Cook County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Cook County, Georgia had an estimated 17,984 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,231, across 227 square miles. County output reached $535.8 m in 2024, 339 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $5.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cook County
How many people live in Cook County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,532
- Households6,304
- Average household size2.78
- Median household income$53,651
- Median age37.5
- Median gross rent$956 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$157,500
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,496
- Population under 184,458
- Share under 1825.4 percent
- Population 65 and over2,834
- Share 65 and over16.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,240
- Civilian labor force7,685
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.8 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties101st of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2010th of 3,222
Cook County is the 101st largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.4 percent against 16.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cook County
Is Cook County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202417,984
- Census 2020 base population17,231
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.37 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024224
- Births, 2024231
- Deaths, 2024215
- Natural change, 202416
- Net domestic migration, 202489
- Net international migration, 2024116
- Total net migration, 2024205
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024498
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents631st of 3,144
The county has grown 4.37 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cook County
Where are people moving to Cook County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving416
- People arriving, from those returns854
- Tax returns filed by households leaving434
- Net household movement-18
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-465,000
- Average income of an arriving household$35,606
- Average income of a leaving household$35,200
- Largest single originLowndes County (106 households)
- Largest single destinationLowndes County (118 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowndes County | 106 | 218 | $4.1 m |
| Tift County | 43 | 86 | $1.1 m |
| Berrien County | 37 | 73 | $1.4 m |
| Colquitt County | 24 | 62 | $860,000 |
Households arriving report $406 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Lowndes County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Cook County
What is the Cook County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$535.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$538.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.5 percent
- GDP change over five years36.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Georgia areas BEA publishes110th of 159
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2363rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$30,564
Output grew -0.5 percent in the latest year and 36.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Cook County
Employment by industry in Cook County
- Covered employment, annual average4,662
- Establishments reporting414
- Average annual pay$43,348
- Average weekly wage$834
- Retail trade, employment625
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,361
- Manufacturing, employment553
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$58,583
- Accommodation and food services, employment531
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$17,985
- Construction, employment400
- Construction, average annual pay$57,080
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment91
- Finance and insurance, employment90
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 625 | 69 | $30,361 |
| Manufacturing | 553 | 31 | $58,583 |
| Accommodation and food services | 531 | 33 | $17,985 |
| Construction | 400 | 40 | $57,080 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 91 | 19 | $28,757 |
| Finance and insurance | 90 | 14 | $50,826 |
| Wholesale trade | 75 | 16 | $56,161 |
| Other services, except public administration | 55 | 20 | $38,604 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 625 jobs, 13.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cook County
How many businesses are in Cook County?
- Establishments, all industries339
- Employment at those establishments3,580
- Annual payroll$166.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cook County
Building permits in Cook County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202447
- Declared construction value permitted$9.6 m
- Single family units authorized47
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$203,658
- Units authorized per 1,000 households7.5
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cook County
SBA loans in Cook County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,031,900
- Median 7(a) approval$257,500
- Largest single approval$4,160,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)75
- Jobs per approval15.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals60.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$262,000
- Average 504 approval$131,000
- Median 504 approval$131,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval7.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved53.4
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$5.4 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cook County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cook County
Do SBA loans in Cook County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cook County
SBA lending by place in Cook County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Adel, approvals4
- Hahira, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Adel | 4 | $5,017,500 |
| Hahira | 1 | $142,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cook County
How large is Cook County?
- Land area227 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties129th of 159
- Width, east to west16.6 mi
- Height, north to south22.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land77
- Establishments per square mile1.49
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cook County
Flood risk in Cook County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Cook County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 130501
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Cook County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Cook County (community 130501), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Cook County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Cook County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Cook County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,532
- Households6,304
- Average household size2.78
- Median household income$53,651
- Median age37.5
Common questions
Cook County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cook County, Georgia?
The Census Bureau estimates 17,984 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 17,532, in 6,304 households, ranking 101st of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cook County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.37 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,231, to 17,984 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 231 births against 215 deaths, with net migration of 205. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cook County?
$53,651. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $157,500, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $956 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cook County?
339 establishments, employing 3,580 people with an annual payroll of $166.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Cook County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 625 jobs, 13.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,662 jobs at an average annual pay of $43,348, or $834 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cook County?
5 7(a) approvals totaling $5.2 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $257,500, plus 2 504 approvals worth $262,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Cook County?
47 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cook County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Cook County come from?
The largest single origin is Lowndes County, with 106 households. Arriving households report an average income of $35,606 against $35,200 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cook County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Cook County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Cook County
Cities and places in Cook.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cook County. All 4 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adel | city | 5,641 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Sparks | town | 2,056 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lenox | town | 713 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cecil | city | 486 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 5 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Cook County, the largest being Hahira (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby