Located in the center of Franklin County in northeastern Georgia, approximately 85 miles (137 km) from Atlanta, Carnesville had a population of 713 as of 2020.

The original inhabitants of the area where Carnesville sits in the Piedmont region were the Cherokee and Creek indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States.

In 1805, the county seat, Carnesville, was laid out and named in honor of Thomas Petters Carnes, a lawyer and politician of the American Revolutionary War era.

Their children came to Franklin County, Georgia, but many of pure English origin came with them.

The area around Carnesville was an agricultural center, with farms producing crops, like cotton, corn, potatoes, sorghum, and small grains.

Carnesville has a mayor-council form of government with a mayor and a four-member city council.

The mayor is Jimmie Melissa "Missy" Holbrook and the city manager is Gary Fesperman.

Carnesville's hardiness zone is 8a and has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa).

The racial makeup of the city was 78.68% White, 15.56% African American, 0.98% Asian, and 1.82% from two or more races.