Blackshear, Georgia Population, Hospitals, Airports, and Schools

Blackshear, the county seat of Pierce County, was named in honor of General David Blackshear (1764-1837). General Blackshear was responsible for commanding the troops that constructed Blackshear Road, a route between Hartford and the Flint River in the early 1800s.

The Marion Anderson Library Black Heritage Collection in Blackshear contains about 300 volumes and oil paintings addressing black heritage. This is the largest publicly accessible collection of this type in the region.

Annually, the City of Blackshear hosts HarvestFest, a fall festival that takes place on the second Saturday of October. Blackshear has two historic structures that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Pierce County courthouse and the old Blackshear jail. The jail is one of only two hanging jails that remain in Georgia.

Blackshear participates in the Better Hometown Program run by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. This community development program is a public-private partnership intended to revitalize small communities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000. These cities have access to technical assistance and fiscal resources designed to stimulate downtown revitalization.

Population: 3,283. Estimated population in July 2024: 3,421 (+4.2% change)
Males: 1,477 (45.0%), Females: 1,806 (55.0%)

Pierce County

Zip code: 31516

Demographics

Median resident age: 39.6 years
Median household income: $27,285
Median house value: $62,000

Population by Race

Races in Blackshear:

  • White Non-Hispanic (76.6%)
  • Black (21.4%)
  • Hispanic (1.0%)
  • Two or more races (0.6%)

Ancestries: United States (26.5%), English (8.9%), Irish (5.1%), German (1.7%), Scotch-Irish (1.3%), Scottish (1.0%).

Elevation: 120 feet

Land area: 4.3 square miles

Map of Blackshear, GA

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Blackshear

  • High school or higher: 69.5%
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 14.3%
  • Graduate or professional degree: 5.4%
  • Unemployed: 5.0%
  • Mean travel time to work: 18.3 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Blackshear city

  • Never married: 15.4%
  • Now married: 56.8%
  • Separated: 1.9%
  • Widowed: 12.7%
  • Divorced: 13.3%

1.6% Foreign born

Population change in the 1990s: -251 (-7.1%).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers near Blackshear:

  • SATILLA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER (about 9 miles; WAYCROSS, GA)
  • BACON COUNTY HOSPITAL (about 23 miles; ALMA, GA)
  • BACON COUNTY HOSPITAL (about 23 miles; ALMA, GA)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Blackshear:

  • BRUNSWICK GOLDEN ISLES (about 56 miles; BRUNSWICK, GA; Abbreviation: BQK)
  • JACKSONVILLE INTL (about 69 miles; JACKSONVILLE, FL; Abbreviation: JAX)
  • MOODY AFB (about 69 miles; VALDOSTA, GA; Abbreviation: VAD)

Other public-use airports nearest to Blackshear:

  • WAYCROSS-WARE COUNTY (about 11 miles; WAYCROSS, GA; Abbreviation: AYS)
  • BACON COUNTY (about 24 miles; ALMA, GA; Abbreviation: AMG)
  • BRANTLEY COUNTY (about 25 miles; NAHUNTA, GA; Abbreviation: 4J1)

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Blackshear:

  • VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY (about 79 miles; VALDOSTA, GA; Full-time enrollment: 7,157)
  • FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT JACKSONVILLE (about 79 miles; JACKSONVILLE, FL; Full-time enrollment: 10,495)
  • GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (about 84 miles; STATESBORO, GA; Full-time enrollment: 12,724)
  • ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE UNIVERSITY (about 87 miles; SAVANNAH, GA; Full-time enrollment: 3,945)
  • UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA (about 89 miles; JACKSONVILLE, FL; Full-time enrollment: 9,256)
  • SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN (about 94 miles; SAVANNAH, GA; Full-time enrollment: 4,565)
  • UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA (about 112 miles; GAINESVILLE, FL; Full-time enrollment: 41,543)

Schools

Public high school in Blackshear:

  • PIERCE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 860; Location: 4850 COUNTY FARM ROAD; Grades: 09 – 12)

Public primary/middle schools in Blackshear:

  • BLACKSHEAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 1,168; Location: 5217 NORTH HIGHWAY 121; Grades: PK – 05)
  • PIERCE COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 814; Location: 5216 COUNTY FARM ROAD; Grades: 06 – 08)