Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hardwick grades D overall, 222nd of 258 graded towns in Georgia, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. The median household income is $40K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. Hardwick has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Samuel Rockwell House and Thalian Hall. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 81% of U.S. towns.
Where Hardwick beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
John Rutherford House| Widest gap | Hardwick | GA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 22.8% | 9.6% |
3,930 counted in 2010 and 3,513 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Hardwick is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 14,774 in 1950, 3,513 in 2020. The archive holds 3 maps from 1912 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hardwick is unincorporated, so Baldwin County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Hardwick.
Hardwick trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and sends most of its workers to Milledgeville and beyond, but it has household incomes well below the Georgia norm.
37% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Hardwick, against 23% in Georgia’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. 21% of Hardwick adults report frequent physical distress. Hardwick beats the Georgia average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22.
| Hardwick | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 14% | 12% |
| What stands out | Hardwick | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.8% | 77.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 22.8% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Hardwick has 336 jobs for its 1,224 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 460 in 2013 to 336.
Most working residents leave Hardwick for work: only 2% work in town. Hardwick’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, where Georgia’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Since 2013, Hardwick has lost 124 jobs, to 336 in 2023.
| Hardwick | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $40,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 9.2% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Hardwick has mild winters and hot summers. Hardwick’s July high is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes are within reach (B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 28 miles. At 1.7 years of the Milledgeville area’s $54K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 98% of Georgia towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
The median rent in Hardwick is $930 a month.
| Hardwick | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $930 a month | $1,160 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 58% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hardwick
About 2 of every 100 Hardwick residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
Where Hardwick’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Hardwick on the National Register of Historic Places.
Place in Georgia, United States
Hardwick an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Baldwin County, Georgia, is a part of the micropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, its population stands at 3,513, reflecting a significant decrease from 5,135 in 2000 when it was known as Midway-Hardwick. The community is built around Central State Hospital, once one of the largest mental health institutions in the United States. Hardwick is historically notable for being home to Oglethorpe University during the 19th century. Today, its ZIP code is 31034, connecting its rich history to its present-day identity.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Hardwick.
| Town | GA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwick | #222 | D | B+ | — | C− | D− |
| Milledgeville | #248 | D− | C+ | D | C− | C− |
Hardwick reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Hardwick with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hardwick grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #222 of 258 in Georgia. It grades D− for health and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $92,000, 72% below the Georgia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
