Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Barnesville gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $257K, 3.8 years of the county’s $67K median household income. It grades C overall, 121st of 258 graded towns in Georgia. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $57K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 7 places on the National Register. Only 14 of Georgia’s 373 towns score higher on history. Barnesville is home to Gordon State College. 18% of residents are under 18 in Barnesville, where Georgia’s towns sit at 24% and U.S. towns at 22%.
Where Barnesville beats most towns.
Lamar County Courthouse
Census counts: 754 in 1870, 6,292 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Barnesville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barnesville, 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 Barnesville.
Barnesville trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities. Since 2022, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Barnesville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Lamar County school district. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar County Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 746 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
Against the 8,143 U.S. towns with household incomes like Barnesville’s, it is less healthy than 52%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Barnesville beats the Georgia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 41% of Barnesville adults feel lonely.
| Barnesville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 40% | 36% |
| What stands out | Barnesville | GA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.4% | 9.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.6% | 17.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.2% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes are within reach (about $257K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 28 miles. Home values rose 40% in five years, to about $257K, against 21% across Georgia.
49% of households own their home in Barnesville. Typical home values rose 4.7% in the year to September 2026. Barnesville’s median rent is $846 a month.
| Barnesville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $846 a month | $1,160 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Barnesville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Barnesville is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Barnesville for work: only 11% work in town. The top destinations are Griffin (6%), Atlanta (4%) and Macon-Bibb County (4%).
| Barnesville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Barnesville's reported crime rate is well below Georgia's. Among 150 Georgia towns, just 10 have a lower property crime rate than Barnesville. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Barnesville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.9 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Barnesville
College town 16 of every 100 Barnesville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
5 places in Barnesville on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Georgia, United States
Barnesville is a city in and the county seat of Lamar County, Georgia, United States, located just outside of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Barnesville had a population of 6,292. Barnesville is located 37 miles (60 km) northwest of Macon and 60 miles (97 km) south of Atlanta. It was called the "Buggy Capital of the South", as the town produced about 9,000 buggies a year around the turn of the 20th century. Each year in the third week of September the town hosts an annual Buggy Days celebration.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Barnesville.
| Town | GA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnesville | #121 | C | B+ | — | C+ | C |
| Aldora | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Barnesville reports no FBI crime data of its own. Aldora isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Barnesville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Barnesville grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #121 of 258 in Georgia. It grades C for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
