Gilmer County, GA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Gilmer County

Gilmer County Schools is a small rural district serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve across five schools in northern Georgia. The enrollment is distributed fairly evenly across grades, with slightly larger cohorts in the elementary years. The student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population making up roughly a third of students. Students of Asian descent and other groups comprise smaller shares. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about the extent of economic need among families.

Academic performance across the district shows room for growth. In mathematics, proficiency varies by grade. Third and fifth graders show lower performance, while middle school gains strength, with eighth grade reaching above the midpoint of tested students. English language arts proficiency sits below mathematics across most grades, with third grade particularly low and mid-elementary grades showing modest results. Fifth and sixth graders do somewhat better. Science proficiency in fifth and eighth grades is in the low-to-mid range, and eighth-grade social studies performance, the strongest tested area, still reaches just above midpoint. The pattern suggests a district where elementary foundations in literacy and numeracy are areas of focus, and where middle school instruction shows relative strength. A parent may want to look into what the district is doing in eighth grade that appears to be working, and what supports exist for younger learners.

The district covers a rural county in the foothills of north Georgia. Housing values in the area are moderate, with homes valued in the low-to-mid range regionally. Median household income in the county sits near the national average. The labor market has held relatively steady, with unemployment rates stable. The cost of homeownership relative to household income is below the national median, making the area somewhat more affordable than many parts of the country, though mortgage rates have remained elevated in recent months.

A significant change is underway for the district. Voters approved a sales tax measure to fund a new Ellijay Elementary School to replace the current Ellijay Primary School, alongside a new performing and fine arts center, technology upgrades, and safety equipment. Construction on the new elementary school has now begun. This reflects a public commitment to infrastructure and is funded through sales tax rather than property tax, a structure that spreads cost differently across the community. For families in the Ellijay attendance area, a modern facility is coming; for the broader district, the arts center expands program access.

The district operates Gilmer High School, Clear Creek Middle School, Clear Creek Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, and Ellijay Elementary, with Ellijay being the subject of the new construction. This small-district structure means fewer school options but closer-knit communities within each building.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,110

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 34%

Black 0%

White 63%

Asian 1%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

5 schools are officially reported under this district.

Gilmer High School

Ellijay Elementary School

Mountain View Elementary

Clear Creek Middle School

Clear Creek Elementary School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

41%

Grade 3

49%

Grade 4

40%

Grade 5

43%

Grade 6

52%

Grade 7

60%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

31%

Grade 3

38%

Grade 4

42%

Grade 5

44%

Grade 6

39%

Grade 7

41%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

40%

Grade 5

46%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

53%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$426,208

Year-over-year change-0.5%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$380K to $518K

vs. state typical1.28x

vs. national typical1.16x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
30540	Ellijay	$405K	-0.9%	46.1%
30536	Ellijay	$447K	-0.0%	35.4%
30175	Talking Rock	$380K	+0.5%	8.8%
30522	Cherrylog	$490K	-1.9%	8.0%
30513	Blue Ridge	$518K	-0.2%	1.7%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,151/mo

Home price / national median income5.1x

Comparison

State typical home value$333,559 (-1.2% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.