While the U.S. is one of the most educated countries in the world, it doesn’t provide the same quality elementary school or secondary school education to all students. In many states, more affluent school districts receive a greater amount of funding per student than poorer districts, with one estimate claiming that low-income districts are underfunded by around $6,700 per pupil.
Discrepancies between the rich and poor were exacerbated a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Low-income students suffered the greatest “learning loss” due to partial or total remote learning. One contributing factor was that people in low-income districts are less likely to have the technological resources they need. Now, less fortunate students must struggle to make up the educational ground that they lost due to this lack of resources.
States that provide equitable funding to all school districts can help prevent poor students from having lower graduation rates, lower rates of pursuing higher education and smaller future incomes than their wealthy peers. The difference is dramatic: College graduates have $154 - $1,115 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.
Georgia has the 19th most equitable school districts in the U.S. overall, but some districts within the state are fairer than others. To find out where school funding is distributed most equitably, WalletHub scored 179 districts in Georgia based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
Main Findings
Note: For visual purposes, we included only the top 7 school districts by enrollment from each category. Rank 1 on the “Expenditures Ranking” means highest expenditures and Rank 1 on “Income Ranking” means lowest income.
Most & Least Equitable School Districts in Georgia
| Rank* | School District | Score | Expeditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools per Pupil | Income by School District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gainesville City | 0.01 | $11,597 | $57,258 |
| 2 | Buford City | 0.66 | $12,212 | $54,321 |
| 3 | Commerce City | 0.88 | $11,058 | $60,009 |
| 4 | Meriwether County | 1.23 | $13,925 | $46,789 |
| 5 | Lowndes County | 1.96 | $10,427 | $61,161 |
| 6 | Heard County | 2.06 | $12,243 | $55,635 |
| 7 | Haralson County | 2.20 | $12,961 | $52,681 |
| 8 | Quitman County | 2.77 | $18,031 | $31,594 |
| 9 | Mcintosh County | 2.85 | $13,690 | $49,951 |
| 10 | Camden County | 3.09 | $10,950 | $61,636 |
| 11 | Banks County | 3.30 | $11,864 | $57,893 |
| 12 | Baker County | 4.04 | $17,759 | $33,417 |
| 13 | Jasper County | 4.10 | $12,253 | $52,322 |
| 14 | Hart County | 4.67 | $11,663 | $54,506 |
| 15 | Cartersville City | 4.78 | $10,956 | $62,510 |
| 16 | Madison County | 5.15 | $12,232 | $51,854 |
| 17 | Thomas County | 5.34 | $12,125 | $57,873 |
| 18 | Union County | 5.71 | $12,006 | $52,509 |
| 19 | Griffin-Spalding County | 5.79 | $12,123 | $51,972 |
| 20 | Talbot County | 6.42 | $16,327 | $40,719 |
| 21 | Twiggs County | 6.66 | $15,147 | $45,824 |
| 22 | Fannin County | 6.91 | $14,234 | $49,810 |
