County outline
Where Jackson County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99% of Jackson County’s measured area and water for 1%. Its combined area converts to 888.6 square kilometers or approximately 219,579 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 339.7 | 879.819 | 217,408 |
| Water | 3.392 | 8.785 | 2,170.9 |
| Total | 343.092 | 888.604 | 219,578.9 |
How Jackson County compares
By original Census land area, Jackson County ranks #83 of 159 in Georgia and #2712 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.991 times the Georgia county-equivalent median of 342.7 square miles. It accounts for 0.6% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Georgia ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Jackson County
The Census Bureau estimates that 99,265 people lived in Jackson County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #634 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #29 of 159 in Georgia. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 75,945, the population has grown by 23,320 (+30.7%), compared with +5.5% for Georgia as a whole.
With 339.7 square miles of land, that is 292 people per square mile (113 per km²), placing Jackson County #517 nationally for density and #28 in Georgia. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Georgia median is 69. Put another way, there are about 2.2 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 76,765 | 80,421 | 84,157 | 88,891 | 94,302 | 99,265 |
| Change | — | +3,656 | +3,736 | +4,734 | +5,411 | +4,963 |
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 Jackson County
10 incorporated places lie at least partly in Jackson County. Together they are home to 48,266 people (48.6%); the other 50,999 (51.4%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Jefferson city, with 17,185 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Hoschton city grew fastest since then (+219.5%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson cityCounty seat | 17,185 | +29.4% | 23.1 |
| Commerce city | 9,303 | +25.1% | 13.8 |
| Hoschton city | 8,623 | +219.5% | 5.88 |
| Braselton townAlso in 3 other counties | 5,975 | +41.2% | 13.2 |
| Arcade city | 2,035 | +9% | 9.264 |
| Nicholson city | 1,941 | +7.7% | 3.957 |
| Pendergrass town | 1,919 | +13.4% | 3.815 |
| Maysville townAlso in 1 other county | 996 | +21.8% | 4.608 |
| Talmo town | 289 | +6.3% | 3.056 |
| Gillsville cityAlso in 2 other counties | 0 | — | 3.116 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Jackson County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Jackson County is a central county of the Jefferson, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Jackson County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 339.7 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #512 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #37 by population. It belongs to the Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
16 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Jackson County; 9 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
30517305293053030543305483054930558305653056730575306013060730622306463066630680
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 Jackson County
Jackson County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Hall County (392.5 mi²) and the smallest is Clarke County (119.3 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Jackson County forms a block of 1,527.4 mi² of land, of which it holds 22.2%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Jackson | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hall County | 392.5 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Madison County | 282.3 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Banks County | 232.4 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Barrow County | 161.1 | 2.1× smaller | Compare |
| Clarke County | 119.3 | 2.8× smaller | Compare |
How big is Jackson County compared with U.S. states?
Jackson 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 times as much. Georgia’s county land could hold about 170 areas the size of Jackson County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 18.4 miles (29.7 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 Jackson County?
Jackson County has more land than 510 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 Jackson County at #2,754 nationally by total area, 42 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 1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.2 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 Jackson County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2711 | Perry County, Kentucky | 339.7 | Compare |
| #2712 | Jackson County, Georgia | 339.7 | This county |
| #2713 | Cobb County, Georgia | 339.7 | 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 34.130927, -83.562367. 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: 879,818,525 m²; AWATER: 8,784,732 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 Jackson County?
Jackson County, Georgia has 339.7 square miles (879.8 km²) of land and 3.392 square miles of water, for a total area of 343.1 square miles. It ranks #2712 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Jackson County the largest county in Georgia?
No. Jackson County ranks #83 of 159 in Georgia by land area. The largest is Ware County, with 899.4 square miles of land.
What counties border Jackson County?
Jackson County shares a land border with Barrow County, Hall County, Banks County, Madison County, and Clarke County.
What is the population of Jackson County?
The Census Bureau estimates Jackson County had 99,265 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #634 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 292 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Jackson County?
The county seat of Jackson County is Jefferson.
What cities and towns are in Jackson County?
Jackson County has 10 incorporated places. The most populous five are Jefferson city, Commerce city, Hoschton city, Braselton town, and Arcade city; 50,999 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Jackson County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Jefferson, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Jackson County?
16 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Jackson County, and 9 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Jackson County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 3 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Jackson County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 217,408 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 219,579 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.