Voted one of the "Top 10 Places to Retire"

    as part of Georgia's Lake Country 

by Retire in Georgia Magazine!

Weather/Climate

Baldwin County is fortunate to celebrate all four seasons with an explosion of blooms in the Spring and the changing colors of our many oak trees, dogwoods, poplars, and fruit trees in the Fall. According to the weatherchannel.com, the average low temperature occurs in January (31^oF) and the average high temperature occurs in July (93^oF).  Average rainfall is 3.88 days of rain each month.

Tourism Assets

Natural Amenities

Lake Sinclair, the Oconee River, Lockerly Arboretum, Bartram Forests, Andalusia, the  Oconee River Greenway and Riverwalk, and Olive Forge Herb Farm

Downtown viability 

Arts and Culture:

Allied Arts:  Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Heritage Arts, Literary Arts, and Art  Education

Milledgeville's Museum District:  Blackbridge Hall Art Gallery;  GCSU's Natural      History Museum;The Museum at GCSU/Flannery O'Connor Room;  Brown-Stetson- Sanford House; Georgia's Old Capital  Museum; The Old Governor's Mansion; and the  John Marlor Art Center & Allen's Market Building

Theatre:  The Milledgeville Players, GCSU Town and Gown Series, GMC Theatre Productions, and Tales from the Back Stoop

 Shopping:  Downtown Milledgeville is home to several locally owned specialty stores including Grant's Jewelry Store, Harolds Ladies Ready to Wear and tuxedo rentals,  antique stores (Antebellum Attic, Antebellum Attic Two, and Old Capitol Treasures), Baynes Army Store, Villane's, Red Door, Charmed Day Spa and Cosmetics, The Gallery (art supplies), Ace   Hardware, Wyndham-Quin Art Galleryand Ryal's Bakery (baked goods and decorating supplies).

Dining:  From Southern Style Home Cooking to Italian or Chinese, Milledgeville has something to tempt every pallet: Amici's Café, Blackbird Coffee, The Brick, Buffington's, Kuroshima , Deano's Pizza, 119 Chops, Puebla's Mexican Restaurant, Pig In A Pit Barbecue, Barberitos, Scoops, Tara's Tea Thyme, and the Velvet Elvis.

Development trends:  Milledgeville has seen a steady growth pattern throughout the County. Many of our existing Industries have expanded and added jobs and we have seen an influx of new smaller businesses opening. Due to the popularity of Lake Sinclair the County has seen many people retiring or relocating to Baldwin County. As a result of this   influx of new people, the downtown business district has seen many new shops open and a renewed interest in the downtown area. The Historic District has completed Phase I of a five Phase Project to revitalize the district, adding green space, new lighting and benches all to enhance ones experience downtown. You can feel an energy in the air in Baldwin County that great things are happening and about to happen.

The opening of the Oconee River Greenway and Riverwalk links the shopping and dining  opportunities of downtown Milledgeville to the recreational and educational benefits of   the Oconee River.  The Oconee River Greenway and Riverwalk recently opened Phase I, which includes 1.5 miles of paved multi-use trails, a boat ramp, fishing and viewing overlooks, and picnic areas.  Construction of Phase II, which will extend the park north, will begin early next year.

State and Local Parks:  Lockerly Arboretum, Heritage Memorial Park, the Oconee River        Greenway and Riverwalk, Walter B. Williams Park,  Rock Creek Park on Lake Sinclair,   Little River Park Marina and Campground, Central Park, and Bartram Forest.

Location proximity:  Macon:  30 miles; Athens:  80 miles; Augusta:  90 miles; Atlanta:  100 miles; Savannah:  170 miles; North Georgia Mountains:  100 miles

There are several local transportation opportunities to reach the Macon and Atlanta airports.

Visitation statistics:  The numbers thus far in 2008 from the Convention and Visitors Bureau: 2014 visitors have signed the registration book at the CVB, the CVB has sponsored 266 group tours, local fishing tournaments had 22,272 participants, Andalusia had 1976 visitors, various recreational tournament had 9750 visitors, 761 walk-ins, Georgia College and State University camps and conferences brought it 40,352 participants, the Old Governor's Mansion had 3367 visitors, South Creek Mud Boggin brought 1493 visitors,  the Old Capital Museum had 82,251visitors. 