| 23 | Crawford County | 7.05 | $11,690 | $53,132 |
| 24 | Baldwin County | 7.06 | $12,333 | $50,413 |
| 25 | Whitfield County | 7.23 | $11,519 | $53,758 |
| 26 | Butts County | 7.64 | $11,501 | $53,613 |
| 27 | Clarke County | 8.18 | $15,755 | $44,070 |
| 28 | Randolph County | 8.41 | $17,269 | $28,870 |
| 29 | Gilmer County | 8.51 | $11,900 | $60,504 |
| 30 | Oglethorpe County | 8.68 | $12,328 | $58,791 |
| 31 | Floyd County | 8.70 | $12,067 | $59,900 |
| 32 | Evans County | 8.81 | $12,370 | $49,325 |
| 33 | Habersham County | 8.89 | $12,855 | $56,680 |
| 34 | Montgomery County | 9.09 | $12,612 | $48,158 |
| 35 | Gordon County | 9.15 | $11,694 | $51,996 |
| 36 | Mcduffie County | 9.78 | $11,918 | $50,721 |
| 37 | Johnson County | 10.20 | $12,915 | $46,292 |
| 38 | Peach County | 10.33 | $11,257 | $53,215 |
| 39 | Jones County | 10.82 | $11,907 | $61,701 |
| 40 | Miller County | 11.04 | $14,239 | $51,983 |
| 41 | Dalton Public Schools | 11.22 | $11,989 | $49,656 |
| 42 | Terrell County | 11.27 | $14,537 | $38,879 |
| 43 | Glynn County | 11.57 | $12,221 | $60,775 |
| 44 | Clinch County | 11.68 | $12,382 | $47,750 |
| 45 | Liberty County | 12.02 | $11,586 | $50,930 |
| 46 | Lincoln County | 12.27 | $13,177 | $44,087 |
| 47 | Pierce County | 12.29 | $11,578 | $50,820 |
| 48 | Franklin County | 12.61 | $11,819 | $49,636 |
| 49 | Dougherty County | 12.68 | $13,566 | $42,225 |
| 50 | Wilkes County | 12.74 | $13,171 | $43,859 |
| 51 | Murray County | 12.76 | $10,807 | $53,821 |
| 52 | Appling County | 12.83 | $14,172 | $39,588 |
| 53 | Worth County | 12.84 | $10,568 | $54,791 |
| 54 | Bleckley County | 13.79 | $11,871 | $48,786 |
| 55 | Carroll County | 13.88 | $11,181 | $66,388 |
| 56 | Early County | 13.91 | $14,018 | $39,665 |
| 57 | Tattnall County | 14.31 | $11,524 | $49,977 |
| 58 | Telfair County | 14.34 | $13,180 | $42,971 |
| 59 | Clayton County | 14.55 | $11,027 | $51,945 |
| 60 | Muscogee County | 14.65 | $11,503 | $49,883 |
| 61 | Catoosa County | 14.68 | $12,164 | $62,669 |
| 62 | Seminole County | 14.73 | $13,699 | $40,579 |
| 63 | Mitchell County | 14.95 | $16,479 | $44,609 |
| 64 | Douglas County | 15.35 | $11,048 | $67,731 |
| 65 | Lamar County | 15.50 | $10,467 | $53,802 |
| 66 | Walker County | 15.63 | $11,854 | $47,885 |
| 67 | Dade County | 15.80 | $11,882 | $47,675 |
| 68 | Pulaski County | 15.96 | $12,508 | $44,946 |
| 69 | Bulloch County | 16.10 | $11,155 | $50,583 |
| 70 | Bartow County | 16.45 | $11,539 | $66,244 |
| 71 | Stephens County | 16.49 | $11,198 | $50,194 |
| 72 | Troup County | 16.55 | $11,464 | $49,042 |
| 73 | Bibb County | 16.59 | $12,686 | $43,862 |
| 74 | Charlton County | 16.83 | $12,269 | $45,494 |
| 75 | Webster County | 16.93 | $15,435 | $32,083 |
| 76 | Stewart County | 16.95 | $18,055 | $39,020 |
| 77 | Barrow County | 16.96 | $11,101 | $68,365 |
| 78 | Wayne County | 17.38 | $12,290 | $45,115 |
| 79 | Schley County | 17.38 | $10,993 | $50,586 |
| 80 | Savannah-Chatham County | 17.43 | $12,890 | $61,064 |
| 81 | Marion County | 17.58 | $11,759 | $47,250 |
| 82 | Newton County | 17.61 | $12,035 | $64,767 |
| 83 | Dooly County | 18.11 | $13,495 | $39,641 |
| 84 | Putnam County | 18.16 | $14,240 | $55,757 |
| 85 | Lumpkin County | 18.23 | $12,253 | $64,179 |
| 86 | Screven County | 18.37 | $12,627 | $43,167 |
| 87 | Toombs County | 18.45 | $12,612 | $43,187 |
| 88 | Richmond County | 18.95 | $11,826 | $46,237 |
| 89 | Polk County | 19.06 | $11,168 | $48,958 |
| 90 | Warren County | 19.11 | $13,923 | $37,309 |
| 91 | Brooks County | 19.34 | $13,310 | $39,770 |
| 92 | Glascock County | 19.42 | $15,023 | $53,125 |
| 93 | Rabun County | 20.17 | $16,177 | $48,652 |
| 94 | Crisp County | 20.21 | $12,766 | $41,605 |
| 95 | Wilcox County | 20.22 | $12,812 | $41,406 |
| 96 | Thomasville City | 20.27 | $12,176 | $44,063 |
| 97 | Walton County | 20.29 | $10,820 | $71,317 |
| 98 | Jefferson County | 20.45 | $12,585 | $42,238 |
| 99 | Decatur County | 20.50 | $11,893 | $45,134 |
| 100 | Turner County | 20.54 | $14,093 | $35,828 |
| 101 | Thomaston-Upson County | 21.19 | $12,251 | $43,257 |
| 102 | Laurens County | 21.26 | $11,864 | $44,850 |
| 103 | Irwin County | 21.82 | $12,395 | $42,312 |
| 104 | Tift County | 21.83 | $11,462 | $46,245 |
| 105 | Burke County | 21.99 | $16,599 | $47,837 |
| 106 | Emanuel County | 22.09 | $12,227 | $42,880 |
| 107 | Henry County | 22.14 | $10,537 | $73,491 |
| 108 | Grady County | 22.20 | $11,065 | $47,721 |
| 109 | White County | 22.21 | $12,623 | $64,729 |
| 110 | Bremen City | 22.59 | $10,749 | $72,835 |
| 111 | Elbert County | 22.96 | $12,823 | $39,904 |
| 112 | Coffee County | 23.09 | $11,729 | $44,450 |
| 113 | Effingham County | 23.12 | $10,948 | $72,279 |
| 114 | Wilkinson County | 23.13 | $14,040 | $34,680 |
| 115 | Lee County | 23.43 | $10,358 | $74,935 |
| 116 | Taylor County | 23.47 | $13,615 | $36,293 |
| 117 | Pike County | 24.26 | $10,173 | $76,152 |
| 118 | Echols County | 24.33 | $11,407 | $45,151 |
| 119 | Chickamauga City | 24.39 | $10,738 | $73,839 |
| 120 | Rome City | 24.70 | $12,581 | $40,000 |
| 121 | Colquitt County | 24.76 | $12,189 | $41,623 |
| 122 | Hall County | 25.02 | $11,267 | $71,944 |
| 123 | Rockdale County | 25.26 | $13,125 | $64,230 |
| 124 | Cook County | 25.64 | $11,111 | $45,702 |
| 125 | Bacon County | 25.73 | $12,359 | $40,391 |
| 126 | Dodge County | 25.81 | $12,118 | $41,362 |
| 127 | Long County | 26.60 | $9,321 | $52,742 |
| 128 | Vidalia City | 27.58 | $11,538 | $42,873 |
| 129 | Hancock County | 27.81 | $20,625 | $33,946 |
| 130 | Berrien County | 29.19 | $10,853 | $44,907 |
| 131 | Ware County | 29.27 | $12,144 | $39,419 |
| 132 | Jenkins County | 29.36 | $14,587 | $29,061 |
| 133 | Monroe County | 29.63 | $12,982 | $67,154 |
| 134 | Houston County | 29.87 | $12,263 | $70,313 |
| 135 | Towns County | 29.88 | $16,349 | $53,084 |
| 136 | Calhoun County | 30.78 | $18,722 | $43,549 |
| 137 | Macon County | 31.54 | $13,341 | $33,163 |
| 138 | Morgan County | 32.24 | $12,399 | $71,000 |
| 139 | Dublin City | 32.54 | $12,787 | $34,970 |
| 140 | Washington County | 32.73 | $11,725 | $39,350 |
| 141 | Atkinson County | 32.86 | $12,564 | $35,741 |
