Best Places30438, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 30438, 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.
30438 ranks 25,077th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a strong job market by a wide margin, and long commutes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 30438
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.
30438's strengths and weaknesses
Where 30438 ranks high
- Local economyBetter than 99% of zip codes
- Internet speedBetter than 96% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$502 a month, better than 94% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 77% of zip codes
- State infrastructureBetter than 73% of zip codes
Where 30438 ranks low
- Short commute39.1 minutes each way, better than only 5% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than only 5% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than only 8% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 30438
A household needs to earn about $41,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 30438 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $68,513, 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 30438's effective rate of 0.76%, 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 9 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 30438
30438 runs younger than the country, though it still carries a larger-than-average share of residents over 65, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 30438.
Who works in 30438, and how
Work in 30438 centers on education and public administration. Unemployment sits above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 92%
- Work from home 4%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in 30438
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 30438.
What the weather is like in 30438, month by month
30438 sees roughly 83 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 93 degrees. January highs sit near 63, with lows near 41. The comfortable stretch runs February through May, October, and November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 51° | 41° |
| April | 80° | 67° | 55° |
| July | 93° | 82° | 73° |
| October | 82° | 68° | 58° |
Flying in and out of 30438
The nearest airport, Savannah/Hilton Head International, is about 48 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Jacksonville International, about 117 miles away.
The best schools in and around 30438
Schools across 30438 average a C−, better than 21% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Claxton Elementary SchoolD · 16% proficient
Top middle schools
- North Tattnall Middle SchoolC− · 29% proficient
Top high schools
- Tattnall County High SchoolC− · 28% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 30438 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
30438 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 30438 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 30438
Is 30438 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 30438 ranks 25,077th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on a strong job market, fast internet, and affordable childcare, and lowest on long commutes and walkability. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 30438 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $156,900. The overall cost of living runs about 18% below the national average. Set against a $68,513 median income, cost of living beats 46% of zip codes.
Is 30438 safe?
30438 is safer than 53% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $271 per resident a year.
Compare 30438 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 30438. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 30438 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.
30438 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 30438: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 30438: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 30438: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 30438: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
30438 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.