Walker
Georgia

What stands out

Three things set Walker County apart from the other 3,142 counties: the restaurant count per person is in the bottom 5% of American counties (0.3 per 1,000), the overdose death rate is in the top 8% of American counties (36 per 100,000), and rainfall is in the top 9% of American counties (54 inches a year). Within Georgia it ranks 14th of 128 counties for the restaurant count per person, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Walker County, Georgia. 68,065 people live here with you. The population grew 0.8% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +794).

Georgia moved to a flat income tax in 2024 with a rate scheduled to fall each year, and it exempts up to $65,000 of retirement income per person for residents 65 and over. Metro Atlanta holds more than half the state's population and its airport is the busiest in the world by passengers. Property taxes vary widely by county because school districts set most of the rate.

Money

The typical household here brings in $52,276 a year, lower than 74% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $45,778. Unemployment runs 3.0%, lower than 65% of American counties. 9% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 26 minutes each way.

Georgia takes 5.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,609 a year.

Home

The median home costs $244K, pricier than 54% of American counties, about 2.2 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $819 a month. Property tax is 0.84% of home value, roughly $1,257 a year on that median home, lower than 52% of American counties. 74% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 4.3 per 1,000 residents, higher than 71% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 36 people per 100,000 in 2024, one of the harder-hit counties in the country.

A child born here can expect to live 73.9 years, shorter than 71% of American counties. There are 27 active physicians in the county, about 4.0 per 10,000 people. 14.6% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.87 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 82% of American counties. 85% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 59 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 54% of eligible voters turned out. Under Georgia law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is banned with narrow exceptions, and marijuana is medical only.

Weather and risk

The year averages 60°F, highs near 70 and lows near 49, warmer than 66% of American counties. About 54 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 74 out of 100, riskier than 74% of American counties; the county has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 231 Mbps down, faster than 65% of American counties. There are 3 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.3 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 1 National Park Service site.