Tift County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Tift County, Georgia had an estimated 41,708 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 41,359, across 259 square miles. County output reached $2.78 bn in 2024, 1,082 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 24 7(a) approvals worth $29.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Tift County
How many people live in Tift County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202441,438
- Households15,640
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$53,255
- Median age37.6
- Median gross rent$777 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$165,200
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over27,242
- Population under 1810,273
- Share under 1824.8 percent
- Population 65 and over6,599
- Share 65 and over15.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6424,566
- Civilian labor force18,075
- Unemployment rate2.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.0 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties51st of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1178th of 3,222
Tift County is the 51st largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.8 percent against 15.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Tift County
Is Tift County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202441,708
- Census 2020 base population41,359
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.84 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202488
- Births, 2024529
- Deaths, 2024474
- Natural change, 202455
- Net domestic migration, 2024-56
- Net international migration, 202489
- Total net migration, 202433
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024136
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1534th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.84 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.
Tift County
Where are people moving to Tift County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,019
- People arriving, from those returns1,960
- Tax returns filed by households leaving948
- Net household movement71
- Adjusted gross income arriving$46.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-2.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$45,540
- Average income of a leaving household$51,672
- Largest single originBerrien County (72 households)
- Largest single destinationBerrien County (71 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien County | 72 | 146 | $2.7 m |
| Colquitt County | 60 | 141 | $2.9 m |
| Lowndes County | 59 | 100 | $2.6 m |
| Turner County | 53 | 114 | $2.4 m |
| Worth County | 50 | 101 | $2.1 m |
| Cook County | 48 | 106 | $1.3 m |
| Irwin County | 45 | 91 | $1.6 m |
| Dougherty County | 29 | 56 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $6,132 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Berrien 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.
Tift County
What is the Tift County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.78 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.65 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years34.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Georgia areas BEA publishes42nd of 159
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1033rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$66,982
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 34.9 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.
Tift County
Employment by industry in Tift County
- Covered employment, annual average22,007
- Establishments reporting1,212
- Average annual pay$50,544
- Average weekly wage$972
- Retail trade, employment2,838
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,047
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,476
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,916
- Manufacturing, employment1,848
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$55,586
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,707
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$49,821
- Wholesale trade, employment1,592
- Transportation and warehousing, employment1,547
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 2,838 | 238 | $33,047 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,476 | 115 | $19,916 |
| Manufacturing | 1,848 | 44 | $55,586 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,707 | 112 | $49,821 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,592 | 65 | $60,882 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,547 | 42 | $56,565 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,152 | 46 | $34,699 |
| Construction | 695 | 76 | $67,773 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 2,838 jobs, 12.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Tift County
How many businesses are in Tift County?
- Establishments, all industries1,082
- Employment at those establishments18,678
- Annual payroll$919.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.1
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.
Tift County
Building permits in Tift County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024176
- Declared construction value permitted$20.5 m
- Single family units authorized116
- Multifamily units authorized60
- Multifamily share of units34.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$116,733
- Units authorized per 1,000 households11.3
Single-family homes are 65.9 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Tift County
SBA loans in Tift County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded24
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$29.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,207,775
- Median 7(a) approval$453,300
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,326,300
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)308
- Jobs per approval12.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active19
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter15
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals41.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (5)
- Most active lenderLendistry SBLC, LLC (3)
- 504 approvals recorded18
- 504 gross approval dollars$21.9 m
- Average 504 approval$1,219,278
- Median 504 approval$488,500
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval12.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.2
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$50.9 m
The average approval of $1,207,775 sits well above the median of $453,300, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 33.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Tift County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Tift County
Do SBA loans in Tift County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure14
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 4 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.
Tift County
How large is Tift County?
- Land area259 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties114th of 159
- Width, east to west18.6 mi
- Height, north to south18.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land160
- Establishments per square mile4.18
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.
Tift County
Flood risk in Tift County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Tift County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 130404
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Tift 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 Tift County (community 130404), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Tift 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 Tift 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 Tift County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202441,438
- Households15,640
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$53,255
- Median age37.6
Common questions
Tift County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Tift County, Georgia?
The Census Bureau estimates 41,708 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 41,438, in 15,640 households, ranking 51st of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Tift County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.84 percent since the 2020 census base of 41,359, to 41,708 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 529 births against 474 deaths, with net migration of 33. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Tift County?
$53,255. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $165,200, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $777 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Tift County?
1,082 establishments, employing 18,678 people with an annual payroll of $919.2 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 Tift County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 2,838 jobs, 12.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 22,007 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,544, or $972 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Tift County?
24 7(a) approvals totaling $29.0 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $453,300, plus 18 504 approvals worth $21.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Tift County?
176 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $20.5 m. Multifamily was 34.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Tift 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 Tift County come from?
The largest single origin is Berrien County, with 72 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,540 against $51,672 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Tift 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 Tift 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.
Tift County
Cities and places in Tift.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Tift 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tifton | city | 17,210 | 24 | Wholly in this county |
| Unionville | CDP | 2,000 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Omega | city | 1,194 | None recorded | 96.7 percent here, 3.3 percent Colquitt County |
| Ty Ty | city | 689 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Phillipsburg | CDP | 193 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby