The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) released its Fiscal Year 2026 economic status designations for Appalachia’s 423 counties, which includes Hall and surrounding counties and other counties in north Georgia.
While not among the “best off” counties in the region, there are only two, Forsyth and Cherokee, Hall is among those with the second-highest ranking. Only one Georgia county, Chattooga, is designated as “economically distressed,” the lowest ranking on the ARC scale.
Meanwhile, the agency reports the number of counties so designated all 423 in the ARC region will decrease to 75 during Fiscal Year 2025.
This is the lowest number since ARC began using this index-based classification system 20 years ago.
Improvement comes from a decrease in the number of distressed counties in Appalachian Alabama, Ohio and West Virginia. Thirty-three counties will see a positive shift in their economic status.
MORE ON THE GEORGIA COUNTIES:
County Economic Status and Number of Distressed Areas in Appalachian Georgia, Fiscal Year 2026
The following list shows name of county, its Distressed Area Status, and number of distressed areas in each county.
The most economically productive are those counties listed as Attainment followed by Competitive, Transistional, At-Risk, and Distressed with Chattooga in northwest Georgia the only one falling into that category.
Banks Transitional 0
Barrow Transitional 1
Bartow Transitional 2
Carroll Transitional 4
Catoosa Transitional 0
Chattooga Distressed 0
Cherokee Attainment 0
Dade Transitional 0
Dawson Competitive 0
Douglas Transitional 3
Elbert At-Risk 2
Fannin Transitional 0
Floyd Transitional 6
Forsyth Attainment 0
Franklin At-Risk 2
Gilmer Transitional 1
Gordon Transitional 0
Gwinnett Transitional 16
Habersham Transitional 2
Hall Competitive 0
Haralson Transitional 1
Hart Transitional 1
Heard At-Risk 0
Jackson Competitive 0
Lumpkin Transitional 0
Madison Transitional 1
Murray Transitional 1
Paulding Competitive 0
Pickens Transitional 1
Polk At-Risk 2
Rabun Transitional 0
Stephens Transitional 2
Towns Transitional 0
Union Transitional 0
Walker Transitional 4
White Transitional 0
Whitfield Transitional 3