Population 17,089 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ben Hill County
Household size in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.63 | 2.70 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.67 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.73 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.26 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Ben Hill County is a place of small households, averaging 2.38 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.63, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the south.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9 | 36.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.8 | 36.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.9 | 38.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 38.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.6 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 40.5, the median age in Ben Hill County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Georgia overall, where the median age is 38.6. The median age has climbed from 37.9 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.4% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 13.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 13.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Ben Hill County (16.0%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 3.4 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ben Hill County
Renters in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6% | 32.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.7% | 35.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.2% | 36.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.7% | 34.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Ben Hill County rent their homes (36.7%), close to the national share of 34.8%. About six in ten owners (59.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 0.9 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.1% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.9% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ben Hill County: 14.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.7 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1985 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1987 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Ben Hill County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Georgia overall, where the median home dates to 1991. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the south. Only 15 of Georgia's 159 counties have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $580 | $910 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $632 | $977 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $664 | $1,112 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $812 | $1,520 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$232 | +$609 | +$606 |
Rent in Ben Hill County runs $812 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $232 a month from 2006–10, a 40% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 25.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ben Hill County
Bachelor's degrees in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 28.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 31.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 35.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ben Hill County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.3%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the east. Ben Hill County has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of Georgia counties.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.7% | 84.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.1% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.8% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.9% | 89.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.2 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Ben Hill County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 14.2 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ben Hill County
| Period | Ben Hill County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 10.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.3 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Ben Hill County than nationally: unemployment was 3.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 10.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ben Hill County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Hill County | 2.38 | 40.5 | 16.0% | 36.7% | 14.4% | 1979 | $812 | 12.3% | 83.9% | 3.5% |
| Irwin County | 2.50 | 39.9 | 18.9% | 29.6% | 15.0% | 1978 | $884 | 16.0% | 85.6% | 3.2% |
| Turner County | 2.81 | 40.1 | 19.7% | 36.2% | 16.1% | 1979 | $699 | 10.3% | 76.9% | 12.9% |
| Jeff Davis County | 2.80 | 37.6 | 11.4% | 28.7% | 12.6% | 1986 | $743 | 13.4% | 75.6% | 6.6% |
| Appling County | 2.55 | 40.1 | 12.2% | 27.5% | 15.8% | 1986 | $783 | 11.3% | 82.5% | 3.5% |
| Lee County | 2.70 | 38.5 | 13.4% | 25.8% | 6.4% | 1999 | $1,268 | 34.4% | 91.8% | 3.2% |
| Terrell County | 2.60 | 41.2 | 17.2% | 38.4% | 20.5% | 1976 | $748 | 13.1% | 80.7% | 4.9% |
| Wayne County | 2.78 | 37.7 | 15.7% | 32.7% | 14.2% | 1989 | $875 | 15.8% | 86.0% | 6.5% |
| Randolph County | 2.29 | 42.0 | 17.5% | 48.5% | 23.9% | 1980 | $628 | 16.1% | 87.2% | 9.5% |
| Long County | 2.97 | 35.6 | 13.2% | 34.8% | 11.9% | 2000 | $1,135 | 13.5% | 86.6% | 6.7% |
| Liberty County | 2.73 | 31.3 | 15.9% | 49.1% | 12.8% | 1995 | $1,249 | 21.0% | 92.8% | 7.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Poquoson City, VA · Ceiba Municipio, PR · Salinas Municipio, PR · Russell County, VA · Rosebud County, MT · Roseau County, MN · Choctaw County, MS · Rockbridge County, VA · Robertson County, TX · Roane County, WV
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ben Hill County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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