Quality of Life

Education | Healthcare | Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | Health | Climate

Hart County has approximately 25,000 residents, we enjoy a quality of life that is second to none. Our community's citizens enjoy a wonderful balance derived from tourism on beautiful Lake Hartwell, agriculture, and vibrant commercial and industrial growth. Hart County is a truly global community, with a local, small-town feel.

Within our region, we enjoy a significant international industrial presence with companies from the U.K, Belgium, and Germany in addition to our USA-based companies, and an abundant diversity of highly successful entrepreneurs. Hart County's wonderful balance and diverse business climate makes our location a wonderful place to live and conduct business.

Once you come to Hart County, “You’ll Never Want to Leave” www.hart-chamber.org.

EDUCATION
High quality education opportunities abound in Hart County for students at all levels. With 6 public schools, 244 teachers and 3,497 students, the student/teacher ratio is approximately 15:1. Classes for adults are offered at the Hart County Family Learning Center, Athens Technical College (18 miles), and North Georgia Technical College (18 miles). Many accredited and nationally recognized colleges and universities are a short commute from Hartwell's City Center: Emmanuel College (20 miles) with 850 students, Clemson University, SC (43 miles) with 16,876 students, and University of Georgia with 30,000+ students (45 miles). These institutions guarantee a wealth of brain-power available for local businesses.

HEALTHCARE
St Mary's Healthcare System St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia, Georgia, is proud to serve the people of Franklin, Hart, Stephens and beyond by providing mission-driven, high-quality healthcare. We offer a wide range of services including surgical services, a mother/baby unit, critical care, and 24/7 emergency care. In partnership with our wonderful medical staff, we are able to bring you specialty services close to home. Plus, being part of St. Mary's Health Care System, we can provide you with access to even higher levels of care when needed.

ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION

Arts & Entertainment – The Hart County Community Theater and a newly constructed 700-seat Performing Arts Center provide outstanding entertainment year-round. The Art Center, located at 338 E. Howell St. in Hartwell showcases work produced by local artists. For a fun night out, Hartwell's historic downtown offers a wide variety of locally-owned restaurants and entertainment options.

Lake Hartwell -- Hart County sits on the shores on the 3rd largest manmade lake in the eastern United States. Lake Hartwell boasts more than 962 miles (1,548 km) of shoreline and is located in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains. With its many parks, camp sites, marinas, and boat ramps, Lake Hartwell can be reached within minutes from virtually any spot in Hart County. Annual events on the lake include: Hartwell Antique Boat Festival, Challenge of the Centuries Bicycle Ride, Pre-4th of July Extravaganza, The Lake Hartwell Dam Run, and many more.

Cateechee Golf Club & Waterfall Grille – Cateechee opened for play in 1999 and was immediately named one of the nation's best new public-access courses. Golf Digest named it the sixth best "affordable public course" in the magazine's annual ranking of America's Best New Courses, and was recently named a “Four Star” destination. Cateechee Golf Course also belongs to the elite few Audubon Signature Courses in North America. The Waterfall Grille Restaurant provides world class cuisine in an elegant but informal setting. This venue is ideal for business meetings or entertaining important visitors. A limited number of VIP Suites are available at the course. www.cateechee.com

Hart County’s Recreation Department – provides access to four baseball fields, one multipurpose field, two large picnic shelters with attached playgrounds, three sets of tennis courts, two outdoor basketball goals, and outdoor batting cages. www.hartcountyga.org/recreation.htm

Hart State Park is located three miles north of Hartwell off U.S. 29. The park has 76 tent and trailer sites as well as two cottages on its 147 acres. The park hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a $2 park pass fee. For information regarding events, call (706) 376-8756.

HEALTH

Hart County, GA Health Index
Air quality in Hart County, GA is 76 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). This is based on ozone alert days and number of pollutants in the air, as reported by the EPA. Water quality in Hart County, GA is 101 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). Superfund index is 98 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). These numbers show that Hart County has one of the cleanest local environments in not only Georgia, but the United States.



CLIMATE
Hart County, GA, gets 50 inches of rain per year. The US average is 37. Snowfall is 2 inches. The average US city gets 25 inches of snow per year. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 93. On average, there are 218 sunny days per year in Hart County, GA. The July high is around 91 degrees and the January low is 33. Our comfort index, which is based on humidity during the hot months, is a 36 out of 100, where higher is more comfortable. See the chart below to see how Hart County's weather differs from the rest of the United States.