Best Places31501, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 31501, 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.
31501 ranks 30,673rd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on affordable childcare by a wide margin, and summer heat is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 31501
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.
31501's strengths and weaknesses
Where 31501 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$502 a month, better than 94% of zip codes
- Short commute17.9 minutes each way, better than 92% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than 82% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 77% of zip codes
- State infrastructureBetter than 73% of zip codes
Where 31501 ranks low
- Heat safetyBetter than only 6% of zip codes
- Household income$45,214 median, better than only 7% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Crime safetyBetter than only 12% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 14% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 31501
A household needs to earn about $34,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 31501 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $45,214, 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 31501's effective rate of 0.81%, 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 5 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 31501
31501'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 31501.
Who works in 31501, and how
Work in 31501 centers on hospitality & food and health care & social. Unemployment sits above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 92%
- Work from home 6%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 31501
31501 has more restaurants and bars per resident than 84% of zip codes and more parkland per resident than 85% of zip codes. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of 31501 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 31501, month by month
31501 sees roughly 111 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 95 degrees. January highs sit near 67, with lows near 40. The comfortable stretch runs February through May and October through December.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 52° | 40° |
| April | 83° | 68° | 55° |
| July | 95° | 83° | 74° |
| October | 84° | 70° | 59° |
Flying in and out of 31501
The nearest airport, Brunswick Golden Isles, is about 52 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Jacksonville International, about 64 miles away.
The best schools in and around 31501
Schools across 31501 average a C, better than 34% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Midway Elementary SchoolA− · 61% proficient
- Waresboro Elementary SchoolB− · 40% proficient
- Williams Heights Elementary SchoolC+ · 38% proficient
Top middle schools
- Pierce County Middle SchoolA− · 55% proficient
- Waycross Middle SchoolC− · 28% proficient
- Ware County Middle SchoolD+ · 26% proficient
Top high schools
- Pierce County High SchoolA− · 60% proficient
- Ware County High SchoolC+ · 38% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 31501 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
31501 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 31501 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 31501
Is 31501 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 31501 ranks 30,673rd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, short commutes, and walkability, and lowest on summer heat and low incomes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 31501 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $130,743. The overall cost of living runs about 17% below the national average. Set against a $45,214 median income, cost of living beats 7% of zip codes.
Is 31501 safe?
31501 is safer than 12% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $538 per resident a year.
Compare 31501 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 31501. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 31501 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.
31501 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 31501: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 31501: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 31501: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 31501: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
31501 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.