The unfortunate fact of the matter is that some places in the Peach State have a larger percent of their population that never graduated from high school.
While the emphasis on going to college might be overblown, the fact is that not graduating from high school puts you at a significant disadvantage on average. Educational attainment might not be the best way to measure one person’s intelligence, but it does shine a light on the state.
We will use Saturday Night Science to determine what places in Georgia have the highest percentage of adults without a high school degree.
A recent study we published found that Georgia is the 40th smartest state in the United States, with an average IQ of 98.
But that doesn’t mean that a few cities in Georgia are a bit slower than others due to a lack of basic education.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Dumbest Places In Georgia
Don’t freak out.
Some places are just smarter than others, but that says nothing about the character of the people living there. It’s another data point a real estate agent would never tell you.
For this ranking, we only looked at cities with populations greater than 5,000, leaving us 128 cities in Georgia to rank. You can take a look at the data below.
For more Georgia reading, check out:
The 10 Dumbest Places In Georgia For 2026

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% Adult High School Dropout: 26.0%
% Highly Educated: 12.0%
More on Cairo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

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% Adult High School Dropout: 25.0%
% Highly Educated: 12.0%
More on Forest Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

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% Adult High School Dropout: 21.0%
% Highly Educated: 10.0%
More on Camilla: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Jonesboro

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% Adult High School Dropout: 23.0%
% Highly Educated: 13.0%
More on Jonesboro: Cost Of Living | Movers

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% Adult High School Dropout: 25.0%
% Highly Educated: 16.0%
More on Monroe: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

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% Adult High School Dropout: 24.0%
% Highly Educated: 16.0%
More on Morrow: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Glennville

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% Adult High School Dropout: 18.0%
% Highly Educated: 11.0%
More on Glennville: Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

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% Adult High School Dropout: 19.0%
% Highly Educated: 13.0%
More on Thomson: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