Events and Festivals include: Deep Roots Festival, Christmas Parade, Milledgeville MarketPlace, Expo and Taste of Milledgeville and The Special Olympics.    

Lodging infrastructure and descriptions:  Whether you prefer to stay in a quaint B & B or a National chain hotel, Milledgeville can provide you with a restful night sleep.  Antebellum Inn Bed and Breakfast - A newly restored c.1890 Greek Revival home in historic Milledgeville, Georgia.  A gourmet breakfast is served after a good night's sleep.

Franchises:  Comfort Suites, Days Inn, Econo Lodge, Holiday Inn Express, Quality Inn, Super 8 Motel and Hampton Inn

Proximity to historical and cultural amenities

Jarrell Plantation, Gray, GA --- 20 miles

Ocmulgee National Monument, Macon, GA --- 30 miles

Tubman Museum of African American History, Macon, GA

Sports Hall of Fame, Macon, GA

Hay House, Macon, GA

 Uncle Remus Museum, Eatonton, GA --- 15 miles

 Milledgeville and Baldwin County are part of Georgia's Antebellum Trail.

Stand- out dining establishments:  In addition to the fantastic restaurants in downtown Milledgeville, there are many outstanding dining opportunities throughout Baldwin County:  Sylvia's (Upscale Italian), Little Tokyo (Sushi and Hibachi), Lieu's Peking (Upscale Chinese), Kai Thai (Thai), Choby's (Prime Rib, Catfish, Piano Bar), Bo Jo's (Surf and Turf) and The Pickle Barrel (all-American food).

Proximity to lakes, oceans, mountains:  Baldwin County is home to Lake Sinclair and the Oconee River.  There are many sandy beaches along the Oconee River as well as along the banks of Lake Sinclair.  However, for the ocean lovers, the beaches of Savannah are a mere three hours away. And you can be in the North Georgia Mountains within two hours.

Community appearance:  Milledgeville has retained the charm of a small town with a vibrant   downtown. Because of the two Colleges located in the Historic District we have the cultural and performing arts and with Lake Sinclair, the Bartram Forest and the Oconee River we have an abundance of outdoor recreation.

Baldwin County has initiated a "Keep Milledgeville Beautiful" program to compliment  the "Keep America Beautiful" program. For two years in a row we worked within the guidelines of the America in Bloom organization to have Milledgeville recognized as a Community interested in the overall aesthetics of its County.

 Baldwin County has several recycling centers and is actively pursuing ways to improve its recycling program.  Many clubs and civic organizations work together in the adopt-a-highway program.  The city, county, and state work together to keep Milledgeville and Baldwin County clean and beautiful.

Milledgeville and Baldwin County have seventeen buildings on The National Register of Historic Places:  Andalusia; Atkinson Hall; Barrowville; Boykin Hall; Central Building, State Lunatic Asylum; Devereux--Coleman House; Fort--Hammond--Willis House; Fowler Apartments; Old Governor's Mansion; Old State Capitol; Old State Prison Building; Rockwell, Samuel, House;   Roe-Harper House; Rutherford, John, House; Storehouse, State Lunatic Asylum; Thalian Hall; and Woodville.

Technology Infrastructure

Are there any public areas/zones with local or wide area internet access?  If so, where and are they free or fee-based?  Currently, some locations in downtown Milledgeville offer free wi-fi, but most do not.  GCSU also offers a wi-fi campus, but users must have a login and  password to access it.  In 2007, Milledgeville received an $800,000 grant from the Georgia           Technology Authority to install infrastructure for wireless Internet access in Milledgeville. The infrastructure for this access will be in place by September of 2008.

What types of availability for high speed access are there for residences (i.e. cable, satellite)? Charter cable service offers high-speed Internet access in addition to TV and phone service.  Windstream also offers high-speed Internet access.  There is also dishNetwork service in Milledgeville.

Cost of Living

According to Sperling's http://www.bestplaces.net/, compared to the rest of the country, Baldwin County's cost of living is 17.02% lower than the U.S. average.  Food, utilities,     and miscellaneous are equivalent to the national average; health and transportation are     93% of the national average, and housing is 53% of the national average (i.e. 47% lower than the national average!).       

What is the overall "tax impact" for "seniors"?  Include personal property, sales, schools, etc. if applicable?  These taxes are equivalent.

