A study was made of transient cerebral ischemia in a biracial rural community in Evans County, Georgia. Of the 2,455 stroke-free persons in the population sample, 28 were found to have had well-defined attacks of transient cerebral ischemia. The prevalence of transient cerebral ischemia in the white population was higher than that in the black community. Approximately one fifth of the people having transient cerebral ischemia developed a complete stroke or died of ischemic heart disease during the three- to five-year period of observation following the survey examination. Community surveys for transient cerebral ischemia appear to be a useful health measure for the detection of a small but important group of people who have a high risk of developing serious manifestations of cerebral or coronary vascular disease.