Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Adel earns a D, 216th among Georgia's 258 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $44K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. One bright spot: its schools rank ahead of 55% of Georgia towns. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in Adel, against 15% in Georgia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include SOWEGA Building and Cook County Courthouse.
Where Adel beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Adel is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 527 in 1890, 5,571 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1973 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Adel, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Adel.
Adel is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has household incomes well below the Georgia norm.
Against the 3,540 U.S. towns with household incomes like Adel’s, it is less healthy than 62%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
17% of adults have diabetes in Adel. Adel beats the Georgia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 44% of adults have high blood pressure in Adel.
| Adel | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Adel | GA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 27.1% | 17.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.6% | 9.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.9% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Cook County school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 778 | – |
| Community Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 152 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
The typical Adel home is worth about $175,000, up 7% in a year, 47% below the Georgia typical home. The median rent in Adel is $969 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adel has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Adel’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Adel’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Valdosta (13%), Tifton (6%) and Moultrie (4%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
| Adel | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Adel | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 2.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adel & Cook Recreation & Parks | — | 11 |
| 2. Adel City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1994, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Adel.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Adel; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Adel residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
3 places in Adel on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Adel.
City in Georgia, United States
Adel () is a city in and the county seat of Cook County, Georgia, United States, about 26 miles (42 km) north of Valdosta and 52 miles (84 km) southeast of Albany. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 5,571.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Adel.
Sparks has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Adel and Sparks report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Adel with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Adel grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #216 of 258 in Georgia. It grades D for health and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($53,651 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
7 notable people were born here, including Ray McKinnon and Cloud.
