Alma is Georgia’s Blueberry Capital
Alma is a small city with a prominent agricultural community that anchors Bacon County deep in southern Georgia’s countryside. “They call Alma the Blueberry Capital of Georgia because of the miles and miles of blueberry farms out there,” says Molly Mullis, a Realtor with GA DreamWorks Realty who has experience flipping and selling homes here. Incorporated in 1906, the city started as a stop along the Atlantic Coast Railroad, but passenger trains stopped running through town by 1952. Today, Alma is known for its agricultural presence and industrial parks that employ people from across the wiregrass region. According to 2020 reporting from the U.S. Census Bureau, this city is home to just over 3,400 residents. The town has a few shopping and dining options, both chain and local. For urban amenities like big-box stores, residents can drive a half-hour to either Douglas or Waycross. “It’s a pretty rural place, so if someone is looking to live somewhere that’s not very populated, they might like it there. It’s quiet and slow-paced,” Mullis says.
Affordable housing options in Bacon County
Alma has relatively low housing costs compared to state and national averages; the median sale price of a single-family home here is about $180,000. . Alma’s housing stock includes a fair number of manufactured homes and investment properties that, according to Mullis, people like herself will sometimes buy and flip. “I wouldn’t say that there’s only one common home style. It’s definitely a mix. I’ve seen homes from the 70s, homes from the 90s, and I’ve also seen quite a few new builds going up in that area,” Mullis says. “A lot of homes are your typical single-story brick homes with three bedrooms, two bathrooms.” She adds that there are also some larger, more stately homes in the area, many of which are on or around Lake Lure and listed as waterfront properties. Manufactured homes and investment properties can cost between $30,000 and $200,000, while most three-bed, two-bath ranch styles and cottages range from approximately $120,000 to $350,000. Larger, custom-built estates with traditional and colonial-style architecture usually cost upwards of $400,000. Empty land lots are also regularly listed for sale in the city’s outlying rural areas. There are slightly more homeowners here than renters.
Bacon County School District serves Alma students
Alma students are served by the Bacon County School District, which receives an overall B-plus rating from Niche. Prekindergarten through second-grade students can start their education at Bacon County Primary School, rated B-plus. Bacon County Elementary, serving grades three through five, has an A-minus rating, and Bacon County Middle has a B-plus score. The A-minus-rated Bacon County High School reports a 95% graduation rate and offers dual academic enrollment with Coastal Pines Technical College and South Georgia State College. Other programs at the high school include Bacon County Career and Technical Education (CTAE) and career-based pathways for agricultural professions, engineering, technology and business. Alma is also home to a Coastal Pines Technical College campus, one of eight total in southeastern Georgia. The college offers more than 140 programs of study, including degrees, certificates, diplomas, and adult education courses.
Recreation at Alma’s golf course and sports complex
Alma’s rural setting welcomes a wide range of outdoor activities. One of the city’s most popular spots for recreation is Blueberry Plantation, a country club and lodge with an adjoining 18-hole championship golf course. The 200-acre course is open to the public and can accommodate all skill levels. Other amenities at the club include a saltwater swimming pool and Blueberry Mansion, as well as an on-site inn with a restaurant and event space. Alma’s athletic facilities are concentrated at the Alma Bacon County Recreation Department Youth Sports Complex, a 117-acre park with baseball fields, tennis courts, a football field and a playground. 18 miles west of Alma is General Coffee State Park, an outdoor destination on over 1,500 acres of land just outside Douglas. Visitors can fish at a 4-acre lake or access the park’s trail systems for biking, hiking and horseback riding.
The Georgia Blueberry Festival is Alma’s main event
Local volunteer groups organize some of the city’s larger annual events, like the iconic Georgia Blueberry Festival, an agricultural celebration hosted every June since 1974, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic years. The festival takes place at Goldwasser Park near City Hall, and event highlights include live performances, the Blueberry 5K & Fun Run and the Blueberry Cooking Contest. Other annual events in the town include the Day of the Child in April and the local Christmas Parade during the holiday season.
Chain and local businesses along Highway 1
Alma’s retail businesses and restaurants are limited to mostly fast-food chains, convenience stores and a few local establishments scattered throughout town. Mullis says that while the city does have some semblance of a downtown area, it hasn’t been well-developed, and many storefronts sit empty. Alma’s downtown centers around City Hall, a stately Greek Revival building that houses other municipal services like the Bacon County Courthouse. Another fixture of the downtown area is the Bacon Theatre, which opened in 2013 and shows weekly movie screenings. Most of Alma’s dining options and chain establishments line Highway 1, which makes up part of U.S. Route 23 and runs through the city. Food Lion and Jay’s IGA sell groceries, while household necessities and discount retail items are available at Dollar General and Family Dollar. Popular local businesses include The Blueberry Barn, a store that celebrates Alma’s agricultural industry with blueberry-themed trinkets and homemade goods. Big-box stores like Walmart and Lowe’s Home Improvement are located in the larger city of Douglas, approximately 23 miles west of Alma. Shoppers can find more retail establishments in Waycross, 24 miles south of town.
Driving through Bacon County and beyond
Alma is a car-dependent community located at the crossroads of Georgia State Route 32 and U.S. Route 23, also known as Highway 1. These two routes serve as the city’s main thoroughfares and connect residents to bigger cities like Douglas and Waycross, which each require approximately 30 minutes of driving to reach. There are no public transportation services in or around Alma. The closest commercial airport is the Valdosta Regional Airport, which is approximately 88 miles away and offers three flights a day to and from Atlanta. The larger Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is just over 100 miles from town on the coast. Alma is home to the Bacon County Hospital and Health System, which has a 24-hour emergency department and medical helicopter transport services.
Crime in Alma and the Bacon Probation Detention Center
Alma has an overall CAP Index Crime Score of 4 out of 10, which is on par with the national average. The city is also the home of the Bacon Probation Detention Center, a state prison with a recently expanded transitional facility that offers vocational training programs. The detention center complex is completely gated and has space for slightly fewer than 600 inmates.
