The City of Jesup Rural Zone designation begins January 1, 2019 and is a five-year designation by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Rural Zones focus on job creation and private investment in designated areas. The program includes three tax credit incentives: a Job Tax Credit, Investment Credit, and Rehabilitation Credit. The basic criteria required for communities seeking the designation include: having a population less than 15,000, having a core downtown area with structures older than fifty years, demonstrating blight or disinvestment in the downtown area, having implemented a strategic plan for the downtown area, and completing market analysis indicating gaps within the local business makeup.