Best Places31002, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 31002, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
31002 ranks 28,004th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on affordable childcare by a wide margin, and education levels rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 31002
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.
31002's strengths and weaknesses
Where 31002 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$502 a month, better than 94% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than 90% of zip codes
- Internet speedBetter than 87% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than 85% of zip codes
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 83% of zip codes
Where 31002 ranks low
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 2% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Air qualityBetter than only 11% of zip codes
- Household income$50,752 median, better than only 12% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 16% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 31002
A household needs to earn about $28,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 31002 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $50,752, 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 31002's effective rate of 0.83%, 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 7 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 31002
31002's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 31002.
Who works in 31002, and how
Work in 31002 centers on construction and manufacturing. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 91%
- Work from home 7%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in 31002
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 31002.
What the weather is like in 31002, month by month
31002 sees roughly 82 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 93 degrees. January highs sit near 60, with lows near 40. The comfortable stretch runs February through May, October, and November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 48° | 40° |
| April | 78° | 66° | 54° |
| July | 93° | 82° | 73° |
| October | 80° | 68° | 58° |
Flying in and out of 31002
The nearest airport, Middle Georgia Regional, is about 62 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International, about 130 miles away.
The best schools in and around 31002
Schools across 31002 average a C−, better than 22% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Johnson County Elementary SchoolC+ · 39% proficient
- Swainsboro Elementary SchoolC− · 30% proficient
- Treutlen Elementary SchoolD+ · 24% proficient
Top middle schools
- East Laurens Middle SchoolB− · 40% proficient
- Johnson County Middle SchoolC− · 30% proficient
- Swainsboro Middle SchoolD− · 18% proficient
Top high schools
- West Laurens High SchoolC+ · 36% proficient
- Swainsboro High SchoolD+ · 25% proficient
- Johnson County High SchoolD · 22% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 31002 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
31002 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 31002 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 31002
Is 31002 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 31002 ranks 28,004th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, quiet, and fast internet, and lowest on education levels and cell coverage. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 31002 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $108,540. The overall cost of living runs about 20% below the national average. Set against a $50,752 median income, cost of living beats 18% of zip codes.
Is 31002 safe?
Yes, 31002 is safer than 63% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $247 per resident a year.
Compare 31002 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 31002. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 31002 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.
31002 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 31002: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 31002: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 31002: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 31002: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
31002 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.