Upson County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Upson County, Georgia had an estimated 28,358 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 27,696, across 323 square miles. County output reached $976.4 m in 2024, 472 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 17 7(a) approvals worth $9.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Upson County
How many people live in Upson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202428,029
- Households10,595
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$55,429
- Median age41.1
- Median gross rent$849 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$168,700
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over19,346
- Population under 186,397
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over5,215
- Share 65 and over18.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,417
- Civilian labor force12,229
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.5 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties69th of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1540th of 3,222
Upson County is the 69th largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 18.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Upson County
Is Upson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202428,358
- Census 2020 base population27,696
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.39 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202493
- Births, 2024303
- Deaths, 2024428
- Natural change, 2024-125
- Net domestic migration, 2024223
- Net international migration, 2024-4
- Total net migration, 2024219
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,185
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1039th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.39 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Upson County
Where are people moving to Upson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving719
- People arriving, from those returns1,396
- Tax returns filed by households leaving538
- Net household movement181
- Adjusted gross income arriving$32.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$9.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$44,572
- Average income of a leaving household$42,812
- Largest single originSpalding County (94 households)
- Largest single destinationPike County (69 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spalding County | 94 | 209 | $3.1 m |
| Pike County | 81 | 165 | $3.8 m |
| Lamar County | 62 | 127 | $2.8 m |
| Henry County | 48 | 116 | $2.6 m |
| Clayton County | 32 | 60 | $889,000 |
| Fulton County | 30 | 46 | $1.2 m |
| Monroe County | 25 | 45 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $1,760 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 Spalding 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.
Upson County
What is the Upson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$976.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$899.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.5 percent
- GDP change over five years43.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Georgia areas BEA publishes83rd of 159
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1866th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$34,834
Output grew 8.5 percent in the latest year and 43.8 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.
Upson County
Employment by industry in Upson County
- Covered employment, annual average7,233
- Establishments reporting524
- Average annual pay$48,658
- Average weekly wage$936
- Retail trade, employment1,019
- Retail trade, average annual pay$29,828
- Manufacturing, employment1,002
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$61,859
- Accommodation and food services, employment757
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,632
- Other services, except public administration, employment448
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$74,695
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment210
- Construction, employment209
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,019 | 85 | $29,828 |
| Manufacturing | 1,002 | 16 | $61,859 |
| Accommodation and food services | 757 | 49 | $18,632 |
| Other services, except public administration | 448 | 50 | $74,695 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 210 | 38 | $38,684 |
| Construction | 209 | 38 | $72,177 |
| Finance and insurance | 150 | 26 | $81,882 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 116 | 37 | $65,155 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,019 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Upson County
How many businesses are in Upson County?
- Establishments, all industries472
- Employment at those establishments6,142
- Annual payroll$266.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.8
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.
Upson County
Building permits in Upson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024133
- Declared construction value permitted$36.4 m
- Single family units authorized129
- Multifamily units authorized4
- Multifamily share of units3.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$273,851
- Units authorized per 1,000 households12.6
Single-family homes are 97.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Upson County
SBA loans in Upson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded17
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$583,971
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- Largest single approval$3,620,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)170
- Jobs per approval10.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter13
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals11.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (3)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.9 m
- Average 504 approval$712,500
- Median 504 approval$576,500
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval22.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved31.6
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$12.8 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.
Upson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Upson County
Do SBA loans in Upson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full1
- Charged off1
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Paid in full1
Only 2 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.
Upson County
SBA lending by place in Upson County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Thomaston, approvals13
- Yatesville, approvals2
- Newman, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Thomaston | 13 | $5,656,000 |
| Yatesville | 2 | $4,060,000 |
| Newman | 2 | $211,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Upson County
How large is Upson County?
- Land area323 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties90th of 159
- Width, east to west23.5 mi
- Height, north to south21 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land87
- Establishments per square mile1.46
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.
Upson County
Flood risk in Upson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Upson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 130407
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Upson County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Upson County (community 130407), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Upson County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 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 Upson 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 Upson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202428,029
- Households10,595
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$55,429
- Median age41.1
Common questions
Upson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Upson County, Georgia?
The Census Bureau estimates 28,358 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 28,029, in 10,595 households, ranking 69th of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Upson County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.39 percent since the 2020 census base of 27,696, to 28,358 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 303 births against 428 deaths, with net migration of 219. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Upson County?
$55,429. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,700, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $849 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Upson County?
472 establishments, employing 6,142 people with an annual payroll of $266.3 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 Upson County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,019 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,233 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,658, or $936 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Upson County?
17 7(a) approvals totaling $9.9 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $2.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Upson County?
133 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $36.4 m. Multifamily was 3.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Upson County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Upson County come from?
The largest single origin is Spalding County, with 94 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,572 against $42,812 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Upson 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 Upson 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.
Upson County
Cities and places in Upson.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Upson County. All 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomaston | city | 9,831 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Hannahs Mill | CDP | 3,230 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sunset Village | CDP | 825 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lincoln Park | CDP | 688 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Yatesville | town | 435 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Salem | CDP | 385 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| The Rock | CDP | 109 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 17 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Upson County, the largest being Newman (2). 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.