Blairsville, GA Homes for Sale and Union County Real Estate

Blairsville and Union County at a glance

Blairsville is the county seat of Union County and the county's only incorporated town. Everything else, including the mountain community of Suches and most of the Lake Nottely shoreline, is unincorporated county. That makes county rules the ones most buyers will live under.

The county has grown since 2020. The Census Bureau's estimates base for April 2020 was 24,632, against 27,859 for July 2025.

What you will find for sale in Union County

Property type	Where you tend to find it	Check first
Mountain cabins	Coves and ridges around Blairsville and Suches	Road access, septic permit, county STR license if you plan to rent
Lake homes	Along Lake Nottely	TVA Section 26a permit for any dock, and the winter water level at that lot
Farms and acreage	Valley land across the county	Survey, well and septic suitability, building and land-disturbance permits
In-town homes	City of Blairsville	City zoning, sewer availability and city lodging tax if you rent

Short-term rental rules in Union County

Union County's short-term rental ordinance, Chapter 60 of the county code, was adopted March 9, 2023 and took effect April 8, 2023. It covers unincorporated Union County. It is unlawful to operate or advertise a short-term rental there without a valid county STR license.

Three parts of the ordinance matter most to a buyer:

• Tax. The county levies five percent of the gross rent and fees.
• A cap. Licenses are limited to no more than five percent of the county's total housing units. A home that is rented today does not guarantee you a license tomorrow, so confirm license status before you buy for rental income.
• Occupancy tied to septic. Overnight occupancy is two persons per bedroom plus two more per residence, and never more than 15. The application asks for a copy of the property's septic permit.

Septic, wells and building in Union County

Septic. Environmental Health for Union County is part of District 2 Public Health, at 46 Hughes Street, Suite B, in Blairsville (706-781-3824). District 2 says new on-site systems must be permitted and inspected before use, and that not every lot is suitable for one. If you are buying land to build on, make the offer contingent on a soil evaluation.

Wells. Union County is one of four counties in District 2 that issue construction permits for wells (with Hall, Hart and White). District 2 also performs bacteriological testing on water samples, which is worth adding to your inspection period for any home on a private well.

Building. The county requires a building permit for dwellings, accessory structures over 150 square feet and any project that disturbs land, and it says permitting is the owner's responsibility. In June 2026 the county adopted an emergency moratorium on applications to develop property on public sewer. Ask the county whether it is still in effect before you plan new construction on sewer.

Mountain road access

Drive the road to any hillside property yourself, ideally in wet weather. Find out whether the county maintains it or owners share upkeep under a written agreement, and whether a fire engine can reach the house.

Lake Nottely docks and TVA permits

Lake Nottely is a Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir in Union County. Its dam was built in 1941 and 1942. TVA requires approval for all construction or alterations on its reservoir shorelines, docks included.

If you buy a lake home that already has an approved dock, TVA says the new owner must request a Section 26a permit for the existing facilities and should notify TVA within 60 days of acquiring the property. Ask the seller for the current permit before closing.

TVA says the lake level varies about 20 feet from summer to winter for flood storage, so a cove that looks deep in July may be shallow in February. Visit a lake lot in winter if you can.

Drive times from Blairsville

Approximate drive times from downtown Blairsville without traffic.

To	About	Miles
Young Harris	15 minutes	9
Hiawassee	25 minutes	16
Murphy, North Carolina	30 minutes	21
Blue Ridge	30 minutes	23
Dahlonega	45 minutes	34
Helen	50 minutes	32
Gainesville	1 hour 15 minutes	55
Downtown Atlanta	2 hours 10 minutes	98
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport	2 hours 30 minutes	110

The City of Blairsville also operates Blairsville Municipal Airport, about 2.5 miles outside city limits, with a 5,000-foot runway.

Parks, schools and health care

Vogel State Park, established in 1931, is the second-oldest state park in Georgia, with 242 acres and a 22-acre lake. Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest point at 4,784 feet, is managed by the U.S. Forest Service from a visitor center address in Hiawassee.

Union County Schools runs the public schools, including Woody Gap School in Suches. Union General Hospital in Blairsville is a 45-bed acute-care hospital.

For property taxes, the Union County tax assessors receive homestead exemption applications. Georgia's homestead exemption must be filed by April 1 of the first year you claim it, and the Department of Revenue lists no additional local homestead exemptions for Union County.

How Gold Peach Realty helps Blairsville buyers

Gold Peach Realty is a licensed Georgia brokerage based in Dahlonega, about 45 minutes from Blairsville over the mountains. A Union County purchase with us runs like this:

1. We start with how you will use the property: full time, weekends or partly as a rental.
2. We set up a live Union County search and send new listings that fit.
3. For each home you like, we check city or county jurisdiction and, if you plan to rent, whether a license is in place.
4. During due diligence we line up the home inspection, a septic review and a water test, and for lake homes we confirm the TVA permit.
5. We negotiate and coordinate the closing.

Comparing nearby areas? See Hiawassee and Lake Chatuge homes in Towns County, Blue Ridge homes and cabins in Fannin County, or Dahlonega homes for sale. Or go back to North Georgia homes for sale.

Frequently asked questions