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Every workplace has its share of individuals who seem to glide through their responsibilities with minimal effort, often leaning on their colleagues to pick up the slack. If you find yourself in one of these Georgia towns, you might recognize some of those traits in your community.
This isn’t a personal attack; instead, it’s a reflection of how local culture can seep into the workplace dynamics, and nobody enjoys collaborating with those who consistently underperform.
Late on a Friday night, we delved into data from the latest American Community Survey to identify towns in Georgia that embody a laid-back approach to work. Our analysis focused on the characteristics often associated with a less motivated workforce.
After analyzing the data, we present to you the ten “Most Relaxed Places in Georgia,” based on recent findings:
Curious about where the couch potatoes reside? Continue reading to learn more, or skip to the conclusion to see how your town ranks.
By the way, Suwanee stands out as the most industrious place in Georgia.
How We Identified the Most Relaxed Places in the Peach State
At Zippia, we rely on data to tackle tough questions. We pride ourselves on being diligent data analysts, exploring the latest trends and insights in the job market.
In this analysis, we utilized the most recent data from the American Community Survey to uncover insights about work habits. Our research criteria focused on key factors that typically indicate a more relaxed work ethic in various cities.
Our criteria for determining the most relaxed places in Georgia included:
- Lowest average hours worked
- Shortest commute time
- Fewest workers per household (labor force divided by the number of households)
- Highest unemployment rate
- Fewest adults with a college degree
The rationale was straightforward: a lack of higher education, minimal work hours, and a single-income household often reflect a more laid-back lifestyle. We compiled data for 127 places in Georgia with populations over 5,000 and ranked each city from 1 to 127 based on these criteria, with 1 being the “most relaxed.”
We then averaged the rankings to create a relaxed index, ultimately identifying the city with the lowest index as the “Most Relaxed Place in Georgia.” Cordele emerged at the top of this list.
Check out the detailed chart below to learn more about the rankings of each city.
1. Cordele
Population: 11,177 College Educated: 10.2%
Unemployment Rate: 20.3%
2. Thomaston
Population: 9,068 College Educated: 13.5%
Unemployment Rate: 16.4%
3. Hawkinsville
Population: 5,588 College Educated: 11.1%
Unemployment Rate: 16.3%
4. Fitzgerald
Population: 9,054 College Educated: 12.8%
Unemployment Rate: 12.4%
5. Waycross
Population: 14,363 College Educated: 13.5%
Unemployment Rate: 10.8%
6. Cedartown
Population: 9,760 College Educated: 10.5%
Unemployment Rate: 17.2%
7. Brunswick
Population: 15,648 College Educated: 11.5%
Unemployment Rate: 16.2%
8. Albany
Population: 76,946 College Educated: 16.7%
Unemployment Rate: 19.4%
9. Americus
Population: 16,557 College Educated: 22.8%
Unemployment Rate: 19.9%
10. Thomson
Population: 6,682 College Educated: 12.2%
Unemployment Rate: 12.3%
Relaxing Your Way to the Bottom
As we mentioned, pinpointing the most relaxed places in Georgia can be subjective. However, by analyzing cities with low educational attainment, minimal work engagement, and a workforce that doesn’t put in the necessary hours, this list provides a factual perspective on relaxation.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
