In 1908 Statesboro was the world leader in the sale of long-staple Sea Island cotton. The city has utilized and benefited from Savannah’s deep-water port. However, in the 1930s, local farmers shifted to tobacco to recover from the Great Depression. By 1953, more than 20 million pounds of tobacco were passing through warehouses in Statesboro. Statesboro thus became the largest market in the “bright Tobacco Belt” spanning Georgia and Florida.
With an estimated population size of 31,419, Statesboro is home to multiple manufacturing & warehouse facilities including those of Midsouth Mechanical. The economy includes a diversity of education, manufacturing, and agribusiness sectors, and so Statesboro is considered a regional economic hub. The city was selected in the top 3 in the National America’s Best Communities competition. Georgia Municipal Association has also classified Statesboro as one of Georgia’s best places to “live, work and play” while Trend Magazine described downtown Statesboro as one of eight “Renaissance Cities” in Georgia.