Burke County, Georgia

GA · FIPS 13033 Republican

Located in Georgia, Burke County has a population of 24,470 residents and a median age of 38.3 years, making it the #1,683 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.3%. The median home value is $151,600, and the median household income is $53,014, which is 29% below the national median.

24,470
Population
#1,683 of 3,222
$53,014
Median Income
-29.5% #2,599 of 3,222
38.3 years
Median Age
-1.5% #2,518 of 3,222
18.3%
Poverty Rate
+45.6% #2,501 of 3,222

Demographics

Burke County has a population of 24,470, making it the #1,683 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.3 years, which is 1.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.3%
Native Born
1.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Burke County is $53,014, ranking #2,599 out of 3,222 counties — 29.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.3% and unemployment stands at 5.0%.

Income#2,599
$53,014
-29.5%
vs nation
19th percentile
Per Capita#1,768
$33,957
-17.7%
vs nation
45th percentile
Poverty#2,501
18.3%
+45.6%
vs nation
22th percentile
Unemployment#1,993
5.0%
-6.2%
vs nation
38th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Burke County is $151,600 (-46.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $758/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.0%.

Home Value#2,215
$151,600
-46.2%
vs nation
31th percentile
Rent#2,422
$758
-34.8%
vs nation
25th percentile
Homeownership#2,293
70.0%
+8.7%
vs nation
29th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Burke County, 15.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.1% below the national average, ranking #2,746 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.5% −54.1% vs nation
Rank #2,746 of 3,222
15th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Burke County is 73.0 years. 23.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,245
73.0
-2.9%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,423
23.0%
+17.6%
vs nation
23th percentile
Diabetes#2,626
13.4%
+20.4%
vs nation
17th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,833
42.4%
+13.7%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,039
5.9
+3.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,305
4.9
+9.2%
vs nation
27th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,096
11.8%
+13.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,416
30.2%
+14.5%
vs nation
23th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,595
14.3%
-0.7%
vs nation
49th percentile

Substance Use

19.1% of adults in Burke County smoke , 44.8% are obese , and 15.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 19.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,003
19.1%
+6.4%
vs nation
36th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,001
44.8%
+18.2%
vs nation
5th percentile
Excessive Drinking#198
15.1%
-23.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#551
19.6
-39.3%
vs nation
74th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Burke County is 14.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 9.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 34.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,341
14.3
+78.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Suicide Rate#114
9.9
-49.8%
vs nation
96th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,722
20.7
+15.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,580
34.1
+68.3%
vs nation
9th percentile

Families & Children

31.0% of children in Burke County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 12.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 27.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,336
12.6
+85.9%
vs nation
2th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,138
27.3
+25.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Child Poverty#2,890
31.0%
+63.2%
vs nation
8th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Burke County is 64.7%. The mean commute time is 31.3 min, which is 13.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
31.3 min +13.5% vs nation
Rank #685 of 3,222
79th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Burke County voted Republican with a margin of 9.3%. The vote was 45.1% Dem / 54.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +9.3%
45.1% 54.4%
Dem 11,070 votes Rep
2020 REP +1.7%
48.8% 50.5%
Dem 10,683 votes Rep
2016 DEM +2.6%
50.6% 48%
Dem 9,350 votes Rep
2012 DEM +11.3%
55.3% 44%
Dem 9,773 votes Rep
2008 DEM +9.3%
54.4% 45.1%
Dem 9,626 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Burke County, Georgia

Burke County, Georgia has a total population of 24,470, making it the 1,683rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Burke County is 38.3 years, which is 1.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Burke County is $53,014, which ranks #2,599 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 29.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.0%.

The median home value in Burke County is $151,600, 46.2% below the national median. Renters in Burke County pay a median gross rent of $758 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Burke County, 15.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.3 min.

Burke County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 48.0% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (45.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.6%).

All data for Burke County, Georgia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.