Population 10,206 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Blue Ridge
Household size in Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.27 | 2.70 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.16 | 2.73 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Blue Ridge is a place of small households, averaging 2.16 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 2.27, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only five of the 282 Georgia cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.3 | 36.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.1 | 36.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.9 | 38.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.3 | 38.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 52.3, Blue Ridge is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 47.3 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only six of the 282 Georgia cities with 5,000+ people are older.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 13.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 13.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Blue Ridge: 14.9% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 5.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Blue Ridge
Renters in Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.3% | 32.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.0% | 35.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.9% | 36.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.8% | 34.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Blue Ridge rent their homes (29.8%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 59.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has risen 3.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.0% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.1% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 34.9% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.3% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Blue Ridge: 36.3% 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. Vacancy has risen 4.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1986 | 1985 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1987 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1992 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Blue Ridge has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1993, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1986 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $539 | $910 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $654 | $977 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $734 | $1,112 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $928 | $1,520 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$389 | +$609 | +$606 |
Rent in Blue Ridge runs $928 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $389 a month since 2006–10, up 72%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 29.1% of household income on rent, just 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 north; the highest are in the southeast.
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 Blue Ridge
Bachelor's degrees in Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.3% | 28.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.0% | 31.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.2% | 35.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Blue Ridge have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 7.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the north.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.5% | 84.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.3% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.1% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.5% | 89.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Blue Ridge never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 8.0 points, as it has 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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 10.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Blue Ridge runs below the national rate: 3.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 7.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Blue Ridge compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge | 2.16 | 52.3 | 14.9% | 29.8% | 36.3% | 1993 | $928 | 25.2% | 86.5% | 3.5% |
| Lucius | 2.13 | 52.6 | 8.0% | 29.1% | 47.5% | 1998 | $1,148 | 33.2% | 83.1% | 5.0% |
| Epworth | 2.45 | 42.0 | 16.7% | 25.3% | 21.4% | 1986 | $1,046 | 17.1% | 85.4% | 1.0% |
| Mineral Bluff | 2.39 | 51.2 | 9.8% | 11.4% | 36.9% | 1995 | $1,020 | 22.2% | 91.2% | 6.6% |
| Cherrylog | 2.18 | 57.2 | 4.2% | 13.5% | 45.1% | 1998 | $1,182 | 37.2% | 93.5% | 2.8% |
| McCaysville | 2.05 | 46.9 | 8.2% | 22.2% | 15.8% | 1993 | $1,019 | 19.5% | 87.9% | 0.1% |
| Oasis | 1.91 | 57.6 | 1.0% | 5.7% | 25.8% | 1994 | $899 | 23.3% | 96.4% | 0.0% |
| Goose Island | 2.38 | 59.2 | 1.3% | 7.8% | 43.0% | 2002 | $1,316 | 27.1% | 85.2% | 0.0% |
| Morganton | 2.22 | 53.9 | 12.5% | 11.3% | 42.6% | 1996 | $1,083 | 26.3% | 87.7% | 2.4% |
| Ivy Log | 2.47 | 53.1 | 3.3% | 6.7% | 21.1% | 1996 | $969 | 23.5% | 83.7% | 4.2% |
| Suches | 2.00 | 53.8 | 5.8% | 8.8% | 63.0% | 1988 | $875 | 33.2% | 74.8% | 1.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cleves, OH · Socorro, NM · South Highpoint, FL · South Huntington, NY · Southside, AL · Sparta, NJ · St. Amant, LA · St. Francis, WI · Stokesdale, NC · Struthers, OH
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 Blue Ridge. 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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