Best Places31097, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 31097, 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.
31097 ranks 21,415th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on quiet by a wide margin, and an overheated housing market is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 31097
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.
31097's strengths and weaknesses
Where 31097 ranks high
- QuietBetter than 94% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$506 a month, better than 94% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than 78% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than 77% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 77% of zip codes
Where 31097 ranks low
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 14% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than only 16% of zip codes
- School gradeC−, better than only 20% of zip codes
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 20% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than only 21% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 31097
A household needs to earn about $40,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 31097 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $62,801, 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 31097's effective rate of 0.74%, 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 6 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 31097
31097'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 31097.
Who works in 31097, and how
Work in 31097 centers on health care & social and manufacturing. Unemployment is low, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 92%
- Work from home 6%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 31097
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 31097.
What the weather is like in 31097, month by month
31097 sees roughly 100 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 31097
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 52 miles away.
The best schools in and around 31097
Schools across 31097 average a C−, better than 20% 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 31097 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
31097 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 31097 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 31097
Is 31097 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 31097 ranks 21,415th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on quiet, affordable childcare, and low disaster risk, and lowest on an overheated housing market and cell coverage. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 31097 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $155,517. The overall cost of living runs about 12% below the national average. Set against a $62,801 median income, cost of living beats 40% of zip codes.
Is 31097 safe?
31097 is safer than 38% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $323 per resident a year.
Compare 31097 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 31097. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 31097 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.
31097 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 31097: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 31097: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 31097: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 31097: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
31097 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.