Research » Legal Deserts » Georgia

Georgia Legal Deserts: Law Offices by County

45 of Georgia’s 159 counties (28%) have fewer than three law offices with paid employees, according to 2023 Census data. 467,940 people live in them. Nationally, 27% of counties fall below that line.

Part of Lawbamba’s national legal deserts study, based on U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns.

45 of 159counties with fewer than 3 law offices
#4among the 50 states and D.C. by number of desert counties
5.3law offices per 10,000 residents (U.S.: 4.9)
+9%change in law offices, 2013–2023
Map of Georgia counties shaded by number of law offices with paid employees in 2023; red areas have fewer than 3.
Law offices with paid employees, 2023: ■ fewer than 3 ■ 3–9 ■ 10–49 ■ 50 or more

What stands out in Georgia

  • The most populous county with fewer than three law offices is Harris County, home to 36,700 people.
  • Statewide, law offices rose 9% between 2013 and 2023 (counting areas with three or more). 7 counties dropped below three law offices over that decade.

Law offices in every Georgia county

Sorted from fewest law offices to most. “Fewer than 3” means Census reports 0, 1 or 2. 2013 uses the same cutoff.

AreaLaw offices 20232013PopulationResidents per officeSelf-employed legal businesses
Harris County Fewer than 3 4 36,700 – 13
Dawson County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 31,720 – 29
Burke County Fewer than 3 3 24,431 – 4
Worth County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 20,271 – 5
Long County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 19,651 – 4
Brantley County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 18,417 – Fewer than 3
Jasper County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 16,496 – 4
Brooks County Fewer than 3 4 16,275 – Fewer than 3
Dade County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 16,188 – 10
Screven County Fewer than 3 4 14,204 – 6
Bleckley County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 12,455 – 3
Crawford County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 12,335 – –
Heard County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 12,052 – 3
Macon County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 11,838 – Fewer than 3
Telfair County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 10,969 – Fewer than 3
Lanier County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 10,452 – Fewer than 3
Pulaski County Fewer than 3 3 10,114 – 3
Johnson County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 9,328 – 3
Turner County Fewer than 3 3 8,926 – 6
Wilcox County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 8,801 – Fewer than 3
Montgomery County Fewer than 3 3 8,767 – Fewer than 3
Wilkinson County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 8,747 – 3
Hancock County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 8,730 – Fewer than 3
Jenkins County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 8,628 – Fewer than 3
Chattahoochee County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 8,588 – Fewer than 3
Atkinson County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 8,351 – 4
Lincoln County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,898 – Fewer than 3
Taylor County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,793 – 3
Twiggs County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,706 – Fewer than 3
Marion County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,485 – Fewer than 3
Wheeler County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,097 – 6
Treutlen County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 6,351 – Fewer than 3
Randolph County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 6,113 – 5
Talbot County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,715 – 4
Calhoun County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,462 – Fewer than 3
Warren County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,108 – Fewer than 3
Stewart County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,697 – Fewer than 3
Schley County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,534 – Fewer than 3
Echols County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,739 – Fewer than 3
Glascock County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,943 – Fewer than 3
Clay County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,869 – Fewer than 3
Baker County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,750 – Fewer than 3
Webster County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,367 – Fewer than 3
Quitman County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,278 – Fewer than 3
Taliaferro County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,601 – Fewer than 3
Murray County 3 4 41,072 13,691 6
Jones County 3 5 29,000 9,667 15
