31204 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
31903
31204
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 27%
vs49 · Bottom 37%
Growth
30 · Bottom 17%
vs40 · Bottom 33%
Climate
69 · Bottom 47%
vs75 · Top 31%
Physical resilience
73 · Top 31%
vs88 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 32%
vs68 · Bottom 32%
Schools
13 · Bottom 4%
vs18 · Bottom 8%
Access
52 · Bottom 4%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
18 · Bottom 2%
vs21 · Bottom 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 31903 | 31204 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,644 | 32,421 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $32,401 | $38,784 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $18,217 | $25,036 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,072/sq mi | 2,223/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $81,000 | $135,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $880 | $961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.1% | 42.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.0% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.8% | 20.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 35.4% | 31.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 265 | 137 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -5.0% | -8.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 81 mi | 70 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.7 min | 22.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.9 | 34.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.53 | 13.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 4.1% | 7.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 9.3% | 13.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 100.0% | 70.1% | 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
31903
Elevated or high exposure: lightning.
31204
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 31903 — Columbus, GA · 31204 — Macon-Bibb County, GA · How this is calculated: methodology