Best Places31038, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 31038, 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.
31038 ranks 25,381st of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on tree cover by a wide margin, and long commutes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 31038
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.
31038's strengths and weaknesses
Where 31038 ranks high
- Tree shadeBetter than 98% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than 97% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$564 a month, better than 90% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than 86% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than 77% of zip codes
Where 31038 ranks low
- Short commute39.3 minutes each way, better than only 5% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than only 5% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than only 6% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than only 6% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 14% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 31038
A household needs to earn about $59,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 31038 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $66,598, 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 31038's effective rate of 0.88%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Who lives in 31038
31038 runs older than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 31038.
Who works in 31038, and how
Work in 31038 centers on construction and other services. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 83%
- Work from home 16%
- Transit, walk, or bike 1%
Life in 31038
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 31038.
What the weather is like in 31038, month by month
31038 sees roughly 90 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 93 degrees. January highs sit near 58, with lows near 39. The comfortable stretch runs March through May, October, and November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 47° | 39° |
| April | 77° | 65° | 54° |
| July | 93° | 82° | 73° |
| October | 79° | 67° | 58° |
Flying in and out of 31038
The nearest airport, Middle Georgia Regional, is about 33 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International, about 56 miles away.
The best schools in and around 31038
Schools across 31038 average a C, better than 32% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Katherine B. Sutton Elementary SchoolB− · 43% proficient
- Dames Ferry Elementary SchoolB− · 43% proficient
- Gray Elementary SchoolC+ · 39% proficient
Top middle schools
- Monroe County Middle School- Banks Stephens CampusB+ · 49% proficient
- Gray Station Middle SchoolC+ · 36% proficient
- Putnam County Middle SchoolC− · 28% proficient
Top high schools
- Mary Persons High SchoolB · 47% proficient
- Jasper County High SchoolC+ · 37% proficient
- Jones County High SchoolC− · 30% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 31038 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
31038 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 31038 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 31038
Is 31038 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 31038 ranks 25,381st of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on tree cover, quiet, 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 31038 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $222,885. The overall cost of living runs about 9% below the national average. Set against a $66,598 median income, cost of living beats 34% of zip codes.
Is 31038 safe?
31038 is safer than 18% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $454 per resident a year.
Compare 31038 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 31038. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 31038 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.
31038 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 31038: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 31038: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 31038: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 31038: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
31038 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.