City · Georgia
Sparta, Georgia
Sparta, city, in Hancock County, Georgia. Sparta had 1,322 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,357 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,830 (±625). GEOID 1372584.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,322
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,357 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,830 ±625
Median household income
not published
Georgia: $77,353
Median home value
$56,400
±$4,693 (90% margin)
Georgia: $303,300
Median gross rent
$906
±$538 (90% margin)
Georgia: $1,393
Where is Sparta and what county is it in?
Sparta is a city in Hancock County, Georgia. It covers 1.8 square miles of land, 749 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Sparta, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,322 people lived in Sparta on July 1, 2025, down 2.4% since 2020, while Georgia grew 5.5%. The 2020 Census counted 1,357 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,830 (±625).
| Measure | Sparta | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,830 ±625 | 8,650 | no clear change |
| Households | 659 ±224 | 2,922 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.67 ±0.58 | 2.37 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 907 ±244 | 4,971 | no clear change |
Sparta's population since 2000
From 1,522 in 2000 to 1,322 in 2025: down 13.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Sparta as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Sparta?
The median resident of Sparta is 33.4 years old; 25.1% are under 18 and 18.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 89.5%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 6.3%.
| Measure | Sparta | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.4 ±17.5 | 47.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.1% ±11.2 pts | 13.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.1% ±8.5 pts | 25.2% | – |
| Male | 38.1% ±10.2 pts | 52.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 6.3% ±4.5 pts | 27.3% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 89.5% ±8.0 pts | 69.7% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±2.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±3.6 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.0% ±2.0 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.4% ±2.9 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.2% ±3.5 pts | 6.5% | – |
| With a disability | 7.8% ±5.7 pts | 23.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.2% ±6.5 pts | 9.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.1% ±7.0 pts | 76.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 6.6% ±4.1 pts | 10.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.7% ±3.6 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 98.6% ±2.4 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Sparta earn?
The Census Bureau does not publish a median household income for Sparta: too few households were sampled.
| Measure | Sparta | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean household income | $70,342 ±$34,159 | $63,745 | – |
| Per capita income | $19,234 ±$6,221 | $19,746 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 47.0% ±24.5 pts | 30.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 77.0% ±34.5 pts | 62.7% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 36.0% ±20.0 pts | 29.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.8% ±8.6 pts | 82.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 80.6% ±9.4 pts | 71.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Sparta?
Owners occupy 52.2% of Sparta's occupied homes and renters 47.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $56,400 by its owner (±$4,693). The median renter pays $906 a month including utilities, and 78.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Sparta | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $56,400 ±$4,693 | $88,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $906 ±$538 | $938 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 78.3% ±18.2 pts | 72.2% | +29.1 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,130 ±$10 | $1,420 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 52.2% ±23.1 pts | 79.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 47.8% ±23.1 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Housing units | 907 ±244 | 4,971 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 14.0% ±19.5 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±14.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 52.3% ±13.5 pts | 54.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 38.3% ±13.5 pts | 43.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.1% ±6.1 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 13.1% ±9.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Sparta building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Sparta in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 5.4 across Georgia.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Sparta work and get to work?
91.0% of Sparta's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 46.8 minutes.
| Measure | Sparta | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.6% ±9.6 pts | 30.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2% ±13.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 91.0% ±10.7 pts | 82.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.1% ±9.2 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 1.9% ±3.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 46.8 min ±15.1 | 35.4 min | +25.2 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Sparta?
No census tract lies mostly in Sparta; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4804Hancock County | 6,211 | $41,150 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Sparta) · Census block assignment files
How does Sparta compare with other places in Georgia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Sparta is the 9,243rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 279th-most populous of 537 in Georgia.
Sparta is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 279th | 537 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 258th | 297 |
| Residents per square mile | 210th | 360 |
| Per capita income | 330th | 357 |
| Median home value | 343rd | 346 |
| Median gross rent | 230th | 337 |
| Poverty rate | 4th | 302 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 329th | 343 |
| Median age | 278th | 360 |
| Owner-occupied share | 244th | 354 |
| Travel time to work | 3rd | 359 |
Sparta's figures with every place in Georgia (CSV)
Every place in Georgia, sortable · Compare Sparta with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Sparta?
24 of the 56 figures for Sparta on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Sparta are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Sparta.