RANK #264 / 1001 NAT · #8 / 41 GA · POP 83,091
1YR FORECAST: -1.5%
5YR OUTLOOK: +32%
Dougherty County, Georgia, is perhaps best known for Albany, its sole incorporated city, and its significant role in the Civil Rights Movement. Albany, located in southwest Georgia on the Flint River, is about 151 miles south of Atlanta. The community offers a blend of urban and rural, with the city surrounded by agricultural land and quail reserves. The Flint River and its cypress swamps provide opportunities for outdoor recreation like boating, fishing, and hunting, while Radium Springs Gardens, one of Georgia's Seven Natural Wonders, offers clear, 68-degree water flowing from an underground cave. Life in Dougherty County is characterized by a community atmosphere, with many families residing there. The Dougherty County School System serves over 13,000 students across 22 public schools. The local economy, historically rooted in agriculture with crops like cotton, pecans, and peanuts, is seeing growth in advanced manufacturing and renewable energy sectors. Healthcare is also a major employer, anchored by the Phoebe Putney Health System.
Dougherty County is one of 75 U.S. counties in this market profile — stronger than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of -4.0% runs below the profile's typical +0.8%.
See all 75 Affordable Slow Markets counties →Below national median (11.3x)
Prices declining
Below-average climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing is fairly valued at 4.4x relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Dougherty County Solar PV Park
NextEra Energy Resources
|
$300M | Operating |
|
Solar + Battery Storage Facility
Georgia Power / Dougherty County Energy Storage
|
$175M | Proposed |
|
New Lumber Production Facility
Georgia-Pacific LLC
|
$150M | Operating |
|
Albany/Dougherty County Land Bank Housing Developments
Albany/Dougherty County Land Bank
|
$50M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 74/100, Dougherty County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. and median household income stands at $49,044 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in GA.
By national standards, Dougherty County is quite affordable. Homes here have a median value of $134,400, and the income-to-home-value ratio of 0.36 is well above the U.S. average — especially with median rent at just $935/month. Residents can generally buy a home without being cost-burdened.
Both population (-1.0% YoY) and employment (-2.4%) are contracting in Dougherty County, though housing tells its own story with values moving -4.0% over the past 12 months. This is a county where the trend lines are pointing in the wrong direction.
In significant numbers — 5.14% of Dougherty County's current population relocated from another state, well above the national norm. That level of in-migration usually signals a county where jobs, affordability, or quality of life are pulling people in from elsewhere.