Ware County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Ware County, Georgia has a population of 35,976 across 892 square miles, down 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.91 bn in 2024, 890 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $22.9 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Ware County
How many people live in Ware County
- Population35,976
- Households12,957
- Average household size2.78
- Median household income$47,448
- Median age37.9
- Median gross rent$789 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$109,500
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over24,219
- Population under 188,934
- Share under 1824.8 percent
- Population 65 and over6,167
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6420,875
- Civilian labor force13,943
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over51.6 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties54th of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1317th
Ware County is the 54th largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.8 percent against 17.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ware County
Is Ware County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.07 percent
- Census 2020 base population36,247
- Births, 2024459
- Deaths, 2024542
- Natural change, 2024-83
- Net domestic migration, 2024-40
- Net international migration, 202482
- Total net migration, 202442
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024351
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1859th
The county has lost 0.07 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ware County
Where people moving to Ware County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving925
- People arriving, from those returns1,836
- Adjusted gross income arriving$35.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$37,834
- Largest single originWare County Non-migrants (10,986 households)
- Largest single destination (10,986 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ware County Non-migrants | 10,986 | 23,244 | $605.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 331 | 657 | $15.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 246 | 460 | $8.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 209 | 407 | $10.2 m |
| Pierce County | 161 | 331 | $5.0 m |
| Brantley County | 69 | 157 | $2.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 50 | 110 | $1.8 m |
| Duval County | 39 | 79 | $1.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ware County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Ware County
What the Ware County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.91 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.82 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years31.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Georgia counties54th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1324th
- GDP per resident$52,984
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 31.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Ware County
Who employs people in Ware County
- Covered employment, annual average14,597
- Establishments reporting1,009
- Average annual pay$46,107
- Average weekly wage$887
- Sector 44-45, employment2,132
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,264
- Sector 72, employment1,579
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,480
- Sector 31-33, employment1,150
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$53,334
- Sector 23, employment709
- Sector 23, average annual pay$54,281
- Sector 48-49, employment649
- Sector 81, employment619
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 2,132 | 180 | $35,264 |
| Sector 72 | 1,579 | 92 | $20,480 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,150 | 35 | $53,334 |
| Sector 23 | 709 | 71 | $54,281 |
| Sector 48-49 | 649 | 37 | $54,391 |
| Sector 81 | 619 | 70 | $34,502 |
| Sector 42 | 593 | 50 | $60,433 |
| Sector 56 | 389 | 44 | $42,666 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,132 jobs, 14.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ware County
What businesses operate in Ware County
- Establishments, all industries890
- Employment at those establishments12,693
- Annual payroll$590.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ware County
What is being built in Ware County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202450
- Declared construction value permitted$7.0 m
- Single family units authorised37
- Multifamily units authorised13
- Multifamily share of units26.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$139,530
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.9
Multifamily is 26.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ware County
How much SBA lending happens in Ware County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$22.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,636,621
- Median 7(a) approval$1,114,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$4,430,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)228
- Jobs per approval16.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term270 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer57.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals42.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (4)
- Most active lenderPrimesouth Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$12.7 m
- Average 504 approval$2,540,400
- Median 504 approval$3,090,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval11.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved4.4
- Most active CDCCoastal Area District Development Authority, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals73.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$35.6 m
The average approval of $1,636,621 sits well above the median of $1,114,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 57.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ware County
Do SBA loans in Ware County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure8
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ware County
Which parts of Ware County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- WAYCROSS, approvals13
- Millwood, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WAYCROSS | 13 | $22,812,700 |
| Millwood | 1 | $100,000 |
WAYCROSS accounts for 13 approvals against 1 in Millwood. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ware County
How big is Ware County
- Land area892 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties1st of 159
- Width, east to west33.6 mi
- Height, north to south62.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land40
- Establishments per square mile1.00
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ware County
What hazards affect Ware County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Ware County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Ware County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population35,976
- Households12,957
- Average household size2.78
- Median household income$47,448
- Median age37.9
Common questions
Ware County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ware County, Georgia?
35,976, in 12,957 households, ranking 54th of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ware County growing?
The population has fallen 0.07 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 459 births against 542 deaths, with net migration of 42. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ware County?
$47,448. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $109,500, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $789 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ware County?
890 establishments, employing 12,693 people with an annual payroll of $590.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Ware County?
Average annual pay is $46,107, or $887 a week, across 14,597 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ware County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $22.9 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $1,114,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $12.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Ware County?
50 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.0 m. Multifamily was 26.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ware County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Ware County come from?
The largest single origin is Ware County Non-migrants, with 10,986 households. Arriving households report an average income of $37,834 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ware County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Ware County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.