There are local tax exemptions for seniors.  There is a $10K exemption on state taxes, and an $8K exemption on local government taxes.  There is also an exemption for senior homes with a total household income of less than $16K per year.  Anyone who is 65 years of age   or older for the entire year of taxes are eligible for homestead exemption from Baldwin County ad valorem taxes for county purposes in an amount equal to the amount by which the current year assessed value of a homestead exceeds the base year assessed value of such homestead for residents of that county.

Healthcare Infrastructure

A number of services offered by Oconee Regional Medical Center (ORMC) are especially  important to senior citizens.  Among these are the many diagnostic services that are offered; Non-Emergency transportation, for those that need to reach doctor appointments;  rehabilitation services (physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy) ; an accredited Sleep Evaluation Center; and an Emergency Treatment Center which gives access to care on a 24-hour basis.  The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Department helps those who have had a heart attack return to normal activity.  The Cancer Treatment Center       allows cancer patients to receive their treatments without leaving Milledgeville, since both radiation and chemotherapy treatments are available. 

The hospital has an active diabetes support group and has recently begun a monthly series  on various health related topics, which is called "To Your Health".  There is also a large senior volunteer base at the hospital.  These volunteers work in the gift shop, front desk, or other designated departments. 

Are any of these facilities state or nationally recognized? If so, which facilities and what are their recognitions?  In 2003, ORMC was named one of the top hospitals in the nation for pulmonary care.  In addition, ORMC recently received five-star ratings for clinical  excellence in the following categories:
                            · Respiratory Failure
                            · Partial Hip Replacement
                            · Sepsis (a potentially life-threatening type of inflammatory syndrome caused from an infection). These  ratings were released by, HealthGrades, following a  comprehensive study of in-hospital mortality (survival) data from 2003-2005.

There are 235 physicians per capita in Baldwin County, GA.

Housing

The Cottages at Woodland Terrace is a retirement community that offers 1 & 2 bedroom cottages. It is a gated community with most utilities, maintenance, and washer/dryer included. Tenants can order meals and pets are allowed. Dogwood Retirement and Pecan Hills are two other senior housing communities where rent is income-based. 

There are many homes available in Baldwin County and around Lake Sinclair that would suit the 50+ market.  The cost of these homes starts around $150K.

There are no resort-type developments, but there are many second home options targeted to  this particular age market on Lake Sinclair.  Quay Fuller of RE/MAX and Vincent   Maiello of Caldwell Banker are the two SRES real estate agents in Baldwin County.

Population Dynamics

U. S. Census migration data for the period 1995-2000 indicated the region including Baldwin County had one of the highest net immigration levels in the  state with an increase of 1474 persons aged 60 and older. 

What is the age composition of your community?  16.0% under the age of 18, 20.9% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who are 65 years of  age or older.  In 2006, the age 55-74 households in Baldwin County numbered in the range of 2,501 and 5,000.  This number is expected to increase by at least 20% in 2011.

Community Commitment

Volunteer opportunities for active adults are numerous including national organizations    such as Goodwill; American Red Cross; FMCA Chapter:  Habitat for Humanity  Milledgeville, Baldwin Co. Affiliate;  Boys and Girls Club; Big Brothers and Sisters; Kiwanis; Salvation Army; Meals on Wheels; United Way; AARP; and Rotary, as well as  many faith based programs associated with the local churches and synagogues.  In  addition, the Oconee Regional Medical Center and the Central State Hospital seek adult       volunteers for range of activities that can include clerical, assisting with Arts and Crafts,  Garden Therapy, companions to visit and interact with patients.            

There is also Experience Works which is a Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).  Through this program, seniors age 55 and older benefit from training,  counseling, and community service assignments at faith-based and community organizations in their communities; prior to transitioning into the workforce. Other senior citizen opportunities include:   Elderhostel, a program that is open to the community  through Georgia College & State University with scholarships available; Learning in Retirement,  Georgia College & State University Institute for Learning in Retirement is dedicated to meeting the intellectual and cultural needs and interests of its members;  The Older Americans Council of Baldwin County is a private non-profit organization composed of concerned citizens to provide community-based services to meet the needs of older residents;  Baldwin County Senior Citizens Center which is open 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, includes breakfast and lunch along with recreational activities; and  Council on Aging.

"Hands on Milledgeville" is a central location for all citizens of Baldwin County to connect with the type of project on which they would like to volunteer.