| 142 | Sumter County | 33.39 | $12,272 | $36,687 |
| 143 | Bryan County | 33.69 | $10,204 | $81,032 |
| 144 | Jefferson City | 33.72 | $9,814 | $82,692 |
| 145 | Brantley County | 34.31 | $11,795 | $38,211 |
| 146 | Jackson County | 34.52 | $11,877 | $74,410 |
| 147 | Dekalb County | 34.63 | $13,668 | $66,913 |
| 148 | Gwinnett County | 34.67 | $11,482 | $76,156 |
| 149 | Ben Hill County | 34.67 | $12,641 | $34,455 |
| 150 | Carrollton City | 35.21 | $10,298 | $44,049 |
| 151 | Chattooga County | 35.23 | $11,749 | $37,918 |
| 152 | Marietta City | 35.87 | $14,851 | $62,585 |
| 153 | Social Circle City | 36.71 | $11,732 | $76,185 |
| 154 | Trion City | 37.67 | $11,373 | $38,208 |
| 155 | Paulding County | 37.96 | $10,930 | $80,234 |
| 156 | Treutlen County | 38.67 | $11,904 | $35,441 |
| 157 | Jeff Davis County | 39.60 | $10,785 | $39,668 |
| 158 | Pickens County | 40.15 | $13,244 | $71,637 |
| 159 | Wheeler County | 41.04 | $13,659 | $26,776 |
| 160 | Greene County | 41.57 | $14,815 | $65,759 |
| 161 | Columbia County | 42.60 | $10,164 | $85,928 |
| 162 | Valdosta City | 43.48 | $11,358 | $35,188 |
| 163 | Lanier County | 43.58 | $11,638 | $33,956 |
| 164 | Harris County | 44.25 | $11,245 | $82,244 |
| 165 | Coweta County | 45.03 | $11,049 | $83,486 |
| 166 | Pelham City | 45.65 | $11,571 | $33,138 |
| 167 | Candler County | 46.23 | $10,639 | $36,763 |
| 168 | Chattahoochee County | 46.55 | $11,713 | $32,061 |
| 169 | Calhoun City | 50.40 | $9,447 | $39,578 |
| 170 | Dawson County | 58.78 | $14,168 | $77,630 |
| 171 | Cherokee County | 61.04 | $11,358 | $90,681 |
| 172 | Cobb County | 61.09 | $11,902 | $88,416 |
| 173 | Fulton County | 62.10 | $12,506 | $86,404 |
| 174 | Clay County | 62.23 | $24,495 | $35,893 |
| 175 | Atlanta Public Schools | 77.66 | $18,492 | $69,412 |
| 176 | Fayette County | 79.15 | $12,357 | $96,084 |
| 177 | Oconee County | 87.08 | $10,965 | $106,165 |
| 178 | Forsyth County | 109.90 | $10,321 | $120,999 |
| 179 | City Schools Of Decatur | 153.91 | $15,239 | $123,617 |
*1=Most Equitable
Methodology
In order to rank the states with the most and least equitable school districts, WalletHub first scored 12,870 school districts throughout the U.S. based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
For expenditures, for each 1 percent above the state's average we removed 1 point from a base score of 50 points for each district. For household income, for each 1 percent above the state's average we added 1 point to a base score of 50 points for each district. The inverse was true for each 1 percent below the state's average.
The final score for each district was calculated by taking the absolute difference between the score for expenditures and the score for household income. We then ranked the districts based on the total score, with the lowest value, representing the most equitable, being ranked 1.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from of the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics.
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