Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,038, settled in 1857.
The best of Hiawassee’s subject grades is an A− for schools; the weakest is a D for incomes. Hiawassee’s average trip to work is 13 minutes, below both the Georgia town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 31 of Georgia’s 371 towns do worse. Hiawassee is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 76% of U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 24 of Georgia’s 374 towns do worse. Towns County Jail is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hiawassee has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Hiawassee beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Eastgate Life Academy | PK–12 | 39 |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Hiawassee is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 104 in 1880, a low of 104 in 1880, 981 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hiawassee, 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 Hiawassee.
Most working residents leave Hiawassee for work: only 11% work in town. 18% of Hiawassee residents live below the poverty line, against 15% in Georgia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Hiawassee has added 193 jobs, to 1,156 in 2023.
| Hiawassee | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 9.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastgate Life Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 39 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
The median age in Hiawassee is 51.3 years. Hiawassee has grown 5.6% since 2020, to 1,038 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are 36% of residents (15% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (23% statewide).
| Hiawassee | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.3 years | 36.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 25% | 29% |
61% women, 39% men
About 64 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.2 points). Across Georgia, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Hiawassee | GA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.1% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.2% | 11.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.8% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.4% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.3% | 13.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.1% | 12.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.5% | 12.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.2% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 21.5% | 5.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.8% | 10.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.6% | 26.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.6% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.7% | 21.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
The typical Hiawassee home is worth about $401,000, about the same as a year ago, 22% above the Georgia typical home.
| Hiawassee | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,072 a month | $1,154 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Hiawassee has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Of the 265 Georgia towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Hiawassee.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
54% of Hiawassee adults have high blood pressure. Of the 262 Georgia towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Hiawassee. 20% of Hiawassee adults have diabetes.
| Hiawassee | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 38% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 87% | 79% | 79% |
| What stands out | Hiawassee | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.2% | 15% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.2% | 9.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 17.5% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Hiawassee's reported crime rate is below Georgia's. Hiawassee’s violent crime rate is 6.6 per 1,000 residents. Only 4 of the 150 Georgia towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Hiawassee.
| Hiawassee | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hiawassee Town Square | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hiawassee. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
6 mi MountainBrasstown Bald
36 mi MountainCurrahee Mountain
23 mi National forestNantahala National Forest
24 mi National forestChattahoochee–Oconee National Forest
13 mi WaterfallAnna Ruby FallsGreat Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Brasstown Bald: Unknown, Public domain · Currahee Mountain: Wikilackey (talk), Public domain · Nantahala National Forest: Sdrtm at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest: Thomson200, CC0 · Anna Ruby Falls: Jsfouche, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hiawassee
About 4 of every 100 Hiawassee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
Where Hiawassee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
County seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States
Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States. The population was 981 at the 2020 census. Its name is derived from the Cherokee—or perhaps Creek—word Ayuhwasi, which means meadow, (A variant spelling, "Hiwassee," is used for the local river and some other Appalachian place names.) Hiawassee is also known in the novel "Restart" by Gordon Korman.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. That is 6.8 years of the area's median household income ($59,135 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 D.