Meriwether County 3 3 20,964 6,988 9
Lamar County 3 Fewer than 3 20,420 6,807 9
Dodge County 3 6 19,799 6,600 3
Ben Hill County 3 5 17,150 5,717 5
Jefferson County 3 6 15,211 5,070 5
Jeff Davis County 3 4 14,927 4,976 6
Charlton County 3 3 12,928 4,309 Fewer than 3
Dooly County 3 4 11,056 3,685 Fewer than 3
Evans County 3 3 10,753 3,584 Fewer than 3
Wilkes County 3 4 9,552 3,184 6
Lee County 4 4 33,928 8,482 16
Haralson County 4 5 32,040 8,010 17
Sumter County 4 4 28,942 7,236 7
Tattnall County 4 6 24,328 6,082 10
Emanuel County 4 7 23,146 5,787 6
Banks County 4 Fewer than 3 19,863 4,966 6
Berrien County 4 6 18,587 4,647 –
Oglethorpe County 4 4 15,788 3,947 5
McIntosh County 4 5 11,532 2,883 12
Bacon County 4 4 11,140 2,785 4
Early County 4 4 10,570 2,643 3
Irwin County 4 4 9,123 2,281 Fewer than 3
Seminole County 4 Fewer than 3 9,080 2,270 4
Terrell County 4 Fewer than 3 8,704 2,176 Fewer than 3
Miller County 4 3 5,790 1,448 Fewer than 3
Madison County 5 5 32,255 6,451 12
Grady County 5 5 26,130 5,226 4
Franklin County 5 6 24,815 4,963 8
Putnam County 5 5 23,183 4,637 11
Pierce County 5 5 20,443 4,089 7
Pike County 5 9 20,422 4,084 11
Towns County 5 8 13,007 2,601 9
Clinch County 5 7 6,808 1,362 4
Butts County 6 4 26,875 4,479 10
Elbert County 6 7 20,003 3,334 7
Appling County 6 8 18,517 3,086 4
Cook County 6 4 17,760 2,960 4
Peach County 7 7 28,807 4,115 10
Upson County 7 11 28,265 4,038 11
Hart County 7 8 27,557 3,937 11
McDuffie County 7 10 21,860 3,123 6
Washington County 7 7 19,891 2,842 4
Decatur County 8 11 29,124 3,641 10
White County 8 11 29,056 3,632 24
Chattooga County 8 7 25,176 3,147 14
Mitchell County 8 5 20,778 2,597 Fewer than 3
Greene County 8 6 20,733 2,592 15
Crisp County 8 8 19,668 2,459 5
Stephens County 9 10 27,255 3,028 12
Candler County 9 6 11,106 1,234 3
Polk County 10 11 44,363 4,436 13
Gilmer County 10 7 32,868 3,287 21
Monroe County 10 13 30,616 3,062 22
Rabun County 10 13 17,525 1,753 22
Morgan County 11 14 21,537 1,958 16
Gordon County 12 14 59,844 4,987 12
Camden County 12 13 57,991 4,833 27
Wayne County 12 12 31,449 2,621 9
Fannin County 12 10 25,916 2,160 13
Walker County 13 14 69,410 5,339 28
Pickens County 13 12 35,975 2,767 23
Union County 14 9 27,115 1,937 12
Catoosa County 15 11 68,935 4,596 26
Lumpkin County 15 10 35,268 2,351 29
Barrow County 16 15 93,011 5,813 38
Effingham County 16 11 71,549 4,472 27
Liberty County 16 14 68,235 4,265 18
Baldwin County 16 23 43,423 2,714 18
Toombs County 16 19 27,198 1,700 8
Jackson County 17 15 88,723 5,219 34
Bryan County 17 14 49,876 2,934 31
Colquitt County 17 18 46,515 2,736 8
Coffee County 17 26 43,464 2,557 14
Thomas County 18 17 45,666 2,537 18
Tift County 18 24 41,620 2,312 25
Troup County 20 22 70,957 3,548 26
Habersham County 20 21 48,851 2,443 24
Ware County 21 18 36,263 1,727 11
Laurens County 24 21 49,932 2,081 23
Walton County 25 25 106,778 4,271 67
Spalding County 25 19 69,992 2,800 27
Newton County 26 23 120,529 4,636 55
Paulding County 29 19 183,535 6,329 68
Douglas County 32 37 149,401 4,669 85
Oconee County 33 23 44,256 1,341 42
Bartow County 38 29 114,977 3,026 50
Carroll County 41 44 127,293 3,105 65
Clayton County 42 49 299,380 7,128 142
Houston County 44 52 171,955 3,908 74
Bulloch County 44 28 84,332 1,917 22
Rockdale County 45 42 96,263 2,139 62
Columbia County 47 40 165,470 3,521 60
Whitfield County 47 42 104,147 2,216 33
Coweta County 53 33 156,269 2,948 94
Floyd County 61 61 100,407 1,646 58
Henry County 66 67 254,934 3,863 170
Fayette County 68 63 123,698 1,819 122
Lowndes County 73 74 120,800 1,655 32
Dougherty County 76 83 82,635 1,087 36
Glynn County 78 83 86,229 1,106 83
Clarke County 88 74 130,338 1,481 102
Hall County 89 81 218,248 2,452 151
Muscogee County 94 108 201,959 2,149 78
Forsyth County 99 75 274,535 2,773 182
Cherokee County 101 79 287,243 2,844 207
Bibb County 117 136 156,676 1,339 143
Richmond County 130 163 205,646 1,582 81
Chatham County 202 180 304,757 1,509 254
Gwinnett County 443 373 991,602 2,238 807
Cobb County 586 460 781,208 1,333 848
DeKalb County 629 539 768,047 1,221 1,006
Fulton County 1,626 1,469 1,083,971 667 1,753

Need a lawyer in Georgia?

Lawyers licensed in Georgia can usually take cases anywhere in the state, and many offer phone or video consultations. Browse Georgia lawyers on Lawbamba.

About this data

Law offices are establishments in NAICS 541110 (Offices of Lawyers) with at least one paid employee, from the U.S. Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns. Solo lawyers with no staff and government lawyers are not counted. Self-employed legal businesses come from Census Nonemployer Statistics (NAICS 5411) and also include paralegal, notary and title services. Population is the July 1, 2023 Census estimate. See the full methodology or download the data for every county (CSV). Free to reuse with credit to Lawbamba and a link to this page.