County outline
Where Habersham County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.2% of Habersham County’s measured area and water for 0.8%. Its combined area converts to 722.8 square kilometers or approximately 178,596 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 276.867 | 717.082 | 177,194.9 |
| Water | 2.19 | 5.672 | 1,401.6 |
| Total | 279.057 | 722.754 | 178,596.5 |
How Habersham County compares
By original Census land area, Habersham County ranks #110 of 159 in Georgia and #2856 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.808 times the Georgia county-equivalent median of 342.7 square miles. It accounts for 0.5% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Georgia ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Habersham County
The Census Bureau estimates that 50,416 people lived in Habersham County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,021 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #44 of 159 in Georgia. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 46,027, the population has grown by 4,389 (+9.5%), compared with +5.5% for Georgia as a whole.
With 276.9 square miles of land, that is 182 people per square mile (70 per km²), placing Habersham County #678 nationally for density and #37 in Georgia. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Georgia median is 69. Put another way, there are about 3.5 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 46,112 | 46,725 | 47,446 | 48,712 | 49,752 | 50,416 |
| Change | — | +613 | +721 | +1,266 | +1,040 | +664 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Habersham County
7 incorporated places lie at least partly in Habersham County. Together they are home to 15,613 people (31%); the other 34,803 (69%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Cornelia city, with 5,459 residents in the county. The county seat, Clarkesville city, has 2,186 residents. By land, Tallulah Falls town is the largest at 8.242 mi² across all its counties. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Cornelia city grew fastest since then (+20.7%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornelia city | 5,459 | +20.7% | 4.149 |
| Baldwin cityAlso in 1 other county | 3,486 | +14% | 5.171 |
| Demorest city | 2,262 | +4.5% | 2.634 |
| Clarkesville cityCounty seat | 2,186 | +15.9% | 2.593 |
| Mount Airy town | 1,510 | +8.9% | 2.413 |
| Alto townAlso in 1 other county | 623 | +1% | 1.146 |
| Tallulah Falls townAlso in 1 other county | 87 | +8.8% | 8.242 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Habersham County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Habersham County is a central county of the Cornelia, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Habersham County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 276.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #524 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #221 by population. It belongs to the Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Habersham County; 4 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
30510305113052330531305353056330577
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Habersham County
Habersham County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents, including 1 in South Carolina. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Oconee County (626.6 mi²) and the smallest is Towns County (166.6 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Habersham County forms a block of 2,484.8 mi² of land, of which it holds 11.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Habersham | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oconee CountySouth Carolina | 626.6 | 2.3× larger | Compare |
| Hall County | 392.5 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Rabun County | 370.1 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| White County | 240.8 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Banks County | 232.4 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Stephens County | 178.9 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Towns County | 166.6 | 1.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is Habersham County compared with U.S. states?
Habersham County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 3.7 times as much. Georgia’s county land could hold about 208 areas the size of Habersham County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 16.6 miles (26.8 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Habersham County?
Habersham County has more land than 366 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Habersham County at #2,894 nationally by total area, 38 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.8%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.4 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Habersham County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2855 | Kent County, Maryland | 276.9 | Compare |
| #2856 | Habersham County, Georgia | 276.9 | This county |
| #2857 | Jefferson County, Tennessee | 275.2 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 34.634392, -83.525875. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 717,082,296 m²; AWATER: 5,671,538 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Habersham County?
Habersham County, Georgia has 276.9 square miles (717.1 km²) of land and 2.19 square miles of water, for a total area of 279.1 square miles. It ranks #2856 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Habersham County the largest county in Georgia?
No. Habersham County ranks #110 of 159 in Georgia by land area. The largest is Ware County, with 899.4 square miles of land.
What counties border Habersham County?
Habersham County shares a land border with White County, Rabun County, Stephens County, Banks County, Hall County, Towns County, and Oconee County, South Carolina.
What is the population of Habersham County?
The Census Bureau estimates Habersham County had 50,416 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,021 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 182 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Habersham County?
The county seat of Habersham County is Clarkesville.
What cities and towns are in Habersham County?
Habersham County has 7 incorporated places. The most populous five are Cornelia city, Baldwin city, Demorest city, Clarkesville city, and Mount Airy town; 34,803 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Habersham County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Cornelia, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Habersham County?
7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Habersham County, and 4 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Habersham County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 3.7 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Habersham County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 177,195 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 178,596 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.