Scores by category

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

Safety55#7,105/15,637
Economy6#14,750/15,631
Housing50#7,415/14,977
Health16#13,169/15,609
Healthcare1#15,564/15,650
Environment63#5,762/15,453
Education26#11,509/15,649
Infrastructure16#13,101/15,650
Community1#15,433/15,651
Leisure & amenities3#15,182/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Job growth · high15.2%
100/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataCharlton County value
Pharmacies · high3.0 /10k
97/100Georgia 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCharlton County value
Median Air Quality Index · low27
96/1002023U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyCharlton County value
Depression · low16.0%
96/100Georgia 19.3%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Home price to income ratio · low1.6×
94/100Georgia 3.9×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077High uncertainty
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Georgia 7.4 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataCharlton County value

Weaknesses

Unemployment rate · high27.4%
0/100Georgia 3.4%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Mental health providers · low15 /100k
1/100Georgia 201 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCharlton County value
Dentists · low8 /100k
1/100Georgia 54 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCharlton County value
Restaurants and bars · low2.3 /10k
1/100Georgia 8.5 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCharlton County value
Distance to an emergency room · high27.3 mi
1/100Georgia 7.4 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesCharlton County value
Mental health care shortage · high20.0
1/100Georgia 9.6United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationCharlton County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
4,910 (2015-2019) → 4,631 (2020-2024)
−5.7%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
51.9% (2015-2019) → 89.6% (2020-2024)
+38 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$24,261 (2015-2019) → $50,116 (2020-2024)
+107%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Child poverty rateImproving
69.2% (2015-2019) → 49.7% (2020-2024)
−20 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
43.4% (2015-2019) → 28.8% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
36.6% (2015-2019) → 23.5% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

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, Folkston, Georgia improved on 4 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 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+107%$24,261 → $50,116
Broadband+38 points51.9% → 89.6%
Uninsured−13 points36.6% → 23.5%
Child poverty−20 points69.2% → 49.7%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Folkston, Georgia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	26.1 min2015-2019	24.5 min2020-2024	−1.6 min	Within the margin of error	67%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.4%2015-2019	5.5%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Broadband subscriptions	51.9%2015-2019	89.6%2020-2024	+38 points	Improved	99%
Child poverty rate	69.2%2015-2019	49.7%2020-2024	−20 points	Improved	93%
Effective property tax rate	1.11%2015-2019	0.64%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	89%
High school diploma or higher	68.4%2015-2019	76.5%2020-2024	+8.1 points	Within the margin of error	92%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4902015-2019	0.4632020-2024	−0.028	Within the margin of error	73%
Median household income	$24,2612015-2019	$50,1162020-2024	+107%	Improved	99%
Poverty rate	43.4%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	−15 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Rent as share of income	28.2%2015-2019	25.9%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Rent-burdened households	47.5%2015-2019	44.0%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Unemployment rate	16.5%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	36.6%2015-2019	23.5%2020-2024	−13 points	Improved	98%

“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 Folkston, Georgia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Folkston, 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, Folkston, Georgia itself moved +15.3 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

4,631 residents (±14)

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: 50–59 men (−5.0 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

4,631 residents (±14)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

White40%1,868
Black49%2,256
Hispanic or Latino3.3%†153
Asian2.9%135
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races4.7%†219

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Hispanic or Latino (−15.0 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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

3,408 residents (±250)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

No high school diploma24%801
High school or GED40%1,354
Some college23%778
Associate degree8.5%†289
Bachelor's degree3.0%†101
Graduate degree2.5%†85

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Associate degree (+6.8 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

1,495 households (±183)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $25k35%†525
$25k–50k15%†220
$50k–75k14%†208
$75k–100k17%†252
$100k–150k11%†161
$150k–200k5.4%†81
$200k or more3.2%†48

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−16.8 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 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

1,495 households (±183)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

Own66%989
Rent34%†506

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+24.4 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 B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

468 households (±158)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $75073%†343
$750–1,0006.6%†31
$1,000–1,50017%†78

Home values

989 homes (±172)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $150k65%†644
$150k–250k14%†142
$250k–400k8.6%†85

Age of homes

1,603 homes (±184)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

2010 or later3.2%†51
2000–20097.5%†121
1980–199939%630

Size of homes

1,603 homes (±184)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom5.7%†91
2 bedrooms30%†481

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

1,652 workers (±254)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

Drive alone98%1,615
Carpool0.6%†10
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home1.6%†27
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−7.6 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

1,625 workers (±257)

Folkston, Georgia
Georgia share

Under 15 min57%928
15–29 min0.7%†11
30–44 min14%†227

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 Charlton County, the county holding most of Folkston's residents.

Charlton County has 148 employer establishments, 114 for every 10,000 residents (0.46× the US rate of 248; 0.48× Georgia's), with 1,413 paid employees at an average annual pay of $39,270. The Census Bureau also counts 615 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 148; 615 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 114; US 248 · Georgia 236
Paid employees: 1,413
Average annual pay: $39,270; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	11	8.5	0.46×Fewer than typical	238	$14,996	8
Specialty trade contractors	9	6.9	0.45×Too few to compare	70	$95,000	45
Gasoline stations	7	5.4	1.66×Too few to compare	46	$24,283	—
Limited-service restaurants	7	5.4	0.67×Too few to compare	162	$13,889	—
Ambulatory health care services	6	4.6	0.22×Too few to compare	42	$50,571	26
Grocery and convenience stores	6	4.6	1.56×Too few to compare	52	$26,231	—
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	5	3.9	0.95×Too few to compare	78	$12,551	6
Automotive repair and maintenance	5	3.9	0.76×Too few to compare	11	$44,636	20
Building equipment contractors	5	3.9	0.64×Too few to compare	37	$133,486	7
General merchandise stores	5	3.9	2.18×Too few to compare	40	$21,200	4
Religious organizations	5	3.9	0.69×Too few to compare	12	$24,167	—
Truck transportation	5	3.9	0.76×Too few to compare	9	$30,778	28

Rank places for an industry Open Charlton County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 12,983 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

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

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

See federal money in Charlton 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.

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

House

Earl L. "Buddy" CarterR-GA-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 5.5%

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.

Charlton County7100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Charlton County

Largest first.

Homeland755

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
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/1330424