Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Elberton earns a D−, ranked 230th of 258 in Georgia, mostly because of health and safety. Residents are less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It reports more crime per resident than 92% of U.S. towns, including 42 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. Elberton’s violent crime rate is 8.8 per 1,000 residents, above both the Georgia town median (2.2) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6). Only 23 of Georgia’s 373 towns score higher on history. Elberton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 88% of U.S. towns.
Where Elberton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Elberton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 122 in 1810, a peak of 7,107 in 1960, 4,640 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Elberton, 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 Elberton.
Elberton trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, but it reports violent crime at 3 times the Georgia rate and is a long drive from an emergency room.
The nearest emergency room, Abbeville Area Medical Center, is 26.1 miles away in a straight line.
19% of Elberton adults have diabetes. Elberton beats the Georgia average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 48% of Elberton adults have high blood pressure.
| Elberton | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 29% | 25% |
| What stands out | Elberton | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.6% | 77.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.1% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Elbert County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Elbert County High School, with 916 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elbert County Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 650 | C+ |
| Elbert County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 916 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 8.8 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the Georgia rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D. Reported crimes rose from 122 to 177 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Elberton’s property crime rate is 28.2 per 1,000 residents. Elberton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Homes are within reach (about $181K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 28 miles. Home values rose 44% in five years, to about $181K, against 21% across Georgia.
The typical Elberton home is worth about $181,000, up 3.7% in a year, 45% below the Georgia typical home. 51% of households own their home in Elberton.
| Elberton | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $916 a month | $1,160 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Elberton 2 N weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 209 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 96% of Georgia places with climate records. The Elberton 2 N weather station records that about 36 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 92% of Georgia places with climate records.
Elberton has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Elberton is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Elberton’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Athens (9%), Atlanta (2%) and Lavonia (2%).
| Elberton | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 26% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Elberton | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 2.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Elberton County Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Elberton; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Elberton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Georgia.
8 places in Elberton on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Elberton.
City in the United States
Elberton is the county seat and the largest city in Elbert County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Elberton had a population of 4,640. Elberton is known as the "granite capital of the world".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Elberton grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #230 of 258 in Georgia. It grades D for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.1 years of the area's median household income ($58,450 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 B.
13 notable people were born here, including Derek Harper and Howard Tate.
