ATKINSON COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - Study shows that Atkinson County leads Georgia in teen birth rate drops in over 5 years.

BadCredit.org conducted a study of five years of teen birth data to identify which counties in America have the highest and lowest rates of teen births over this time period.

The study found that, overall, the number of teen births across the whole country has dropped by 6 births per 1,000 people over five years, which shows that health messaging is getting through. And the county that shows the biggest decline in teen births is Brooks.

That’s a decrease from 88 births per 1,000 in 2020 to 52 in 2024, suggesting highly effective interventions, such as comprehensive sex education and access to contraceptive methods.

The top 10 counties in Georgia are:

1. Atkinson: - 23%
2. Calhoun: - 20%
3. Terrell: - 20%
4. Dodge: - 18%
5. Jeff Davis: - 18%
6. Appling: - 17%
7. Decatur: - 17%
8. Emanuel: -17%
9. Quitman: -17%
10. Clinch: - 16%

The state of Georgia itself experienced a drop of 6% in teen births over 5 years, in 22nd place overall, when compared with other states.

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