31906 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
31906
31204
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 48%
vs49 · Bottom 37%
Growth
30 · Bottom 17%
vs40 · Bottom 33%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs75 · Top 31%
Physical resilience
73 · Top 31%
vs88 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs68 · Bottom 32%
Schools
58 · Top 41%
vs18 · Bottom 8%
Access
49 · Bottom 3%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
22 · Bottom 3%
vs21 · Bottom 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 31906 | 31204 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,400 | 32,421 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,965 | $38,784 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,249 | $25,036 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,968/sq mi | 2,223/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $179,500 | $135,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $923 | $961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.2% | 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 | 33.6% | 20.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.4% | 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 | 38°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.8" | 46.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 84 mi | 70 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 22.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.0 | 34.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.53 | 13.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.5% | 7.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.0% | 13.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.2% | 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
31906
Elevated or high exposure: lightning.
31204
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 31906 — Columbus, GA · 31204 — Macon-Bibb County, GA · How this is calculated: methodology