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Comprehensive plan documents steep population decline, changing workforce and housing pressures in Chattahoochee County
Summary
The comprehensive plan shows the county population falling from 11,267 (2010) to 9,181 (2023), with the Non‑Fort Benning area falling more sharply; the plan links demographic shifts to employment trends, low per‑capita income relative to neighbors, and a housing mix heavy in manufactured homes.
The updated comprehensive plan for the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County highlights marked population declines and changing local demographics that officials say influence planning priorities. Countywide population fell from 11,267 in 2010 to 9,181 in 2023; the Non‑Fort Benning Area (Census Tract 201) fell from about 3,016 to 1,776 over the same period. State projections in the plan show continued slow declines, with a projected county population near 8,460 in 2025 and 8,006 in 2030.
The plan ties part of the population trend to reductions in Fort Benning military personnel and notes the complication that Fort Benning’s presence affects how county demographics are reported. Age cohorts show declines among children and working‑age adults in many tables, while the share identifying as two or more races grew to 11% in 2023.
Economic indicators in the plan show an April 2025 unemployment rate of 3.8% and an average weekly wage of $1,403. The 2023 employment profile lists educational services, healthcare and social assistance (19.2%), professional and administrative services (16.3%), and retail trade (15.7%) as leading sectors. Per‑capita income in 2023 was listed at $26,920, below some neighboring counties.
Housing data in the plan note a shrinking housing stock (3,374 units in 2010 to 2,902 in 2023) and a high share of manufactured or mobile homes (about 17% in 2023). The plan states that manufactured homes are taxed as personal property in Georgia, which reduces their contribution to the local property tax base even as they provide affordable housing options.
Residents who responded to the public survey appended to the plan voiced concerns consistent with the findings: a resident wrote, “The water has low pressure and has lots of water leaks! Very frustrating!” while others called for a grocery store and more local jobs. The plan’s work program includes market analysis, housing program outreach and targeted infrastructure investments intended to address these issues.
