Gray, Georgia

Gray is a city in Jones County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,436 at the 2020 census,^[4] up from 3,276 at the 2010 census. In 2025, its population was estimated at 3,555. The city is the county seat of Jones County.^[5] It is part of the Macon metropolitan area.

Gray, Georgia
City
Flag Seal
Motto:  Home of the annual Daylily Festival
Location in Jones County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°00′31″N 83°32′03″W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Jones
Area [1]
• Total	3.95 sq mi (10.22 km2)
• Land	3.94 sq mi (10.20 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	603 ft (183 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,436
• Density	872.75/sq mi (336.93/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	31032
Area code	478
FIPS code	13-34512[2]
GNIS feature ID	0327996[3]
Website	grayga.us

History

Gray was founded in 1851 and named for local wealthy cotton planter and landowner James M. Gray.^[6] In 1905, the seat of Jones County was transferred to Gray and in 1911 it was incorporated as a town.^[7]

Geography

Gray is located in central Jones County at 33°00′31″N 83°32′03″W.^[8] U.S. Route 129 passes through the center of town, leading northeast 25 miles (40 km) to Eatonton and southwest 14 miles (23 km) to Macon. Monticello is 25 miles (40 km) to the northwest via State Route 11, Milledgeville is 19 miles (31 km) to the east via State Route 22, and Gordon is 15 miles (24 km) to the southeast via State Route 18.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Gray has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²), or 0.34%, are water.^[4] Gray is drained to the west by tributaries of Walnut Creek, flowing to the Ocmulgee River, and to the east by tributaries of Commissioner Creek, flowing to the Oconee River.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	559		—
1930	653		16.8%
1940	698		6.9%
1950	866		24.1%
1960	1,320		52.4%
1970	2,014		52.6%
1980	2,145		6.5%
1990	2,189		2.1%
2000	1,811		−17.3%
2010	3,276		80.9%
2020	3,436		4.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

Gray racial composition as of 2020^[10]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	2,300	66.94%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	927	26.98%
Native American	8	0.23%
Asian	18	0.52%
Pacific Islander	1	0.03%
Other/Mixed	114	3.32%
Hispanic or Latino	68	1.98%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,436 people, 1,219 households, and 798 families residing in the city.

Education

Jones County School District

The Jones County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.^[11] As of 2025, the district had approximately 350 full-time teachers and over 4,994 students.^[12]

• Dames Ferry Elementary School
• Turnerwoods Elementary School
• Gray Elementary School
• Mattie Wells Elementary School
• Gray Station Middle School
• Clifton Ridge Middle School
• Jones County High School