Early County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Early County, Georgia had an estimated 10,444 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,851, across 513 square miles. County output reached $656.7 m in 2024, 197 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $683,500 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Early County
How many people live in Early County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,603
- Households4,114
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$54,083
- Median age41.1
- Median gross rent$791 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$131,300
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,060
- Population under 182,586
- Share under 1824.4 percent
- Population 65 and over2,110
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,907
- Civilian labor force4,482
- Unemployment rate6.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.9 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties123rd of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2446th of 3,222
Early County is the 123rd largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.4 percent against 19.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Early County
Is Early County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202410,444
- Census 2020 base population10,851
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.75 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-126
- Births, 2024111
- Deaths, 2024148
- Natural change, 2024-37
- Net domestic migration, 2024-86
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 2024-87
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-87
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2861st of 3,144
The county has lost 3.75 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Early County
Where are people moving to Early County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving185
- People arriving, from those returns368
- Tax returns filed by households leaving197
- Net household movement-12
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$911,000
- Average income of an arriving household$43,762
- Average income of a leaving household$36,472
- Largest single originCalhoun County (24 households)
- Largest single destinationHouston County (27 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 24 | 48 | $689,000 |
| Houston County | 23 | 42 | $1.0 m |
Households arriving report $7,290 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 Calhoun 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.
Early County
What is the Early County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$656.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$652.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.6 percent
- GDP change over five years23.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Georgia areas BEA publishes100th of 159
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2204th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$61,933
Output grew 0.6 percent in the latest year and 23.3 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.
Early County
Employment by industry in Early County
- Covered employment, annual average3,658
- Establishments reporting275
- Average annual pay$57,332
- Average weekly wage$1,103
- Retail trade, employment333
- Retail trade, average annual pay$24,279
- Wholesale trade, employment302
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$80,008
- Finance and insurance, employment127
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$72,566
- Construction, employment126
- Construction, average annual pay$56,963
- Other services, except public administration, employment38
- Real estate and rental and leasing, employment6
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 333 | 58 | $24,279 |
| Wholesale trade | 302 | 12 | $80,008 |
| Finance and insurance | 127 | 16 | $72,566 |
| Construction | 126 | 18 | $56,963 |
| Other services, except public administration | 38 | 20 | $34,131 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 6 | 6 | $34,732 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 333 jobs, 9.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Early County
How many businesses are in Early County?
- Establishments, all industries197
- Employment at those establishments2,759
- Annual payroll$167.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.6
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.
Early County
Building permits in Early County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202411
- Declared construction value permitted$2.1 m
- Single family units authorized11
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$192,495
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.7
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.
Early County
SBA loans in Early County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$683,500
- Average 7(a) approval$227,833
- Median 7(a) approval$189,000
- Largest single approval$465,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)11
- Jobs per approval3.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term192 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.8 m
- Average 504 approval$605,000
- Median 504 approval$543,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval6.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.0
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$2.5 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.
Early County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Early County
Do SBA loans in Early County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
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.
Early County
How large is Early County?
- Land area513 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties19th of 159
- Width, east to west28 mi
- Height, north to south30.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land21
- Establishments per square mile0.38
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.
Early County
Flood risk in Early County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Early County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 130499
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Early 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 Early County (community 130499), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Early 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. 80.0 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 Early 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 Early County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,603
- Households4,114
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$54,083
- Median age41.1
Common questions
Early County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Early County, Georgia?
The Census Bureau estimates 10,444 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 10,603, in 4,114 households, ranking 123rd of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Early County's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.75 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,851, to 10,444 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 111 births against 148 deaths, with net migration of -87. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Early County?
$54,083. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $131,300, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $791 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Early County?
197 establishments, employing 2,759 people with an annual payroll of $167.5 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 Early County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 333 jobs, 9.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,658 jobs at an average annual pay of $57,332, or $1,103 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Early County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $683,500 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $189,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Early County?
11 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Early 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 Early County come from?
The largest single origin is Calhoun County, with 24 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,762 against $36,472 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Early 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 Early 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.
Early County
Cities and places in Early.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Early County. All 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blakely | city | 5,238 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Arlington | city | 1,014 | None recorded | 40.3 percent here, 59.7 percent Calhoun County |
| Damascus | city | 272 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jakin | city | 155 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar Springs | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |