Scores by category

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

Safety3#15,115/15,637
Economy7#14,597/15,631
Housing43#8,499/14,977
Health6#14,685/15,609
Healthcare4#14,966/15,650
Environment34#10,259/15,453
Education4#15,005/15,649
Infrastructure1#15,549/15,650
Community31#10,811/15,651
Leisure & amenities32#10,641/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Pharmacies · high3.3 /10k
98/100Georgia 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJefferson County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low99 min
96/100Georgia 168 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesJefferson County value
Grocery stores · high3.3 /10k
96/100Georgia 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJefferson County value
Job growth · high3.4%
95/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataJefferson County value
Public libraries · high2.0 /10k
91/100Georgia 0.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesJefferson County value
Comfortable days · high31.8%
86/100Georgia 31.5%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationJefferson County value

Weaknesses

Mental health providers · low7 /100k
0/100Georgia 201 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteJefferson County value
Primary care physicians · low7 /100k
0/100Georgia 67 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteJefferson County value
Loneliness · high44.5%
1/100Georgia 37.9%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Life expectancy · low69.3 yrs
2/100Georgia 76.0 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteJefferson County value
Unemployment rate · high17.4%
2/100Georgia 3.4%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Reading scores · low2.50
2/100Georgia 2.97United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteJefferson County value

Trends

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

Child poverty rateImproving
65.8% (2015-2019) → 31.3% (2020-2024)
−34 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
62.0% (2015-2019) → 40.7% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
62.4% (2015-2019) → 79.9% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
39.9% (2015-2019) → 26.1% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Unemployment rateWorsening
5.5% (2015-2019) → 17.4% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
38.4% (2015-2019) → 27.9% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

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, Wrens, Georgia improved on 4 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 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

Child poverty−34 points65.8% → 31.3%
Rent / income−11 points38.4% → 27.9%
Rent burden−21 points62.0% → 40.7%
Broadband+17 points62.4% → 79.9%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Wrens, Georgia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	28.2 min2015-2019	24.4 min2020-2024	−3.8 min	Within the margin of error	84%
Broadband subscriptions	62.4%2015-2019	79.9%2020-2024	+17 points	Improved	86%
Child poverty rate	65.8%2015-2019	31.3%2020-2024	−34 points	Improved	99%
Effective property tax rate	1.23%2015-2019	1.14%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	33%
High school diploma or higher	72.4%2015-2019	73.3%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5032015-2019	0.4782020-2024	−0.025	Within the margin of error	71%
Median household income	$30,2342015-2019	$37,6092020-2024	+24%	Within the margin of error	43%
Poverty rate	39.9%2015-2019	26.1%2020-2024	−14 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	38.4%2015-2019	27.9%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	94%
Rent-burdened households	62.0%2015-2019	40.7%2020-2024	−21 points	Improved	94%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	19.7%2015-2019	17.8%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	68%

“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 Wrens, Georgia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Wrens, 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, Wrens, Georgia itself moved +17.3 points in standing on average over the same 8 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

2,187 residents (±553)

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 (−4.5 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

2,187 residents (±553)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

White36%†778
Black64%†1,393
Hispanic or Latino0.0%0
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races0.7%†16

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Asian (−1.7 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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

1,346 residents (±301)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

No high school diploma27%†359
High school or GED26%†346
Some college29%†397
Associate degree12%†155
Bachelor's degree1.8%†24
Graduate degree4.8%†65

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Bachelor's degree (−9.0 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 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

904 households (±171)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $25k37%†332
$25k–50k31%†277
$50k–75k13%†122
$75k–100k9.4%†85
$100k–150k5.9%†53
$150k–200k3.9%†35
$200k or more0.0%0

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 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

904 households (±171)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

Own47%426
Rent53%478

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

444 households (±124)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $75062%†277
$750–1,00035%†154
$1,000–1,5002.9%†13

Home values

426 homes (±120)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $150k63%†269
$150k–250k32%†138
$250k–400k4.5%†19

Age of homes

1,065 homes (±176)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

2010 or later0.6%†6
2000–20097.2%†77
1980–199922%†229

Size of homes

1,065 homes (±176)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom7.8%†83
2 bedrooms26%†275

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

765 workers (±220)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

Drive alone88%†677
Carpool4.1%†31
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.6%†20
Bike0.0%0
Work from home4.8%†37
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−20.1 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

728 workers (±214)

Wrens, Georgia
Georgia share

Under 15 min28%†203
15–29 min24%†173
30–44 min37%†272

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 Jefferson County, the county holding most of Wrens's residents.

Jefferson County has 326 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.90× Georgia's), with 4,046 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,435. The Census Bureau also counts 1,631 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 326; 1,631 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248 · Georgia 236
Paid employees: 4,046
Average annual pay: $47,435; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	28	18.3	1.18×About typical	126	$53,825	112
Religious organizations	21	13.8	2.48×More than typical	103	$21,825	—
Restaurants and other eating places	19	12.4	0.68×Fewer than typical	266	$15,669	25
Ambulatory health care services	15	9.8	0.47×Fewer than typical	81	$45,346	84
Gasoline stations	14	9.2	2.83×More than typical	117	$27,308	—
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	11	7.2	2.29×More than typical	68	$58,191	17
Construction of buildings	10	6.5	0.87×About typical	42	$57,762	32
General merchandise stores	10	6.5	3.71×More than typical	85	$16,800	8
Grocery and convenience stores	10	6.5	2.21×More than typical	282	$16,174	6
Lessors of real estate	10	6.5	0.53×Fewer than typical	34	$34,647	53
Building equipment contractors	9	5.9	0.98×Too few to compare	37	$48,189	16
Full-service restaurants	9	5.9	0.77×Too few to compare	116	$14,759	12

Rank places for an industry Open Jefferson County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 15,270 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Wrens, Georgia: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

6.1KFY2018
1.8KFY2019
1.3KFY2020
9.1KFY2022
2.9KFY2023

What was bought

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

Wrens, Georgia's figures are part of those of Jefferson County, GA ($76.7K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Jefferson 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.

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

House

Rick W. AllenR-GA-12 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 1.6%

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.

Jefferson County11100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Jefferson 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/1384456