24/7 Wall St. Insights

• With nearly 2.6 million people on payroll, the Department of Defense is one of the largest employers in the world. 
• While DOD employees, including civilians and active-duty service members, are spread across the 50 states, a disproportionate share of defense workers are concentrated in a handful of Georgia communities.
• Also: Discover the next Nvidia

Headquartered at the Pentagon, the Department of Defense employs nearly 2.6 million people and has an annual budget of more than $870 billion — making it the largest — and one of the best funded — agencies in the federal government.

Thousands of DOD employees, including both civilians and active-duty service members, are stationed in each of the 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C. — and while the DOD’s nerve center may be in northern Virginia, one state farther south has emerged as a hub for the U.S. military.

According to Defense Spending by State, a recent report from the DOD, approximately 125,700 national defense personnel were stationed in Georgia in fiscal 2023 — more than in all but five other states. The largest share of department employees in the state — 51.3% — are active-duty troops. An additional 27.4% are civilian employees, 11.0% are guards men and women, and 10.2% are reservists. (Here is a look at the states with the most armed forces personnel.)

The largest DOD service branches in the state by total employment, including civilians and reservists, are the Army with about 76,200 employees, followed by the Air or Space Force with a total of 29,500 personnel. The Navy and Marine Corps also have about 31,000 people in the state on payroll, and another 3,900 Georgia residents work in other areas of national defense.

Just as Georgia stands out as a critical state for the U.S. military, there are certain parts of the state where the DOD’s presence is especially concentrated. Due in part to major military installations in the state — including Fort Moore, formerly Fort Benning, and Robins Air Force Base — there are multiple counties in Georgia that are each home to several thousand Defense Department employees. In one Georgia county, the DOD has more personnel than in all of Montana, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wyoming combined — and spent nearly $1.3 billion on payroll alone in fiscal 2023. (Here is a look at the newest American military bases.)

These are the nine counties in Georgia with the most military and civilian Defense Department personnel. All data in this story was compiled by the DOD and is current as of fiscal 2023. Counties for which personnel data was not disclosed were excluded from analysis.

Why it Matters

A significant share of the Pentagon’s budget goes to payroll for the 2.6 million American men and women who work for the national defense. In fiscal 2023 alone, the Department of Defense spent over $167.4 billion on employee salaries and wages. While this money is spread across the 50 states, it has an outsized impact in places that have emerged as hubs for U.S. military operations.

9. Dougherty County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 2,266 (1.8% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 316 (0.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 109 (0.8% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 97 (0.8% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 1,744 (5.1% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $165,196,854 (2.2% of DOD payroll statewide)

8. Clayton County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 3,280 (2.6% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 50 (0.1% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 403 (2.9% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 2,314 (18.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 513 (1.5% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $138,351,093 (1.8% of DOD payroll statewide)

7. Lowndes County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 5,045 (4.0% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 4,197 (6.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 69 (0.5% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 254 (2.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 525 (1.5% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $312,449,903 (4.1% of DOD payroll statewide)

6. Chatham County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 7,343 (5.8% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 4,223 (6.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 1,568 (11.3% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 414 (3.2% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 1,138 (3.3% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $454,322,881 (6.0% of DOD payroll statewide)

5. Cobb County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 7,483 (6.0% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 310 (0.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 2,690 (19.4% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 3,270 (25.4% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 1,213 (3.5% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $312,179,551 (4.1% of DOD payroll statewide)

4. Richmond County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 16,138 (12.8% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 10,719 (16.6% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 542 (3.9% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 1,475 (11.5% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 3,402 (9.9% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $1,098,935,431 (14.6% of DOD payroll statewide)

3. Liberty County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 18,576 (14.8% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 15,436 (23.9% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 545 (3.9% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 131 (1.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 2,464 (7.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $1,191,864,872 (15.8% of DOD payroll statewide)

2. Houston County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 19,987 (15.9% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 2,611 (4.0% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 1,141 (8.2% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 1,363 (10.6% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 14,872 (43.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $1,520,079,887 (20.2% of DOD payroll statewide)

1. Muscogee County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 26,046 (20.7% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 20,514 (31.8% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 550 (4.0% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 795 (6.2% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 4,187 (12.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $1,284,467,483 (17.0% of DOD payroll statewide)

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.