St. Marys and Kingsland receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
St. Marys
Kingsland
Opportunity
79 · Top 9%
vs78 · Top 10%
Growth
83 · Top 2%
vs67 · Top 21%
Climate
88 · Top 8%
vs88 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
26 · Bottom 22%
vs26 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs94 · Top 23%
Schools
88 · Top 5%
vs82 · Top 11%
Access
93 · Top 46%
vs90 · Bottom 42%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 17%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | St. Marys | Kingsland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,166 | 19,627 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,288 | $77,944 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,015 | $34,044 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 751/sq mi | 438/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $312,300 | $251,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,183 | $1,275 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.1% | 67.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.3% | 23.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.4% | 10.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 241 | 161 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 8.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 60.7% | -46.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.2" | 47.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.0 min | 31.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.8 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.84 | 14.51 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 64.0% | 58.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 58.9% | 52.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 48.3% | 50.3% | 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
St. Marys
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, wildfire, coastal flooding.
Kingsland
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, wildfire, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: St. Marys, GA · Kingsland, GA · How this is calculated: methodology