What’s It Like to Live in Blairsville, GA?

The city and the county

• The City of Blairsville had 616 residents in the 2020 Census. U.S. Census Bureau
• Union County had 24,632 residents in the 2020 Census. U.S. Census Bureau
• The 2010 Census counted 21,356 people in Union County. That means the county grew by 3,276 people, about 15.3%, between 2010 and 2020. U.S. Census Bureau
• The Census Bureau estimates Union County's population at 27,601 as of July 1, 2024, and the City of Blairsville's at 849. U.S. Census Bureau
• The City of Blairsville covers about 1.1 square miles of land. U.S. Census Bureau
• Union County covers about 329 square miles, of which roughly 322.6 square miles is land. Union County
• Nearly two-thirds of Union County lies within the Chattahoochee National Forest. City of Blairsville

Most of that growth happened outside the city limits. When people say they live “in Blairsville,” they usually mean a Blairsville mailing address somewhere in Union County, not inside the 1.1-square-mile city.

Utilities and internet

• Electricity comes from Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative. It serves Towns, Union and Fannin counties in Georgia and Clay and Cherokee counties in North Carolina. Phone: 800-292-6456. Blue Ridge Mountain EMC
• Inside the city, water and sewer come from the City of Blairsville (706-745-2000). Other parts of the county are served by the Coosa Water Authority (706-745-6773) or the Notla Water Authority (706-745-4598). City sewer is available only within the City of Blairsville. City of Blairsville
• Union County has no natural gas provider. Homes use propane (LP gas) from one of several local suppliers. Union County
• Blue Ridge Mountain EMC offers fiber internet in its service area, and the county lists Windstream as the area's landline telephone and internet provider. AT&T and Verizon provide cell service. Union County

The practical upshot: if a house is outside the city, ask which water authority serves it, or whether it’s on a well, and whether it has a septic system. City sewer stops at the city limits.

Health care

• Union General Hospital, at 35 Hospital Road in Blairsville (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. Union General Health System

Schools

• Public schools are run by Union County Schools. The Board of Education is at 124 Hughes Street, Blairsville, phone 706-745-2322. Union County Schools
• The district runs Union County Primary School (592 School Circle), Union County Elementary School (68 Elementary Way), Union County Middle School (367 Wellborn Street) and Union County High School (153 Panther Circle), all in Blairsville. It also runs Woody Gap School at 2331 State Hwy 60 in Suches and a College & Career Academy. Union County Schools
• Union County's New Resident Guide lists North Georgia Technical College, the University of North Georgia, Young Harris College and Piedmont College as nearby colleges. Young Harris is about 8 miles (roughly 15 minutes) east of Blairsville by road. Union County

Property taxes

Union County set its 2026 county maintenance and operation property tax rate at 3.842 mills, down from 3.952 in 2025. The gross rate of 6.018 mills is reduced by 2.176 mills of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) rollback. (Union County Commission minutes) That is the county’s own operating levy only: the school levy and any state, bond or city levies are separate, so ask for a property’s full tax bill before you buy.

Local government

• Union County is run by a full-time sole commissioner, elected countywide to a four-year term. The county offices are at 65 Courthouse Street in Blairsville, phone 706-439-6000. Union County
• Blairsville City Hall is at 62 Blue Ridge Street, just off the Courthouse Square. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the phone number is (706) 745-2000. City of Blairsville

Getting around

There is no commercial airline service in the county; Blairsville has its own municipal general-aviation airport, run by the city (phone 706-745-4307). The nearest big airports are Atlanta, about 109 miles, and Chattanooga, about 92, both by OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic. See the planner page for drive times to nearby towns.

Homes for sale around Blairsville

Gold Peach Realty, the brokerage that publishes this guide, lists homes across the North Georgia mountains. Its featured homes are below; for anything in Blairsville or Union County, call (770) 283-1223.

Living-here questions

Dates, hours and fees change. For anything official, the city has the final word: City of Blairsville official site