31503 — Waycross, Georgia
Area Profile
Income, jobs, climate, physical risk and development data for ZIP code 31503. Its median household income runs 46% above Waycross as a whole, which is why this ZIP carries a profile of its own.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 12 sourcesUnemployment is 4.2% and median household income $55,895, putting employment conditions in the middle range of ZIP areas measured. The unemployment rate is published for Waycross, GA, which contains 31503, rather than for 31503 alone.
In the public schools here, 49% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 13.8 students for every teacher.
Housing is more affordable relative to local incomes than in most ZIP areas measured: rent takes 22% of renter income and the median home is 1.8 times what its owners earn.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment across Waycross, GA, which contains 31503, is 4.2%, lower than in 58% of the 3,127 measured US ZIP areas.
Employment across Waycross, GA, which contains 31503, grew 1.9% over the past year, to 12,078 employed residents.
Median household income of $55,895 is lower than in 77% of measured US ZIP areas.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsWare County, GA’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $41,392 | 1st percentileof 2,996 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftWare County, GA’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $42,445 | 1st percentileof 2,996 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$4,6152024 ACS 5-Year | $55,895 | Bottom 23%of 31,049 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$1,9502024 ACS 5-Year | $24,748 | Bottom 12%of 32,822 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 17.4% | Bottom 23%of 32,846 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±1.9 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 24.3 min | Top 31%of 32,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 12.7% | Bottom 18%of 33,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 86.2% | 85th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentWaycross, GA’s figureJuly 2026 | 12,078 | Bottom 4%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Waycross, GA’s figureJuly 2026 | −2.8% | Bottom 16%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Waycross, GA’s figureJuly 2026 | +1.9% | Top 11%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceWaycross, GA’s figureJuly 2026 | 12,601 | 4th percentileof 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 61.8% | Bottom 11%of 32,883 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public transit to work ±0.4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.3% | 69th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Waycross, GA’s figureJuly 2026 | −0.2% | Top 45%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateWaycross, GA’s figureJuly 2026 | 4.2% | Top 42%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.1% | 25th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish labor-force data for ZIP areas. This is the figure for Waycross, GA, the city containing this ZIP code.
49% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 50% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 13.8 students for every full-time teacher across 6 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ware County High School | Ware County | 1,633 | 14.2 | 54% | 55% |
| Wacona Elementary School | Ware County | 885 | 19.2 | 58% | 55% |
| Ware County Middle School | Ware County | 752 | 11.8 | 42% | 48% |
| Waresboro Elementary School | Ware County | 429 | 12.6 | 41% | 45% |
| Ruskin Elementary School | Ware County | 363 | 12.1 | 27% | 27% |
| Memorial Drive Elementary School | Ware County | 346 | 11.2 | 47% | 42% |
| Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center | Department of Juvenile Justice | 7 | 3.5 | — | — |
86.3% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Georgia’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the non-metropolitan parts of Georgia is up 57% over five years, and up 3.4% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $1,061 a year in real estate taxes, about 0.97% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $1,031, some 26% above the $820 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $1,031 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $41,200 a year, about 74% of the median household income here of $55,895.
The typical renter household here spends 22% of its income on rent, below the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $820 a month.
