Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Quitman grades D overall, 209th among Georgia's 258 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. The median household income is $19K, and 43% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 7 places on the National Register. 43% of residents live below the poverty line in Quitman, above both the Georgia town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Quitman's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Henry Gray Turner House and Grounds and Brooks County Courthouse.
Where Quitman beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Henry Gray Turner House and Grounds| Widest gap | Quitman | GA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 24% | 9.6% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Quitman is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 784 in 1870, 4,064 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 3 maps from 1961 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Quitman, 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 Quitman.
Quitman is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Valdosta and other neighbors.
Against the 54 U.S. towns with household incomes like Quitman’s, it is less healthy than 74%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
39% of Quitman adults say their health is fair or poor. Of the 261 Georgia towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Quitman. 41% of Quitman adults feel lonely.
| Quitman | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Quitman | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.8% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82% | 77.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 24% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Brooks County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks County Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 489 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
At 2.7 years of the Valdosta metro’s $57K median household income, the typical home (about $156K) costs less against local pay than in 80% of Georgia towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $1,055, against $2,341 across Georgia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Quitman home is worth about $156,000, up 2.2% in a year, 53% below the Georgia typical home. 50% of households own their home in Quitman.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Quitman | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 2.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Quitman has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Quitman’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Quitman has about as many jobs (1,260) as working residents, but only 206 people both live and work here.
Only 1 of the 263 Georgia towns we compare have a lower median household income than Quitman. Since 2013, Quitman has lost 166 jobs, to 1,260 in 2023. Most working residents leave Quitman for work: only 16% work in town.
| Quitman | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $19,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Quitman's reported crime rate is close to Georgia's. The violent crime rate in Quitman is 4.4 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Quitman | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.5 per 1,000 residents | 14.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Quitman
About 2 of every 100 Quitman residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
6 places in Quitman on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Quitman.
City in Georgia, United States
Quitman is a city in and the county seat of Brooks County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,064 in 2020. The Quitman Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Quitman was the home of James Pierpont, author of the song "Jingle Bells" (1857), and uncle of American financier J.P. Morgan. Pierpont was an organist for the First Presbyterian Church. James' daughter, Lillie, was Quitman's first librarian in 1880. A local Quitman ordinance prohibits chickens from crossing the road. It is called "Camellia City", as the tree grows in profusion around the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Quitman grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #209 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. That is 2.7 years of the area's median household income ($57,085 across the Valdosta, GA metro 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+.
7 notable people were born here, including Francis Spain and Dennis McKinnon.
