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Cliff-Zone Families
301,420
Total Wage Suppression
$219.4M
State Avg Cliff Zone
17.2%
The benefits cliff — sometimes called the welfare cliff or cliff effect — occurs when families lose public benefits faster than they can replace them through increased earnings. In Georgia, an estimated 301,420 families across 159 counties earn between 100–200% of the Federal Poverty Level, where benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, childcare subsidies, and housing assistance phase out. The CLIFF Index measures this exposure at the county level, including peak marginal effective tax rates, wage suppression estimates, and advancement thresholds. Click any county below for the full diagnostic report.
| CountyCounty↕ | PopulationPopulation↕ | Cliff Zone %Cliff Zone %↕ | Families AffectedFamilies↓ | Wage SuppressionWage Gap↕ | Peak METRPeak METR↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwinnett County | 979,864 | 16.8% | 29,362 | $21.4M | 435% |
| Fulton County | 1,076,561 | 13.5% | 22,513 | $16.4M | 435% |
| DeKalb County | 765,351 | 16.3% | 18,440 | $13.4M | 435% |
| Cobb County | 775,208 | 12.2% | 15,831 | $11.5M | 435% |
| Clayton County | 298,924 | 24.9% | 13,108 | $9.5M | 435% |
| Chatham County | 300,879 | 18.3% | 8,226 | $6.0M | 443% |
| Henry County | 249,960 | 15.5% | 7,202 | $5.2M | 435% |
| Hall County | 212,705 | 18.8% | 6,716 | $4.9M | 445% |
| Muscogee County | 203,711 | 20.3% | 6,196 | $4.5M | 444% |
| Richmond County | 206,069 | 20.9% | 5,920 | $4.3M | 445% |
| Cherokee County | 281,032 | 10.8% | 5,413 | $3.9M | 435% |
| Houston County | 169,649 | 17.0% | 5,264 | $3.8M | 445% |
| Paulding County | 178,909 | 12.7% | 4,390 | $3.2M | 435% |
| Bibb County | 156,578 | 19.7% | 4,144 | $3.0M | 445% |
| Douglas County | 147,888 | 17.0% | 4,035 | $2.9M | 435% |
| Newton County | 118,152 | 17.7% | 3,982 | $2.9M | 435% |
| Whitfield County | 103,598 | 20.8% | 3,955 | $2.9M | 445% |
| Lowndes County | 119,965 | 21.9% | 3,915 | $2.9M | 445% |
| Coweta County | 152,852 | 13.2% | 3,573 | $2.6M | 435% |
| Forsyth County | 267,287 | 6.7% | 3,506 | $2.6M | 435% |
| Floyd County | 99,693 | 20.6% | 3,410 | $2.5M | 445% |
| Carroll County | 124,569 | 16.3% | 3,405 | $2.5M | 435% |
| Barrow County | 89,886 | 20.7% | 3,160 | $2.3M | 435% |
| Columbia County | 162,434 | 12.9% | 3,152 | $2.3M | 445% |
| Rockdale County | 95,281 | 17.9% | 3,096 | $2.3M | 435% |
| Bartow County | 113,113 | 15.4% | 3,086 | $2.2M | 435% |
| Clarke County | 129,609 | 18.6% | 3,053 | $2.2M | 445% |
| Jackson County | 84,757 | 18.7% | 2,905 | $2.1M | 445% |
| Troup County | 70,330 | 22.1% | 2,790 | $2.0M | 445% |
| Walton County | 103,313 | 16.2% | 2,766 | $2.0M | 435% |
| Dougherty County | 83,091 | 23.2% | 2,764 | $2.0M | 445% |
| Gordon County | 59,100 | 24.8% | 2,630 | $1.9M | 444% |
| Liberty County | 67,397 | 24.8% | 2,602 | $1.9M | 445% |
| Spalding County | 68,892 | 23.0% | 2,428 | $1.8M | 435% |
| Walker County | 68,762 | 20.4% | 2,233 | $1.6M | 445% |
| Glynn County | 85,447 | 18.0% | 2,198 | $1.6M | 445% |
| Bulloch County | 82,683 | 19.7% | 2,144 | $1.6M | 445% |
| Catoosa County | 68,634 | 19.4% | 2,124 | $1.5M | 445% |
| Fayette County | 122,244 | 9.3% | 1,850 | $1.3M | 435% |
| Effingham County | 69,143 | 15.9% | 1,751 | $1.3M | 443% |
| Camden County | 56,970 | 17.9% | 1,745 | $1.3M | 445% |
| Polk County | 43,785 | 23.7% | 1,739 | $1.3M | 444% |
| Colquitt County | 46,224 | 24.6% | 1,714 | $1.2M | 444% |
| Murray County | 40,562 | 20.6% | 1,639 | $1.2M | 444% |
| Tift County | 41,438 | 24.7% | 1,535 | $1.1M | 444% |
| Thomas County | 45,777 | 18.7% | 1,417 | $1.0M | 445% |
| Coffee County | 43,347 | 22.8% | 1,379 | $1.0M | 444% |
| Laurens County | 49,798 | 18.2% | 1,306 | $951K | 444% |
| Habersham County | 47,793 | 18.4% | 1,285 | $935K | 444% |
| Baldwin County | 43,642 | 20.2% | 1,276 | $929K | 444% |
| Sumter County | 29,061 | 26.4% | 1,265 | $921K | 444% |
| Ware County | 35,976 | 24.3% | 1,151 | $838K | 444% |
| Bryan County | 48,263 | 10.5% | 1,132 | $824K | 443% |
| Madison County | 31,528 | 21.3% | 1,098 | $799K | 445% |
| Fannin County | 25,742 | 25.9% | 1,081 | $787K | 444% |
| Wayne County | 30,949 | 23.0% | 1,044 | $760K | 444% |
| Grady County | 26,108 | 24.6% | 1,008 | $734K | 444% |
| Decatur County | 29,195 | 27.3% | 1,003 | $730K | 444% |
| Lee County | 33,626 | 15.5% | 986 | $718K | 445% |
| Stephens County | 27,012 | 25.7% | 982 | $715K | 444% |
| Burke County | 24,470 | 26.4% | 966 | $703K | 445% |
| Washington County | 19,849 | 31.0% | 942 | $686K | 444% |
| Chattooga County | 25,036 | 27.8% | 941 | $685K | 444% |
| Hart County | 26,939 | 22.2% | 926 | $674K | 444% |
| Toombs County | 27,102 | 22.5% | 893 | $650K | 444% |
| Pierce County | 20,202 | 21.0% | 893 | $650K | 444% |
| Butts County | 26,496 | 20.0% | 892 | $649K | 444% |
| Franklin County | 24,234 | 24.4% | 881 | $641K | 444% |
| Ben Hill County | 17,089 | 27.3% | 872 | $635K | 444% |
| Lumpkin County | 34,505 | 17.1% | 829 | $604K | 445% |
| White County | 28,810 | 18.0% | 794 | $578K | 445% |
| Crisp County | 19,790 | 24.7% | 773 | $563K | 444% |
| Appling County | 18,493 | 26.2% | 765 | $557K | 444% |
| Pickens County | 34,951 | 14.5% | 764 | $556K | 435% |
| Berrien County | 18,352 | 26.5% | 751 | $547K | 444% |
| Dawson County | 30,242 | 14.4% | 750 | $546K | 435% |
| Gilmer County | 32,426 | 16.7% | 737 | $537K | 444% |
| Jones County | 28,673 | 16.6% | 736 | $536K | 445% |
| Meriwether County | 20,929 | 22.4% | 733 | $534K | 444% |
| Putnam County | 22,855 | 18.3% | 732 | $533K | 445% |
| Haralson County | 31,285 | 13.3% | 713 | $519K | 444% |
| Jefferson County | 15,341 | 23.4% | 707 | $515K | 444% |
| Jasper County | 15,929 | 25.7% | 701 | $510K | 435% |
| Cook County | 17,532 | 25.9% | 689 | $502K | 444% |
| Harris County | 36,086 | 11.1% | 682 | $496K | 444% |
| Jeff Davis County | 14,924 | 28.3% | 681 | $496K | 444% |
| Emanuel County | 23,026 | 19.2% | 679 | $494K | 444% |
| Upson County | 28,029 | 16.4% | 676 | $492K | 444% |
| Union County | 26,304 | 19.5% | 668 | $486K | 444% |
| Peach County | 28,560 | 15.6% | 658 | $479K | 445% |
| Dodge County | 19,805 | 24.5% | 644 | $469K | 444% |
| Long County | 18,374 | 20.1% | 633 | $461K | 445% |
| Dade County | 16,165 | 21.5% | 621 | $452K | 445% |
| Oconee County | 43,551 | 8.0% | 613 | $446K | 445% |
| Mitchell County | 21,058 | 20.0% | 612 | $446K | 444% |
| Tattnall County | 24,208 | 21.4% | 611 | $445K | 444% |
| McDuffie County | 21,718 | 18.5% | 606 | $441K | 445% |
| Elbert County | 19,849 | 18.7% | 602 | $438K | 444% |
| Worth County | 20,451 | 19.5% | 587 | $427K | 445% |
| Screven County | 14,130 | 31.5% | 584 | $425K | 444% |
