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Place dossier plate
SheetGA-HARTWELL-GA · Hartwell, GA 4,523 pop · income 15th pct · 10 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Hartwell
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Hartwell on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Summerville · lowest
31,429
Summerville · lowest
31,429 median HH income
22.5% of the leader · rank #1
Mammoth · near
46,719
Mammoth · near
46,719 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #2
Oakfield · near
46,719
Oakfield · near
46,719 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #3
Hartwell · this city
46,729
Hartwell · this city
46,729 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #4
Aurora · near
46,733
Aurora · near
46,733 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #5
Ben Avon · near
46,736
Ben Avon · near
46,736 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #6
Buckhead · highest
139,395
Buckhead · highest
139,395 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Hartwell on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 4,523.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Hartwell - the verdict
Nationally, Hartwell sits in the 15th percentile for household income and the 22nd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
15th
percentile, household income
30th
percentile, home value
51st
percentile, median rent
22nd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Hartwell, GA
Georgia's Hartwell is a small town, with 4,523 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Hartwell report a median income of $46,729 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.7%. Typical homes in Hartwell are valued around $158,400, and the median resident age is 42.6 years. Educational attainment runs 12.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 55.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 42 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 600% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2554.3 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Hartwell's yearly average temperature at 61.3°F with 51.8 inches of precipitation per year and 0.9 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Georgia run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Georgia at 96.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,203 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Georgia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 39.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Hartwell's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to climate and hazard context to within-city variation to schools and households to population change to comparison shortlist to reported crime to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Hartwell, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
How far does income reach against housing in Hartwell?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 61.3°F, with 51.8 inches of precipitation and 0.9 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Georgia is 39.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 10 Census tracts to this city.
Which cities make useful reference points for Hartwell?
Within Georgia, the closest population matches are Heron Bay (4,561 residents, $120,735 income); Folkston (4,609 residents, $45,453 income); Lindale (4,611 residents, $40,283 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are California, MO (4,523 residents); Guerneville, CA (4,522 residents); Potosi, TX (4,524 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Hartwell?
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 12.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
4
Bachelor's degree+
12.0%
Poverty estimate
5.7%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Is Hartwell growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +465 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +10.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 42 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+10.5%
2025 estimate
4,914
2020 estimate
4,449
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Hartwell?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2554.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 12% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
2149.9
Violent rate
404.4
Total reported rate
2554.3
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Hartwell?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 81.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
4.2%
Drive alone
81.4%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 2,159 workers age 16+.
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Georgia average
F
City profile score · Hartwell, GA
34/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Poverty rate C+
5.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living C
96.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
404 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income F
$46,729
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
12.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Hartwell profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 61/100 (C+) · 5.7%
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.3 index
Violent crime: 22/100 (F) · 404 /100k
Household income: 16/100 (F) · $46,729
Bachelor's+ share: 12/100 (F) · 12.0%
Where Hartwell sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Hartwell's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Hartwell highlighted among 24 peers.Read the chart values
Hartwell, GA (this city): home $158,400, crime 2,554/100k
Hummelstown, PA : home $240,200, crime 1,113/100k
Folkston, GA : home $76,800, crime 549/100k
Summerville, GA : home $88,000, crime 1,808/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Hartwell compare to other US cities?
Where Hartwell sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income15% higher than other cities
Home value30% pricier than other cities
Median rent51% pricier than other cities
Safety22% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Georgia, Hartwell ranks #108 of 166 Georgia cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Hartwell against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Georgia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Georgia-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Hartwell near the bottom of Georgia's cities
Among the 638 Georgia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Hartwell ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Hartwell only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#386 of 610
37th percentile in Georgia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 638
0th percentile in Georgia
Median Home Value
#313 of 577
46th percentile in Georgia
Poverty Rate
#473 of 637
25th percentile in Georgia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#430 of 638
32nd percentile in Georgia
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Georgia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
15th percentile nationally for median household income · 22nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Hartwell's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Hartwell's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Hartwell's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$158,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 70% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Hartwell's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,530 of 15,516
More affordable than 45% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#6,928 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.4×, Hartwell sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,530 of 15,516 and #6,928 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$46,729Hartwell, GA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Hartwell, GA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Hartwell, GA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)12.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)5.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)55.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
4,523
Median Income
$46,729
Median Home Value
$158,400
Median Age
42.6
Poverty Rate
5.7%
Labor force participation
55.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
12.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2554.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
404.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2149.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
61.3°F
Annual Precipitation
51.8"
Annual Snowfall
0.9"
Schools
Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Hartwell's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
4,449 residents
2021
4,501 residents
2022
4,503 residents
2023
4,631 residents
2024
4,763 residents
2025
4,914 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
42
housing units authorized
Single-Family
20
detached homes
Multifamily
22
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
9.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
6
6
0
$1.1M
2020
21
7
14
$2.9M
2021
23
17
6
$5.3M
2022
39
16
23
$7.5M
2023
26
18
8
$6.4M
2024
42
20
22
$9.5M
Permit volume increased 600% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
81.4%
Carpool
10.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
4.2%
Other
3.0%
Based on 2,159 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Georgia statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Georgia at $225 (electricity about $125 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Georgia statewide averages, not a meter reading for Hartwell. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Georgia's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Hartwell is $1,203/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Georgia statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.5 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Georgia statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Hartwell sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Hartwell compares to similar-size Georgia cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.