Best Places30204, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 30204, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
30204 ranks 21,488th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores best on a strong job market, and the schools rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 30204
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
30204's strengths and weaknesses
Where 30204 ranks high
- Local economyBetter than 84% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$644 a month, better than 81% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 77% of zip codes
- State infrastructureBetter than 73% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than 73% of zip codes
Where 30204 ranks low
- School gradeD+, better than only 13% of zip codes
- Air qualityBetter than only 28% of zip codes
- Crime safetyBetter than only 28% of zip codes
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 30% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 30% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 30204
A household needs to earn about $54,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 30204 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $69,141, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 30204's effective rate of 1.02%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 10 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 30204
30204 runs younger than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 30204.
Who works in 30204, and how
Work in 30204 centers on manufacturing and retail trade. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 90%
- Work from home 6%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in 30204
30204 has more restaurants and bars per resident than 67% of zip codes. That concentrates in some parts of 30204 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 30204, month by month
30204 sees roughly 94 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 90 degrees. January highs sit near 57, with lows near 38. The comfortable stretch runs March through May and September through November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 46° | 38° |
| April | 76° | 63° | 52° |
| July | 90° | 79° | 71° |
| October | 78° | 66° | 56° |
Flying in and out of 30204
The nearest airport, Middle Georgia Regional, is about 38 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International, about 43 miles away.
The best schools in and around 30204
Schools across 30204 average a D+, better than 13% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary SchoolB · 48% proficient
- Upson-lee Elementary SchoolC− · 28% proficient
- Lamar County Elementary SchoolD+ · 21% proficient
Top middle schools
- Monroe County Middle School- Banks Stephens CampusB+ · 49% proficient
- Lamar County Middle SchoolD+ · 26% proficient
Top high schools
- Mary Persons High SchoolB · 47% proficient
- Upson-lee High SchoolD · 22% proficient
- Lamar County High SchoolD · 20% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 30204 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
30204 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 30204 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 30204
Is 30204 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 30204 ranks 21,488th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on a strong job market, affordable childcare, and state finances, and lowest on the schools and air quality. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 30204 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $202,136. The overall cost of living runs about 14% below the national average. Set against a $69,141 median income, cost of living beats 44% of zip codes.
Is 30204 safe?
30204 is safer than 28% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $401 per resident a year.
Compare 30204 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 30204. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 30204 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
30204 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 30204: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 30204: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 30204: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 30204: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
30204 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.