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% Adult High School Dropout: 19.0%
% Highly Educated: 14.0%
More on Cedartown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we determined the dumbest cities in the Peach State
We realize that formal education is only part of it when it comes to being intelligent, but on the other hand, knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.
So, we used Saturday Night Science to narrow down our criteria to focus on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.
In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in Georgia:
- % of the city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
- % of city’s population with a college degree (Age 25+)
We got the data from the U.S. Census 2020-2024 American Community Survey.
Then, our algorithm generates a rank for each place in these categories. After crunching all the numbers, a ranking of the cities in Georgia from dumbest to brightest.
For this ranking, we used every Georgia city with at least 5,000 residents. We updated this article for 2026, and it’s our eleventh time ranking the dumbest cities in Georgia.
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
If you’re measuring the locations in Georgia where there are a high number of dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate ranking.
The dumbest cities in Georgia are Cairo, Forest Park, Camilla, Jonesboro, Blakely, Monroe, Morrow, Glennville, Thomson, and Cedartown.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the smartest places in Georgia, according to science:
- Sandy Springs
- Alpharetta
- Milton
For more Georgia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Georgia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Georgia
- Most Dangerous Places In Georgia
- Richest Cities In Georgia
- Safest Places In Georgia
- Worst Places To Live In Georgia
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Georgia
Dumbest Cities In Georgia For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | % Adult High School Dropout | % Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairo, GA | 10,055 | 26.0% | 12.0% |
| 2 | Forest Park, GA | 19,504 | 25.0% | 12.0% |
| 3 | Camilla, GA | 5,124 | 21.0% | 10.0% |
| 4 | Jonesboro, GA | 6,143 | 23.0% | 13.0% |
| 5 | Blakely, GA | 5,238 | 19.0% | 12.0% |
| 6 | Monroe, GA | 15,648 | 25.0% | 16.0% |
| 7 | Morrow, GA | 6,364 | 24.0% | 16.0% |
| 8 | Glennville, GA | 5,179 | 18.0% | 11.0% |
| 9 | Thomson, GA | 6,821 | 19.0% | 13.0% |
| 10 | Cedartown, GA | 10,227 | 19.0% | 14.0% |
| 11 | Waycross, GA | 13,756 | 19.0% | 16.0% |
| 12 | Fort Valley, GA | 8,858 | 24.0% | 19.0% |
| 13 | Waynesboro, GA | 5,644 | 17.0% | 12.0% |
| 14 | Fitzgerald, GA | 8,918 | 17.0% | 14.0% |
| 15 | Cordele, GA | 9,994 | 17.0% | 14.0% |
| 16 | Sandersville, GA | 5,601 | 20.0% | 19.0% |
| 17 | Sylvester, GA | 5,489 | 16.0% | 14.0% |
| 18 | Bainbridge, GA | 14,404 | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| 19 | Griffin, GA | 23,761 | 17.0% | 16.0% |
| 20 | Jesup, GA | 9,942 | 18.0% | 18.0% |
| 21 | Lafayette, GA | 6,967 | 14.0% | 12.0% |
| 22 | Calhoun, GA | 18,183 | 19.0% | 20.0% |
| 23 | Adel, GA | 5,641 | 18.0% | 19.0% |
| 24 | Moultrie, GA | 14,588 | 19.0% | 20.0% |
| 25 | Dalton, GA | 34,538 | 30.0% | 25.0% |
| 26 | Commerce, GA | 8,013 | 16.0% | 17.0% |
| 27 | Oakwood, GA | 5,862 | 20.0% | 23.0% |
| 28 | Swainsboro, GA | 7,571 | 14.0% | 14.0% |
| 29 | Clarkston, GA | 14,557 | 22.0% | 24.0% |
| 30 | Barnesville, GA | 6,121 | 15.0% | 17.0% |
| 31 | Auburn, GA | 8,711 | 15.0% | 18.0% |
| 32 | Milledgeville, GA | 16,748 | 17.0% | 20.0% |
| 33 | Gainesville, GA | 45,032 | 25.0% | 27.0% |
| 34 | Thomaston, GA | 9,831 | 15.0% | 18.0% |
| 35 | Douglas, GA | 11,749 | 14.0% | 17.0% |
| 36 | Toccoa, GA | 9,238 | 16.0% | 20.0% |
| 37 | Lilburn, GA | 15,390 | 23.0% | 28.0% |
| 38 | Jackson, GA | 5,741 | 11.0% | 15.0% |
| 39 | Eatonton, GA | 6,515 | 15.0% | 21.0% |
| 40 | Brunswick, GA | 15,307 | 14.0% | 20.0% |
| 41 | Riverdale, GA | 14,792 | 12.0% | 17.0% |
| 42 | Temple, GA | 5,901 | 12.0% | 17.0% |
| 43 | Lawrenceville, GA | 30,954 | 17.0% | 25.0% |
| 44 | Americus, GA | 15,813 | 15.0% | 23.0% |
| 45 | Rockmart, GA | 5,204 | 13.0% | 21.0% |
| 46 | Dublin, GA | 16,136 | 14.0% | 21.0% |
| 47 | Albany, GA | 67,224 | 14.0% | 22.0% |
| 48 | Buford, GA | 17,997 | 18.0% | 29.0% |
| 49 | Doraville, GA | 11,134 | 27.0% | 36.0% |
| 50 | Austell, GA | 8,447 | 13.0% | 21.0% |
| 51 | Fort Oglethorpe, GA | 10,416 | 11.0% | 19.0% |
| 52 | Port Wentworth, GA | 12,892 | 15.0% | 25.0% |
| 53 | Winder, GA | 19,437 | 11.0% | 20.0% |
| 54 | Rome, GA | 38,189 | 17.0% | 29.0% |
| 55 | Stone Mountain, GA | 6,623 | 13.0% | 23.0% |
| 56 | Tifton, GA | 17,210 | 12.0% | 22.0% |
| 57 | Canton, GA | 35,741 | 18.0% | 32.0% |
| 58 | Vidalia, GA | 10,752 | 12.0% | 23.0% |
| 59 | Loganville, GA | 15,527 | 12.0% | 27.0% |
| 60 | Chamblee, GA | 30,895 | 20.0% | 48.0% |
| 61 | Norcross, GA | 18,007 | 18.0% | 41.0% |
| 62 | Covington, GA | 14,584 | 11.0% | 27.0% |
| 63 | Thomasville, GA | 18,666 | 10.0% | 24.0% |
| 64 | Carrollton, GA | 27,392 | 15.0% | 34.0% |
| 65 | College Park, GA | 14,712 | 12.0% | 28.0% |
| 66 | Social Circle, GA | 5,217 | 9.0% | 24.0% |
| 67 | Eastman, GA | 5,584 | 15.0% | 34.0% |
| 68 | Columbus, GA | 203,711 | 12.0% | 30.0% |
| 69 | Cumming, GA | 8,469 | 14.0% | 35.0% |
| 70 | Grovetown, GA | 17,014 | 10.0% | 28.0% |
| 71 | Lagrange, GA | 32,078 | 11.0% | 29.0% |
| 72 | Valdosta, GA | 55,252 | 11.0% | 29.0% |
| 73 | Dacula, GA | 7,444 | 8.0% | 25.0% |
| 74 | Bremen, GA | 7,488 | 8.0% | 25.0% |
| 75 | Lovejoy, GA | 11,508 | 9.0% | 28.0% |
| 76 | Centerville, GA | 8,505 | 8.0% | 27.0% |
| 77 | Mcdonough, GA | 30,947 | 8.0% | 27.0% |
| 78 | Cartersville, GA | 24,074 | 9.0% | 29.0% |
| 79 | Savannah, GA | 147,898 | 11.0% | 33.0% |
| 80 | Hinesville, GA | 35,679 | 4.0% | 21.0% |
| 81 | Conyers, GA | 18,512 | 10.0% | 33.0% |
| 82 | Perry, GA | 23,001 | 8.0% | 29.0% |
| 83 | Hapeville, GA | 6,630 | 13.0% | 44.0% |
| 84 | Dallas, GA | 14,714 | 6.0% | 25.0% |
| 85 | Jefferson, GA | 14,990 | 10.0% | 34.0% |
| 86 | Acworth, GA | 22,473 | 10.0% | 34.0% |
| 87 | Statesboro, GA | 34,149 | 9.0% | 32.0% |
| 88 | East Point, GA | 38,335 | 11.0% | 36.0% |
| 89 | Stockbridge, GA | 35,737 | 8.0% | 31.0% |
| 90 | Snellville, GA | 21,620 | 10.0% | 36.0% |
| 91 | St. Marys, GA | 19,166 | 7.0% | 29.0% |
| 92 | Kingsland, GA | 19,627 | 3.0% | 24.0% |
| 93 | Villa Rica, GA | 18,551 | 6.0% | 29.0% |
| 94 | Warner Robins, GA | 82,990 | 7.0% | 32.0% |
| 95 | Hiram, GA | 5,231 | 9.0% | 40.0% |
| 96 | Douglasville, GA | 37,536 | 8.0% | 35.0% |
| 97 | Fairburn, GA | 16,831 | 8.0% | 40.0% |
| 98 | Hampton, GA | 8,687 | 5.0% | 32.0% |
| 99 | Powder Springs, GA | 18,009 | 8.0% | 41.0% |
| 100 | Newnan, GA | 44,235 | 8.0% | 41.0% |

