Blairsville, Georgia is small on paper. The city covers about 1.1 square miles of land, and most of the people who live around it are in unincorporated Union County. A lot of the first month here is learning which side of the city line an address is on, because that decides who supplies the water, which government answers the phone and which tax levies apply.
City or county?
| City of Blairsville | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Census | 616 | 24,632 |
| Census estimate, July 1, 2024 | 849 | 27,601 |
| Government | Mayor and five-member council | Full-time sole commissioner, elected countywide to a four-year term |
| Offices | City Hall, 62 Blue Ridge St, (706) 745-2000, Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | 65 Courthouse St, (706) 439-6000 |
Blairsville is the county seat and the only incorporated town in Union County. The Census figures show the county growing about 15.3% between 2010 and 2020, from 21,356 to 24,632 people, while the city’s count slipped from 652 to 616. The 2024 figures above are Census estimates, not counts. Nearly two-thirds of the county lies inside the Chattahoochee National Forest, according to the city.
Utilities: the city line matters
- Water and sewer. Inside the city, water and sewer come from the City of Blairsville. Elsewhere, water comes from the Coosa Water Authority (706-745-6773) or the Notla Water Authority (706-745-4598). City sewer is available only inside city limits, and there’s no single countywide water utility.
- Electricity. Blue Ridge Mountain EMC is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative serving Union, Towns and Fannin counties in Georgia and Clay and Cherokee counties in North Carolina. Phone 800-292-6456.
- Gas. The county’s New Resident Guide says Union County has no natural gas provider. Homes use propane from local suppliers.
- Internet. Blue Ridge Mountain EMC offers fiber in its service area, and the county guide lists Windstream for landline and internet, with AT&T and Verizon for cell service. The county guide is undated, so check availability by street address before counting on a connection.
Public sewer and new development
On June 12, 2026, Union County’s sole commissioner adopted Resolution R-2026-28, an emergency moratorium on “applications for development, development permits and building permits concerning properties located within the County that intend to use public sewer instead of an on-site sewage management system.” The meeting minutes say the county wanted to review that section of its code “due to the expansion of city sewer further into other areas of the county.” The resolution’s own wording sets a period of 120 days from June 12, 2026 at 4:30 p.m., or until it is repealed by the adoption of new regulations or ordinances. If a plan depends on connecting to public sewer, ask the county offices (706-439-6000) which rules apply on the date you apply.
Health care
Union General Hospital, at 35 Hospital Road (706-745-2111), is a 45-bed, not-for-profit acute-care hospital with emergency medicine. It belongs to Union General Health System, which also runs Chatuge Regional Hospital in Hiawassee. It is not part of Northeast Georgia Health System.
Schools
Union County Schools (Board of Education at 124 Hughes Street, 706-745-2322) runs Union County Primary School, Union County Elementary School, Union County Middle School and Union County High School in Blairsville, plus Woody Gap School in Suches and a College & Career Academy. The county’s New Resident Guide also lists North Georgia Technical College, the University of North Georgia, Young Harris College and Piedmont College as nearby colleges.
Property tax: read the levy carefully
On October 1, 2026, the county set its 2026 maintenance and operation rate at 3.842 mills, down from 3.952 in 2025. A gross rate of 6.018 mills was reduced by 2.176 mills of Local Option Sales Tax rollback, according to the meeting minutes. That is the county government’s levy only. The school district levy and any state, bond or city levies are separate, so 3.842 is not a total rate. Ask the county for every levy that applies to a specific parcel.
Getting in and out
Blairsville has a city-run municipal airport for general aviation (706-745-4307). For airline flights, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is about 109 miles away, roughly 2 hours 25 minutes with no traffic according to a free routing tool, and Chattanooga’s airport is about 92 miles, roughly 2 hours with no traffic. Those are secondary, best-case figures: mountain roads and Atlanta traffic usually add time.
For the longer version, see our living in Blairsville page. Two easy first-month habits: the county-run farmers market in season and the downtown events calendar.
Questions people ask
How many people live in Blairsville, GA?
The 2020 Census counted 616 people in the City of Blairsville and 24,632 in Union County. Census estimates for July 1, 2024 put the city at 849 and the county at 27,601, so most residents live outside the city limits.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 population estimates
Does Blairsville have natural gas?
No. Union County's New Resident Guide says the county has no natural gas provider, and homes use propane from local suppliers. Electricity comes from Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, a member-owned cooperative.
What is Union County Resolution R-2026-28?
Adopted June 12, 2026, it is an emergency moratorium on development and building permit applications for properties in the county that intend to use public sewer instead of an on-site sewage management system. Its stated term is 120 days or until new rules are adopted, so confirm its current status with the county.
What is Union County's 2026 property tax millage rate?
Union County set its 2026 county maintenance and operation rate at 3.842 mills, down from 3.952 in 2025, after a 2.176-mill sales tax rollback. School district and other levies are separate and are not included in that figure.
Written by the Downtown Blairsville Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.
Dates, hours and fees change. For anything official, the city has the final word: City of Blairsville official site
