Valdosta metropolitan area
Metropolitan statistical area
Valdosta metropolitan statistical area
Valdosta Commercial Historic District
Valdosta MSA highlighted in red
Country	United States
State(s)	Georgia
Largest city	Valdosta
Area
• Total	1,607.4 sq mi (4,163 km2)
Population  (2023)
• Total	151,118
• Density	94.2/sq mi (36.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 ( EST)
Area code	229

The Valdosta metropolitan area, designated the Valdosta metropolitan statistical area by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is a metropolitan statistical area consisting of four counties— Brooks, Echols, Lanier, and Lowndes—centered on the city of Valdosta. Located in Southeast Georgia, the metropolitan area's population was 151,118 according to 2023 U.S. census estimates, up from 149,849 at the 2020 U.S. census. ^[1]

Geography

The Valdosta metropolitan area is located within Southeast Georgia, bordering the U.S. state of Florida. For U.S. census purposes, the Valdosta metropolitan area includes four counties: Brooks, Echols, Lanier, and Lowndes. Encompassing a total area of 1,607.4 square miles (4,200 km²), if the MSA were a state, it would be larger than Rhode Island; and if it were a sovereign state, it would be larger than Denmark's Faroe Islands, and larger than the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Principal communities

Places with more than 50,000 inhabitants

• Valdosta (principal city)

Places with 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants

• Lakeland
• Quitman
• Hahira

Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

At the 2000 United States census, there were 119,560 people, 42,666 households, and 29,474 families residing in the Valdosta metropolitan area. ^[2] By the 2022 census estimates, the Valdosta metropolitan area's population increased to 149,849, up from 148,126 according to the 2020 U.S. census. ^[3]

According to the 2000 U.S. census, the racial makeup of the metropolitan area was 62.42% White, 33.37% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.54% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino Americans of any race were 3.19% of the population. In 2022, the American Community Survey estimated its racial and ethnic composition was 53% White, 34% African American, 1% Asian, 5% multiracial, and 7% Hispanic or Latino of any race. ^[4] The increased demographic diversity follows the greater nationwide diversification as of 2020. ^{[5] [6]}

In 2000, the median income for a household in the MSA was $28,516, and the median income for a family was $34,044. Males had a median income of $26,347 versus $19,250 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $15,019. ^[2] In 2022, the median household income for the Valdosta metropolitan area was $51,926 with a per capita income of $27,935. Approximately 17% of the metropolitan area lived at or below the poverty line, and the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $178,500. ^[4]

Economy

The Valdosta metropolitan area forms the economic center of Southeast Georgia. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, metropolitan Valdosta and Southeast Georgia's largest industries were the military through the Georgia Air National Guard, and healthcare and education, stimulated by the Mayo Health Clinic System and Valdosta State University. ^[7] Valdosta State University operates a center of economic development for the region, ^[8] aiming to increase development within industrial businesses, healthcare, education, arts and athletics. The city of Valdosta hosts Valdosta Mall, the area's regional mall.

Media

The media market of the metropolitan statistical area is centered in the city of Valdosta. Portions of the area also receive television and radio networks from the Tallahassee, Florida media market.

Newspaper

• The Valdosta Daily Times

Radio

AM:

FM:

Television

• WSWG channel 44 is the local CBS affiliate licensed to Valdosta and based in Moultrie. The station serves the Valdosta and Albany areas, and includes subchannels offering programming from MyNetworkTV and Me-TV.
• WXGA-TV channel 8 is the local GPB outlet, licensed to Waycross.

Transportation

Highways

There are many signed highways in the area, including the one interstate highway system, five U.S. routes, and 15 state routes:

Airports

There are two airports in the area, which also provide service to the Southeast Georgia region:

• Quitman Brooks County Airport (4J5) (general aviation)
• Valdosta Regional Airport (VLD, KVLD) (commercial service to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)

See also

• Georgia statistical areas
• List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state)

References