Despite this loss of outside recognition, wealthy residents continued to support their hamlet of Thomasville, and today, much of the local economy is once again based on attracting visitors, primarily people seeking an old-fashioned Southern experience.   More than seventy antebellum plantations, lush with vegetation and thick with wildlife, stretch across nearly 300,000 acres within a 35 mile radius of town, and one or two are open for tours (the majority are privately owned and not open to the public).  This is actually the largest concentration of plantations in the country.   Thomasville also has one of Georgia's best restored downtowns, a section that boasts brick-paved streets, colorful Victorian storefronts, clean sidewalks, delightful shops, art galleries, antique shops, tasty restaurants and free parking.   In fact, in 1998 and 1999, Thomasville was named a "Great American Main Street" city.   Of the population, 22% is age 45 to 64, and 16% is age 65 or better.    The median age is 36, slightly above the national median.

There are a few apartment complexes, but rentals are not plentiful.   The average rent per month for a one-bedroom unit is about $485 and about $590 for a two-bedroom unit.   A few private residences are also for rent, with prices from around $350 per month (trailer on private land) and topping out at around $1,500.  The median rent for a single family home is approximately $850.

This is an interactive map.  Click on the arrows in the upper left hand corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and click (more than once if necessary) on the +/- signs to zoom in and out.

Property taxes are charged at a rate of roughly $20 per $1,000 in value, and homes are assessed at 40% of market value.   The annual tax on a $130,000 home would is approximately $1,040.   Social Security is exempt from state income taxes.   Residents who are age 62 or better receive a tax exemption on the first $4,000 of earned income.    The state income tax rate is 6%, as is the city sales tax rate. 

Thomasville has been named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the "12 best preserved and unique cities in the United States," and many of its businesses, including a soda fountain and a drugstore, are original and date from the early-1800s.   Anyone with a love of Civil War-era history will appreciate the grand homes, including the stately 1885 Queen Anne Lapham-Patterson House, which was built without any right angles.   The 40-acre Coalson Plantation, now a sumptuous inn, and the 3,000-acre Pebble Hill Plantation, built by a young Thomas Jefferson, are great fun and take visitors back to a simpler time.   And in the middle of town, another testament to an earlier era is the Big Oak, a 322 year-old tree with a limb span wider than Niagara Falls and the oldest tree of its kind east of the Mississippi.

The Thomas County Public Library has 75,000 books and computers with internet access.    Thomas University (800 students) is a private, four-year university that offers undergraduate and graduate level courses and has a volunteer program for mentoring students.  Southwest Georgia Technical College, a community college, is also here.  Shopping is primarily the boutique and antique kind (in fact, antique shops, auctions and warehouses are a particular highlight), but there is also a J.C. Penny's and a Wal-Mart.     The nearest major shopping mall is, however, 35 miles away in Tallahassee.  

There are public 22 parks, and Thomasville maintains a clean, well-kept urban recreation system, including the 18-hole, public Country Oaks Golf Course.  Arven Country Club Golf Course, which was founded in 1896, is a private course.  Tallahassee has another eight golf courses.   Florida's beaches are 90 minutes away.   Thomasville has a regional airport, but the nearest major airport, Jackson International Airport, is 140 miles away in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Southwest Georgia Council on Aging coordinates services for people age 60 or better in this part of the country.  These services include homemaker assistance, legal and tax assistance, understanding Medicare and Medicaid assistance, wellness programs the RSVP program, meals on wheels and health fairs.  SWGCA also manages the Scott Senior Center and provides congregate meals, social activities and trips and outings.  Hands on Thomas County is a program through which to find volunteer opportunities.

The elevation here is 280 feet, and the climate is considered humid subtropical.  Summers are hot and humid (some might call them stifling), with temperatures in the 80s and 90s, and winters are mild, with temperatures in the 40s, 50s and 60s.  On the comfort index (a combination of temperature and humidity), Thomasville rates a 27, about half of the national average.   The sun shines 230 days of the year, and both water quality and air quality levels exceed national averages. 

As does every town or city, Thomasville has some drawbacks.  There is no public transportation, and the overall crime rate is higher than the national average, although the majority of crime is comprised of thefts.    Integrating into the social scene takes some time and effort because many families have roots going back to before the Civil War and are somewhat hesitant to welcome newcomers.   The poverty rate is above the national average, and there are some parts of town best avoided.  The tornado risk is 70% higher than the rest of the country (a category 3 tornado struck 15 miles away in 2000 and killed 16 people).

Despite these negatives, Thomasville entices with its quiet charm, romantic aura and quintessential Southern lifestyle.  The days of horse-drawn carriages and hoop skirts may be gone, but gracious manners, elegant homes and majestic oak trees are alive and well in this historic hamlet.  It is no wonder that Thomasville retirees consider themselves lucky indeed.

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