City · Gilmer County, Georgia

Ellijay, Georgia

Ellijay is a city in Gilmer County, Georgia. It has 1,927 residents. Ellijay, Georgia has a quality-of-life score of 23 out of 100 (low), ranking #12,126 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Georgia it ranks #167 of 386 cities and towns. It ranks best on child care cost burden (low), new homes permitted (high) and job growth (high). It ranks worst on average weekly wage (low), uninsured residents (under 65) (high) and broadband subscriptions (low).

23Low

Quality-of-life score: #12,126 of 15,651 cities and towns
Georgia: #167 of 386 in GA
Population: 1,927 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 532.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 1327092

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety67#5,186/15,637
Economy17#12,906/15,631
Housing34#9,882/14,977
Health36#9,957/15,609
Healthcare8#14,338/15,650
Environment71#4,494/15,453
Education24#11,921/15,649
Infrastructure4#15,088/15,650
Community22#12,179/15,651
Leisure & amenities63#5,862/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ellijay, Georgia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Gilmer 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

Child care cost burden · low18.7%
97/100Georgia 23.0%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteGilmer County value
New homes permitted · high22.8 /1k
96/100Georgia 5.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Job growth · high3.0%
94/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataGilmer County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Georgia 7.4 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataGilmer County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,683 /100k
93/100Georgia 3,147 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteGilmer County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.41%
93/100Georgia 0.79%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Average weekly wage · low$869
3/100Georgia $1,404United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGilmer County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high28.1%
4/100Georgia 14.0%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Broadband subscriptions · low76.1%
5/100Georgia 91.0%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Dental care shortage · high18.0
6/100Georgia 5.9United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationGilmer County value
Distance to an emergency room · high14.3 mi
8/100Georgia 7.4 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesGilmer County value
Dentists · low27 /100k
9/100Georgia 54 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteGilmer County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
2,436 (2015-2019) → 1,927 (2020-2024)
−21%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
7.8 /1k (2021) → 22.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+195%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.6× (2015-2019) → 7.3× (2020-2024)
+103%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
High school diploma or higherImproving
69.8% (2015-2019) → 87.9% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
36.1% (2015-2019) → 53.4% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
60.8% (2015-2019) → 76.1% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Ellijay, Georgia improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 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.

Improved1

Broadband+15 points60.8% → 76.1%

Declined2

Price / income+3.7×3.6× → 7.3×
Rent burden+17 points36.1% → 53.4%

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Ellijay, Georgia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.3%2015-2019	21.6%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Broadband subscriptions	60.8%2015-2019	76.1%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	81%
Child poverty rate	35.4%2015-2019	37.7%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Effective property tax rate	0.66%2015-2019	0.41%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	67%
High school diploma or higher	69.8%2015-2019	87.9%2020-2024	+18 points	Within the margin of error	99%
Home price to income ratio	3.6×2015-2019	7.3×2020-2024	+3.7×	Declined	1%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4732015-2019	0.4802020-2024	+0.007	Within the margin of error	45%
Median household income	$48,4092015-2019	$48,1362020-2024	−0.6%	Within the margin of error	7%
Poverty rate	22.4%2015-2019	26.2%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	26.0%2015-2019	31.7%2020-2024	+5.7 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Rent-burdened households	36.1%2015-2019	53.4%2020-2024	+17 points	Declined	12%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	37.4%2015-2019	28.1%2020-2024	−9.3 points	Within the margin of error	95%

“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 Ellijay, Georgia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ellijay, 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, Ellijay, Georgia itself moved −8.8 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

1,927 residents (±424)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

820 households (±203)

Ellijay, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $25k25%†207
$25k–50k30%†244
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

820 households (±203)

Ellijay, Georgia
Georgia share

Own35%290
Rent65%†530

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

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

643 workers (±180)

Ellijay, Georgia
Georgia share

Drive alone63%402
Carpool33%†211
Public transit0.0%0

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 Gilmer County, the county holding most of Ellijay's residents.

Gilmer County has 707 employer establishments, 215 for every 10,000 residents (0.87× the US rate of 248; 0.91× Georgia's), with 6,742 paid employees at an average annual pay of $40,197. The Census Bureau also counts 3,527 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 707; 3,527 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 215; US 248 · Georgia 236
Paid employees: 6,742
Average annual pay: $40,197; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	70	21.3	1.16×About typical	1,062	$22,847	14
Specialty trade contractors	70	21.3	1.38×More than typical	234	$46,906	445
Lessors of real estate	44	13.4	1.09×About typical	160	$44,338	298
Ambulatory health care services	43	13.1	0.63×Fewer than typical	309	$44,990	75
Construction of buildings	37	11.3	1.49×More than typical	147	$83,361	435
Full-service restaurants	34	10.4	1.35×More than typical	567	$25,065	7
Limited-service restaurants	29	8.8	1.10×About typical	417	$20,501	5
Building equipment contractors	28	8.5	1.42×More than typical	118	$46,576	72
Real estate agents and brokers	25	7.6	1.56×More than typical	25	$75,960	99
Religious organizations	22	6.7	1.21×About typical	112	$20,804	—
Other specialty trade contractors	21	6.4	2.55×More than typical	56	$56,143	156
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	15	4.6	1.38×More than typical	64	$51,141	32

Rank places for an industry Open Gilmer County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 32,849 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 $804 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Ellijay, Georgia: $0.42 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $804; −91% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.42; US $1,994
Sole-source: 35%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.0%; 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

Department of Veterans Affairs$77997%
Defense Logistics Agency$24.113.0%

Top recipients

K-ART X-RAY SUPPLY LLC$804100%
EXCALIBUR ASSOCIATES INC$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

3.6KFY2017
465.2FY2018
3.3KFY2020
961FY2021
1.6KFY2022
15.7KFY2023
1KFY2024
8.6KFY2025

Top industries (NAICS)

Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$804100%

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 Ellijay, Georgia, so they do not add up across cities.

Ellijay, Georgia's figures are part of those of Gilmer County, GA ($71K in FY2026), never added to them: 1.1% of that total.

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

See federal money in Gilmer 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.

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

House

Andrew S. ClydeR-GA-9 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 4.6%

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.

Gilmer County45100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Gilmer 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/1327092

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends