Chattooga County is facing ongoing economic difficulties, remaining low on the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) 2025 county rankings. This annual assessment reviews each county’s economic health and affects their eligibility for important tax incentives meant to boost industrial growth in struggling areas. For more than ten years, Chattooga County has been in the lowest tier, with high unemployment, low per capita income, and high poverty rates. Although there was a slight ranking improvement three years ago, the new data shows no change in 2024 or 2025, placing Chattooga in 17th out of 159 counties. A rank of 1 is the most economically distressed, while 159 is the most prosperous. The DCA rankings are critical for distributing tax breaks to attract businesses. Neighboring counties ranked better in 2025, highlighting the need for targeted economic strategies in Chattooga. The county aims to use its Tier 1 status to attract businesses, create jobs, and improve residents’ economic conditions. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) annually ranks all 159 Georgia counties using this data to determine job tax credit tiers and identify less developed census tracts and military zones, which have incentives to encourage development.  There are currently 71 counties in the state with a Tier 1 ranking.