A median home at $109,900 costs 1.8 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $62,165, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
The figures above are measured against 31503’s median household income of $55,895, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home price change (1 year)the non-metropolitan parts of Georgia’s figure2026 Q2 | +3.4% | 54th percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Georgia’s figure2026 Q2 | +56.5% | 89th percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Georgia’s figure2026 Q2 | +115.5% | 80th percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.32024 ACS 5-Year | 1.8 | Top 15%of 29,275 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 69.8% | 29th percentileof 32,750 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±5512024 ACS 5-Year | 8,920 | 81st percentileof 33,460 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $786 | Top 8%of 3,031 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,236 | Top 5%of 3,031 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $1,031 | Top 11%of 3,031 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$422024 ACS 5-Year | $820 | Top 26%of 26,396 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$15,4872024 ACS 5-Year | $109,900 | 13th percentileof 30,812 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$1372024 ACS 5-Year | $1,061 | 21st percentileof 28,935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$4,3472024 ACS 5-Year | $62,165 | Bottom 20%of 29,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.18%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.97% | 54th percentileof 24,099 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 22.3% | Top 20%of 26,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±242024 ACS 5-Year | 15 | 44th percentileof 33,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.2% | 34th percentileof 32,961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 15.0% | 83rd percentileof 32,788 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±3192024 ACS 5-Year | 1,350 | 92nd percentileof 33,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
72% of the 47 units permitted over the past twelve months are in buildings of five or more homes, so new supply is concentrated in apartments and condominiums rather than detached houses. The multifamily share is published for Waycross, GA, which contains 31503, rather than for 31503 alone.
At 3.4 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US ZIP areas. The permit rate is published for Waycross, GA, which contains 31503, rather than for 31503 alone.
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Pierce County, GA 322 people · 19% of arrivals
- Brantley County, GA 118 people · 6.9% of arrivals
- Glynn County, GA 66 people · 3.8% of arrivals
- Duval County, FL 63 people · 3.7% of arrivals
- Coffee County, GA 58 people · 3.4% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Pierce County, GA 360 people · 24% of departures
- Brantley County, GA 143 people · 9.6% of departures
- Lowndes County, GA 54 people · 3.6% of departures
- Bacon County, GA 53 people · 3.6% of departures
- Glynn County, GA 49 people · 3.3% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. This is the figure for Ware County, GA. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
The Building Permits Survey is not published for ZIP areas. This is the figure for Waycross, GA, the city containing this ZIP code.
Weather & climate
7 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 93°F and January a low of 39°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 44.8 inches.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 44.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual snowfall1991-2020 Normals | 0.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 7 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, hurricane and tornado, with inland flooding alone responsible for 37% of it. Inland flooding and tornado are independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large those hazards are.
Low or minimal exposure: tornado, heat wave, drought, inland flooding, strong wind, winter weather, landslide, hail, ice storm, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity, avalanche.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. ZIP values are the land-area-weighted mean of the counties the ZIP Code Tabulation Area intersects. Expected annual loss is not allocated below county level. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
These are deaths, not offenses — they say nothing about burglary, theft or assault.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe the county around 31503 (Ware County) rather than 31503 itself. They are shown and not scored. How to read death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. A ZIP area is not a jurisdiction, so no department reports for one. Waycross carries the figure where its department reported a full year. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Cost of living
- Price parities are published for metropolitan areas, and this place lies outside one.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index only where a monitor sits. There is none in this county, and a modeled value would be a different kind of number from the measured ones everywhere else on this page.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. Cost of living is published where the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures it, though not for this place. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
5 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Brunswick Golden Isles at 56 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 79.0% | Bottom 15%of 32,663 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 56 mi | Bottom 10%of 3,127 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 5 | Top 44%of 3,127 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 13.4% | Bottom 25%of 32,663 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick Golden Isles | BQK | 56 mi | 8,001 ft |
| Valdosta Rgnl | VLD | 59 mi | 8,003 ft |
| Jacksonville Intl | JAX | 63 mi | 10,000 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
Customize your score
What matters to you?
Choose what you weight most heavily. Nothing is saved to an account — your preferences stay in this browser, and the Area Score never changes.
Select one or more priorities to see how this location scores against them.
Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyData & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
31503 vs Waycross
How this ZIP area compares with Waycross as a whole. Both figures come from the same ACS release, so the comparison is like for like — a gap here is a real difference between the two places, not two surveys disagreeing.
Some demographic statistics use Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, which approximate but do not exactly match USPS ZIP delivery geography. See the methodology for how AreaProfile maps between them.