Rural city and the county seat of Butts County
Featured as the fictional downtown Hawkins, Indiana, in the popular Netflix show “Stranger Things,” there’s a strong chance potential homebuyers may be familiar with the rural city of Jackson, about 50 miles southeast of Atlanta.
While Hawkins, Indiana, may be fictional, Jackson is very real and is the county seat of Butts County, spanning 6.1 square miles. A bedroom community with nearly 5,700 people has seen over 9% population growth since 2010. It is affectionally known as “Georgia’s Outdoor Capital” as it is home to two state parks and Lake Jackson. “It has grown so much in the almost 20 years I have lived here,” says Donald Cook, a Jackson City Councilman. “You go out now, and you see an unfamiliar face. With more people working remotely, we are seeing our population grow. If you look at the map, Jackson is almost the center of Georgia and is close to so much, making it a great place to live.”
Historic homes to brand-new developments
Jackson provides potential homebuyers the chance to find anything from a historic home close to Jackson Square, a home on a few acres and now the opportunity to buy a new construction home. The new Garden Walk development near downtown is adding around 150 new homes to the city. Jackson’s market moves slower than the national average as listings average 54 days on the market compared to 42 days for the national average. Prices range between $152,000 to $1.7 million, for an estate home on multiple acres, and over the last 12 months, the average sale price of a home is up 10% in the city. The real estate tax in Jackson is slightly higher than average for the rest of the state, as the city has a 1.27% tax rate compared to Georgia’s average of 0.81%. “There has been much growth in Jackson and the surrounding county, but its area is still extremely rural,” says Amy Folsom, a resident and Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway GA Properties – Henry County. “With commercial development comes the need for new homes, which has started to happen in Jackson."
Learning in the Butts County School System
The youngest residents of Jackson will attend the Butts County School System, which scores a B-minus on Niche. The small district serves just over 3,500 students across three elementary schools, a middle and a high school. All Grades 3-12 students receive a personal Chromebook through the 1:1 Technology Program. BCSS offers a gifted education service, which the State Board of Education determines, and consideration referrals can be made by teachers, counselors, peers and parents or guardians.
“Georgia’s Outdoor Capital”
Affectionally known as “Georgia’s Outdoor Capital,” Jackson and Butts County offers so much recreation that it draws the eyes of tourists and residents. The area is home to Lake Jackson, one of the oldest reservoirs in Georgia, spanning 5,000 acres, and two state parks, High Falls and Indian Springs. Both state parks offer multiple trails. Indian Springs is known for its mineral spring, and High Falls is home to the largest waterfall in the region. Locals can also take advantage of the Butts County Recreation Department, which offers multiple youth sports leagues and runs summer camps for children. “Living in Jackson or Butts County provides people the chance to have an active lifestyle. Anyone that has an interest in boating, fishing, hiking and biking has multiple options at their disposal,” Cook says.
Heading to the Jackson Square
Like most southern small towns, most restaurants and local shops surround Jackson Square. Locals and tourists can head to the square and see some of the locations in “Stranger Things,” check out the Butts County Courthouse, which was constructed in 1898, grab a bite to eat at one of the eight restaurants or browse the aisles at some the boutiques. While Jackson still lacks big box stores in the city, there is an Ingle’s and Dollar General for groceries.
The River Park commercial development is being completed just outside of the city at Interstate 75 and Georgia Highway 16. One of the biggest additions to the project was the announcement that Procter and Gamble would open a logistics center in the development. The company’s $205 million commitment to the project will create 350 jobs in the area and marks the first time a first Fortune 50 Company partnered with Butts County.
Combination of Butts County and Jackson Events
Being the county seat of the larger Butts County, residents can double dip between the county and local government events. Butts County puts on multiple holiday events, a fall festival and maybe their most popular event, Stranger Things Con, which will feature an appearance from star Millie Bobby Brown, panels and meet and greets. The local city government puts on multiple events and, in the warmer months, hosts Food Truck Fridays on the Square.
City in the center of Georgia
Georgia Route 16 and U.S. Route 23 run through Jackson, connecting the city to the rest of Metro Atlanta. The town is about halfway in between Atlanta and Macon (about 40 miles away), which are two larger cities where some residents may head for work, and both trips start on US-23. It is also about 45 miles from Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. “It’s a small town, and there’s not much traffic, but it is at least 30 minutes to get to most places outside of the city,” Folsom says.
Crime
According to CrimeGrade.org, Jackson scores a B-plus in crime score, meaning that the crime rate is lower than the average U.S. city. The site says that the rate of crimes is 26.72 per 1,000 residents per a standard year. According to the latest crime statistics from the FBI in 2022, no violent crimes were reported in Jackson. “We have our own police and fire department, which works closely with the Butts County Sherrif and their Fire and EMS Departments. It is nice to have multiple people to ensure the safety of our residents,” Cook says.
