Bulloch County, Georgia

Bulloch County is a county in Georgia, United States, about 58 miles southeast of Savannah on
the coastal plain. It had a population of 81,099 at the 2020 census, an estimated 86,949 by 2025,
and covers 689 square miles (1,785 km2) centred near 32°23′N 81°44′W.

Statesboro is the county seat and its largest city; its postal code is 30458. The county holds
2 cities, 2 incorporated towns and 11 unincorporated communities, and it runs on Eastern Time.
Its FIPS code is 13031.

Towns & Villages in Bulloch County

Bulloch County has 15 named places on record: 2 cities, 2 incorporated towns and 11
unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. Unincorp. covers crossroads
and rural communities recognized in county and postal history but without a formal municipal
boundary.

Hubert is on record as a ghost town rather than a living community — its post office and
store closed decades ago and no population has been counted there since. Hopeulikit is the odd
one out on this list: the name comes from a 1920s dance hall at the junction of US 80 and US 25,
a play on “hope you like it,” and it has never been an incorporated place, though a
2019 estimate put roughly 769 people living in the surrounding area.

ZIP Codes

• 30458 — Statesboro (the county’s main ZIP; Statesboro’s addresses run 30458
  through 30461, split between the downtown post office and Georgia Southern University’s
  campus station)
• 30415 — Brooklet
• 30450 — Portal
• 30452 — Register

Adabelle, Arcola, Blitch, Clito, Denmark, Hopeulikit, Hubert, Ivanhoe, Leefield, Nevils and
Stilson have no ZIP code of their own. Stilson had its own post office from 1899 until it closed;
mail there and across the rest of the unincorporated county now goes out under Statesboro’s
or the nearest town’s code.

Geography

Bulloch County sits in Georgia’s coastal plain, in the state’s southeastern
section, terrain that is mostly flat with slightly rolling ground in the northwest. Of its 689
square miles, 673 are land and 16 are water, about 2.3 percent — low for the region. The
Ogeechee River runs along the county’s eastern edge and the Canoochee River traces part of
its western boundary; both belong to the same river system that drains toward Savannah and the
Atlantic.

Screven County borders Bulloch to the north, Jenkins County to the north-northwest, Emanuel
County to the northwest, Candler County to the west, Evans County to the southwest, Bryan County
to the southeast, and Effingham County to the east. Screven County, Jenkins County, Emanuel County, Candler County, Evans County and Bryan County all have their own pages on
this site; Effingham County does not.

Demographics

Bulloch County had a population of 81,099 at the 2020 census, up from 70,217 in 2010, and the
latest estimate puts the county near 86,949 residents by 2025. Statesboro and Brooklet are by far
the two largest communities. Median household income runs $58,810 (Data USA, 2024 figure), well
below Georgia’s statewide figure of $74,632 (2023 ACS) — a gap driven in large part by
the roughly 20,000 Georgia Southern University students counted as county residents but earning
little income. Population density works out to about 121 people per square mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Educational services employs the most workers in the county, about 6,133 people, followed by
retail trade at 4,520 and health care and social assistance at 3,907. Georgia Southern
University, headquartered in Statesboro with nearly 20,000 students and Division I athletics in
the Sun Belt Conference, is tied to an estimated 6,700 regional jobs on top of its direct payroll.
The Briggs & Stratton plant in Statesboro is the area’s third-largest single employer,
with about 950 workers. Agriculture remains a major sector countywide, generating roughly $100
million a year in farm gate revenue from row crops and livestock. Brooklet hosts the county’s
biggest annual event, the Peanut Festival, on the third Saturday of every September — a
parade, a 5K race and a slow tractor race where the winner crosses the line last.

History

Georgia’s General Assembly created Bulloch County on February 8, 1796, carving it out of
Bryan and Screven counties. It was named for Archibald Bulloch, a South Carolina-born planter who
served as president and commander in chief of Georgia in 1776, the colony’s first
provincial governor. The legislature chartered the county seat as Statesborough in 1803; the
spelling later shortened to Statesboro.

Nineteenth-century settlers built the county’s economy on farming, timber and turpentine.
Cotton and enslaved labor became central to that economy through the antebellum period —
the enslaved share of the county’s population rose from roughly a third in 1850 to nearly
half by 1860. Between 1890 and 1910 Bulloch grew into a regional agricultural and commercial
center. In 1906, residents raised $125,000 to found an Agricultural and Mechanical school in
Statesboro; that school grew, through several name changes, into Georgia Southern University,
which became a full university in the state system on July 1, 1990.

Getting There

Interstate 16 crosses the county on its route between Savannah and Macon. US Routes 25, 80 and
301 also run through the county, with bypasses around Statesboro on US 25 and US 301, along with
State Routes 24, 26, 46, 67, 73, 92, 119 and 555.

• Savannah — about 58 miles southeast
• Metter — about 17 miles southwest
• Sylvania — about 22 miles north
• Swainsboro — about 34 miles northwest

Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, about 45 miles east of Statesboro, is the nearest
commercial airport. Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport, three miles outside town, handles general
aviation only. No Amtrak station serves the county; the nearest stop is in Savannah.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Bulloch County located?
It sits in Georgia’s coastal plain, about 58 miles southeast of Savannah, bordered by
Screven, Jenkins, Emanuel, Candler, Evans, Bryan and Effingham counties.

What is the population of Bulloch County?
81,099 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 86,949.

How big is Bulloch County?
689 square miles (1,785 km2) in total, of which 673 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Bulloch County?
Statesboro, chartered in 1803 and now home to Georgia Southern University, is the county seat and
largest city.

How many towns and cities are in Bulloch County?
Four incorporated places — Statesboro, Brooklet, Portal and Register — plus 11
unincorporated communities including Adabelle, Denmark, Hopeulikit and Stilson.

What ZIP codes does Bulloch County use?
30458 through 30461 for Statesboro, 30415 for Brooklet, 30450 for Portal and 30452 for
Register.

What is Bulloch County known for?
Georgia Southern University, the county’s largest employer, and Brooklet’s Peanut
Festival every September; the community of Hopeulikit is also a minor roadside curiosity for its
name.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.