Waleska Snapshot

 
Waleska was incorporated in 1889, but the area was settled years earlier, primarily by the Reinhardt, Sharp, Rhyne and Heard families. A store, cotton gin and tobacco factory were in operation at the crossroads by 1856, and a post office was added to the store soon after. For many years, the name of the post office was spelled “Walesca,” but it was changed to its current form to prevent confusion with another town.

The town was named after Warluskee, the daughter of an Indian chief who lived in the area. When Warluskee was moved to the West along with her people, her friends, Mr. And Mrs. Lewis W. Reinhardt, named their settlement in her honor.

Industry in Waleska in the past included gristmills, lumbering, tobacco manufacturing and some mineral development. The lumber industry is still active in the area, as is agriculture.

The chief “industry” of the town, however, has always been the Reinhardt College, and Waleska has come to be regarded, almost exclusively, as a college town.

Incorporated: 1889
Total Area: 1.46 square miles
Located in Cherokee County Georgia
City Overview
As of 2009, Waleska’s population is 820 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 25.97 percent.

Current Waleska Demographics

The median home cost in Waleska is $319,000. Home appreciation the last year has been -1.85 percent.

Compared to the rest of the country, Waleska’s cost of living is 1.56% Lower than the U.S. average.

Waleska public schools spend $5,250 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 14 students per teacher in Waleska.

The unemployment rate in Waleska is 3.30 percent(U.S. avg. is 4.60%). Recent job growth is Positive. Waleska jobs have Increased by 2.82 percent.