Macon County, Georgia Eviction Risk: Low

Macon County sits in southwest Georgia with a total population of 5,599 spread across four small cities - Montezuma, Marshallville, Oglethorpe, and Ideal. The county carries a Low eviction risk score of 2.7/10, yet its rank of 41st out of 159 Georgia counties places it in the higher-risk third of the state, meaning 40 counties present more risk for landlords and 118 present less. For a county this size, that positioning deserves attention before committing to a rental investment.

The financial profile here is tight. Average rent is $641 per month - modest by any statewide measure - but an average rent burden of 27.7% of income and an average poverty rate of 27.9% leave limited slack in tenant budgets. About 36.4% of residents rent rather than own, a share that tracks with a rural county where homeownership paths are narrower. When incomes are constrained and rents consume more than a quarter of gross pay, even a modest disruption like a car repair or medical bill can push a tenant into arrears. Landlords in these conditions see delinquency risk that the Low score alone does not fully communicate.

Among the four cities, Oglethorpe carries the highest score at 3/10, while Ideal sits at the low end at 2.4/10. Montezuma, the county seat and largest city at 2,966 residents, scores 2.6/10 - just below the county average - and Marshallville comes in at 2.7/10. These differences are modest, but landlords evaluating specific addresses should review city-level detail, because Oglethorpe's higher reading reflects local conditions not visible in the county-wide number. On the legal side, Georgia eviction procedure under O.C.G.A. § 44-7 (Landlord and Tenant) generally favors landlords relative to many other states. Nonpayment of rent requires only a 3-day notice under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50 before a dispossessory filing, and the state preempts local rent control entirely under O.C.G.A. §44-7-19, so no city or county ordinance in Georgia can impose rent caps. Court filing fees run $60 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $25 to $100, and attorney fees for a standard eviction typically range $500 to $3,000. Uncontested cases resolve in 14 to 30 days; contested cases in 45 to 90 days. That timeline is competitive nationally and contributes to the county's relatively low risk score despite its economic strain.

Macon County data reflects 4 cities with scores ranging from 2.4 to 3/10; figures are derived from Census, court records, and rental market data reviewed through May 2026 under Georgia eviction laws statute last reviewed 2026-05-29.