| Monroe County | 29,664 | 12.0% | 554 | $403K | 445% |
| Pike County | 19,903 | 14.3% | 549 | $400K | 435% |
| Banks County | 19,264 | 16.8% | 535 | $389K | 444% |
| Bacon County | 11,109 | 21.5% | 495 | $360K | 444% |
| Lamar County | 19,571 | 20.0% | 494 | $360K | 444% |
| Morgan County | 21,078 | 13.1% | 462 | $336K | 445% |
| Greene County | 20,109 | 16.7% | 441 | $321K | 444% |
| Bleckley County | 12,430 | 21.4% | 440 | $320K | 444% |
| McIntosh County | 11,312 | 20.9% | 428 | $312K | 445% |
| Brantley County | 18,315 | 17.0% | 417 | $304K | 445% |
| Atkinson County | 8,337 | 29.6% | 412 | $300K | 444% |
| Dooly County | 10,984 | 30.8% | 403 | $293K | 444% |
| Evans County | 10,757 | 26.9% | 399 | $290K | 444% |
| Lanier County | 10,221 | 23.5% | 391 | $285K | 445% |
| Brooks County | 16,293 | 24.6% | 380 | $277K | 445% |
| Oglethorpe County | 15,509 | 16.8% | 380 | $277K | 445% |
| Macon County | 11,864 | 30.3% | 364 | $265K | 444% |
| Rabun County | 17,312 | 17.7% | 358 | $261K | 444% |
| Montgomery County | 8,640 | 20.7% | 350 | $255K | 444% |
| Early County | 10,603 | 22.8% | 347 | $253K | 444% |
| Charlton County | 12,818 | 17.9% | 334 | $243K | 444% |
| Lincoln County | 7,854 | 23.6% | 323 | $235K | 444% |
| Towns County | 12,913 | 21.9% | 315 | $229K | 444% |
| Jenkins County | 8,711 | 29.2% | 312 | $227K | 444% |
| Seminole County | 9,156 | 20.2% | 311 | $226K | 444% |
| Treutlen County | 6,376 | 28.1% | 299 | $218K | 444% |
| Telfair County | 11,831 | 29.7% | 291 | $212K | 444% |
| Turner County | 8,939 | 29.0% | 291 | $212K | 444% |
| Candler County | 11,043 | 22.1% | 289 | $210K | 444% |
| Randolph County | 6,196 | 29.8% | 286 | $208K | 444% |
| Wilkes County | 9,549 | 24.3% | 269 | $196K | 444% |
| Irwin County | 9,285 | 21.2% | 264 | $192K | 444% |
| Crawford County | 12,225 | 17.7% | 258 | $188K | 445% |
| Marion County | 7,509 | 20.0% | 255 | $186K | 444% |
| Heard County | 11,773 | 17.0% | 253 | $184K | 435% |
| Terrell County | 8,850 | 14.2% | 246 | $179K | 445% |
| Pulaski County | 9,939 | 21.4% | 244 | $178K | 444% |
| Chattahoochee County | 8,887 | 25.4% | 242 | $176K | 444% |
| Wilkinson County | 8,747 | 23.8% | 236 | $172K | 444% |
| Hancock County | 8,650 | 23.9% | 229 | $167K | 444% |
| Warren County | 5,170 | 26.3% | 224 | $163K | 444% |
| Johnson County | 9,190 | 21.0% | 215 | $157K | 444% |
| Taylor County | 7,786 | 21.7% | 210 | $153K | 444% |
| Wilcox County | 8,798 | 23.0% | 207 | $151K | 444% |
| Clinch County | 6,759 | 21.8% | 207 | $151K | 444% |
| Talbot County | 5,742 | 22.5% | 202 | $147K | 444% |
| Schley County | 4,513 | 28.1% | 199 | $145K | 444% |
| Wheeler County | 7,335 | 27.4% | 153 | $111K | 444% |
| Miller County | 5,850 | 15.3% | 142 | $103K | 444% |
| Echols County | 3,709 | 26.1% | 136 | $99K | 445% |
| Baker County | 2,790 | 29.4% | 135 | $98K | 444% |
| Glascock County | 2,932 | 33.9% | 134 | $98K | 444% |
| Calhoun County | 5,498 | 29.2% | 127 | $92K | 444% |
| Twiggs County | 7,803 | 18.7% | 119 | $87K | 445% |
| Stewart County | 4,869 | 20.7% | 71 | $52K | 444% |
| Taliaferro County | 1,558 | 24.1% | 63 | $46K | 444% |
| Webster County | 2,381 | 25.5% | 58 | $42K | 444% |
| Clay County | 2,850 | 21.1% | 56 | $41K | 444% |
| Quitman County | 2,264 | 36.8% | 56 | $41K | 444% |
159 of 159 counties shown. Click any county for full diagnostic.