Population 428 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Ellijay: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Ellijay
Household size in Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.06 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.25 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.13 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.75 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.31 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Ellijay are small: just 1.75 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.06, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.0 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.9, Ellijay is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.8% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Ellijay: 4.5% of households, against 11.6% 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 Ellijay
Renters in Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.3% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.3% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.9% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.0% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.0% of households in Ellijay rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 60.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 27.7% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 47.1% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +18.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ellijay: 47.1% 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.
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 Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1989 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | −7 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Ellijay are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990.
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 Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $572 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $814 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $732 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $851 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$279 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Ellijay costs $851 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 34.0% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Ellijay
Bachelor's degrees in Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.3% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.3% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +18.1 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Ellijay than nationally: 30.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
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 Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.3% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.2% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.2% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Ellijay: 98.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Ellijay
| Period | Ellijay | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ellijay runs below the national rate: 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% 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).
Ellijay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellijay | 1.75 | 48.9 | 4.5% | 20.0% | 47.1% | 1982 | $851 | 30.3% | 98.2% | 3.8% |
| Franklin | 2.09 | 48.2 | 6.5% | 24.0% | 21.1% | 1986 | $827 | 22.4% | 88.9% | 3.1% |
| Sugarfork | 1.76 | 57.0 | 4.7% | 19.1% | 51.3% | 1985 | $845 | 38.4% | 94.6% | 2.2% |
| Pumpkintown | 1.86 | 32.3 | 14.1% | 55.8% | 11.6% | 1989 | $814 | 29.8% | 93.1% | 1.4% |
| Erastus | 2.36 | 41.8 | 2.9% | 53.2% | 23.5% | 1982 | $1,007 | 32.3% | 94.0% | 0.2% |
| Otto | 2.48 | 46.4 | 7.3% | 8.5% | 30.7% | 1988 | $696 | 37.9% | 93.2% | 0.5% |
| Highlands | 1.80 | 63.2 | 4.6% | 26.4% | 58.4% | 1986 | $788 | 49.8% | 91.1% | 1.4% |
| Scaly Mountain | 2.16 | 53.8 | 8.6% | 27.2% | 44.4% | 1989 | $857 | 39.1% | 91.7% | 0.0% |
| Speedwell | 2.37 | 41.5 | 2.8% | 53.8% | 22.6% | 1982 | $1,003 | 32.2% | 94.0% | 0.0% |
| Forest Hills | 1.69 | 23.5 | 6.7% | 73.4% | 14.9% | 2003 | $798 | 56.5% | 96.7% | 3.8% |
| Cullowhee | 2.14 | 26.4 | 8.5% | 64.9% | 14.2% | 1998 | $940 | 34.0% | 94.2% | 11.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Nicholville, NY · Quinton, NJ · Quimby, IA · Putnam Station, NY · Pregnall, SC · Prague, AR · Portageville, NY · Plymouth, UT · Plymouth, NE · Pine Village, IN
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 Ellijay. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.