,074
Hispanic or Latino0.0%0
Asian0.9%†45
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races0.5%†26

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

3,391 residents (±175)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

No high school diploma19%†658
High school or GED40%1,340
Some college19%636
Associate degree10%†350
Bachelor's degree7.6%†257
Graduate degree4.4%†150

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Associate degree (+4.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,849 households (±136)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $25k30%547
$25k–50k21%†380
$50k–75k14%†262
$75k–100k17%†318
$100k–150k11%†196
$150k–200k4.4%†82
$200k or more3.5%†64

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−27.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,849 households (±136)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

Own48%894
Rent52%955

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

870 households (±170)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $75048%†415
$750–1,00037%†326
$1,000–1,5009.9%†86

Home values

894 homes (±176)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $150k48%†431
$150k–250k25%†227
$250k–400k18%†162

Age of homes

2,170 homes (±139)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

2010 or later6.2%†135
2000–200912%†253
1980–199938%821

Size of homes

2,170 homes (±139)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

Studio0.4%†9
1 bedroom3.8%†83
2 bedrooms20%426

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,999 workers (±247)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

Drive alone84%1,672
Carpool9.7%†194
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.1%†21
Bike0.0%0
Work from home4.7%†94
Other0.9%†18

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+4.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,905 workers (±239)

Blakely, Georgia
Georgia share

Under 15 min58%1,096
15–29 min23%†438
30–44 min9.4%†179

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Early County, the county holding most of Blakely's residents.

Early County has 197 employer establishments, 186 for every 10,000 residents (0.75× the US rate of 248; 0.79× Georgia's), with 2,759 paid employees at an average annual pay of $60,698. The Census Bureau also counts 801 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 197; 801 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 186; US 248 · Georgia 236
Paid employees: 2,759
Average annual pay: $60,698; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Early County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Grocery and convenience stores	13	12.3	4.14×More than typical	165	$19,691	—
Restaurants and other eating places	13	12.3	0.67×Fewer than typical	150	$14,960	7
Religious organizations	9	8.5	1.53×Too few to compare	28	$18,357	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	8	7.6	1.72×Too few to compare	28	$68,643	6
Limited-service restaurants	8	7.6	0.94×Too few to compare	117	$15,120	—
Specialty trade contractors	8	7.6	0.49×Too few to compare	34	$41,588	44
Banks and credit unions	7	6.6	2.05×Too few to compare	75	$75,440	—
Gasoline stations	7	6.6	2.04×Too few to compare	35	$18,514	—
General merchandise stores	7	6.6	3.74×Too few to compare	48	$19,521	—
Truck transportation	7	6.6	1.31×Too few to compare	49	$70,286	26
Lessors of real estate	5	4.7	0.38×Too few to compare	4	$40,000	52
Ambulatory health care services	4	3.8	0.18×Too few to compare	103	$56,942	47

Rank places for an industry Open Early County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 10,583 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $12K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Blakely, Georgia: $2.28 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $12K; +233% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2.28; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 19%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service$5,42945%
Department of the Army$4,23535%
U.S. Secret Service$2,30519%

Top recipients

LOC SCIENTIFIC, INC$5,07842%
ACROLECT SOLUTIONS LLC$4,23535%
MAN IN THE ARENA CONSULTING, LLC$2,30519%
GLOBAL SOLUTIONS AMERICAS LLC$3512.9%

Spending by fiscal year

10.8KFY2017
-729.6FY2018
417.3KFY2019
911.9FY2021
1.4KFY2022
1.4KFY2023
4.9KFY2024
3.6KFY2025

Top industries (NAICS)

Building equipment contractors · 2382$5,07842%
Business schools and computer and management training · 6114$4,23535%
Other schools and instruction · 6116$2,30519%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$3512.9%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Blakely, Georgia, so they do not add up across cities.

Blakely, Georgia's figures are part of those of Early County, GA ($225.7K in FY2026), never added to them: 5.3% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Blakely is mostly in Early County.

See federal money in Early County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Blakely, Georgia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.D-GA-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 93%Missed 1.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Early County5100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Early County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1308536

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends