31794 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
31794
30474
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 23%
vs39 · Bottom 19%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs42 · Bottom 37%
Climate
83 · Top 11%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 46%
vs53 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 20%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
46 · Bottom 42%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs58 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
24 · Bottom 4%
vs30 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 31794 | 30474 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,178 | 17,315 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $46,056 | $55,295 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,768 | $27,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 229/sq mi | 135/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $130,100 | $154,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $766 | $820 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.1% | 59.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | 0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 20.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.6% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 55 | 31 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.9% | -11.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.2" | 44.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 47 mi | 71 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 24.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.5 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.82 | 13.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.3% | 24.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.0% | 30.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 96.7% | 93.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
31794
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
30474
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, drought.
Full profiles: 31794 — Tifton, GA · 30474 — Vidalia, GA · How this is calculated: methodology