Macon, Georgia, United States

🇺🇸 Macon, officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Macon lies near the state's geographic centre — hence the city's nickname, "The Heart of Georgia".

Macon is the principal city of the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Macon is also the largest city in the Macon-Warner Robins Combined Statistical Area (CSA), a larger trading area; the CSA abuts the Atlanta metropolitan area just to the north.

In a 2012 referendum, voters approved the consolidation of the governments of the City of Macon and Bibb County, thereby making Macon Georgia's fourth-largest city (just after Augusta). The two governments officially merged on January 1, 2014.

Macon is served by three interstate highways: I-16 (connecting the city to Savannah and coastal Georgia), I-75 (connecting the city with Atlanta to the north and Valdosta to the south), and I-475 (a city bypass highway).

The city has several institutions of higher education, as well as numerous museums and tourism sites. The area is served by Middle Georgia Regional Airport and Herbert Smart Downtown Airport.

Economy According to the 2010 Census, the median household income in the city was $28,366, as compared with the state average of $49,347. The median family income was $37,268. Full-time working males had a median income of $34,163 versus $28,082 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,010. About 24.1% of families and 30.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.6% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those over 65.

Retail Malls include The Shoppes at River Crossing, Macon Mall, and Eisenhower Crossing. Traditional shopping centres are in the downtown area and Ingleside Village.

Military Robins Air Force Base, the largest single-site industrial complex in the state of Georgia, is just 10 miles south of Macon on Highway 247 next to the city of Warner Robins.

The headquarters of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard is located in Macon.

Colleges and universities Approximately 30,000 college students live in the greater Macon area. • Central Georgia Technical College • Mercer University • Middle Georgia State University • Miller-Motte Technical College - satellite campus • Wesleyan College.