Best Places31518, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 31518, 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.
31518 ranks 18,459th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on affordable childcare by a wide margin, and disaster risk is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 31518
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.
31518's strengths and weaknesses
Where 31518 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$502 a month, better than 94% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than 85% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 127 pleasant days a year, better than 79% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 77% of zip codes
- Crime safetyBetter than 75% of zip codes
Where 31518 ranks low
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 8% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 13% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than only 15% of zip codes
- Health outlookBetter than only 15% of zip codes
- Short commute31.8 minutes each way, better than only 20% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 31518
A household needs to earn about $38,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 31518 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $77,634, 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 31518's effective rate of 0.59%, 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 31518
31518 runs younger than the country, 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 31518.
Who works in 31518, and how
Work in 31518 centers on manufacturing and education. Unemployment is low, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 92%
- Work from home 4%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in 31518
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 31518.
What the weather is like in 31518, month by month
31518 sees roughly 127 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 94 degrees. January highs sit near 64, with lows near 42. The comfortable stretch runs February through May and October through December.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 52° | 42° |
| April | 81° | 68° | 56° |
| July | 94° | 82° | 73° |
| October | 82° | 69° | 60° |
Flying in and out of 31518
The nearest airport, Brunswick Golden Isles, is about 45 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Jacksonville International, about 76 miles away.
The best schools in and around 31518
Schools across 31518 average a B, better than 65% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Patterson Elementary SchoolA · 62% proficient
- Screven Elementary SchoolB+ · 53% proficient
- Fourth District Elementary SchoolB · 47% proficient
Top middle schools
- Pierce County Middle SchoolA− · 55% proficient
- Arthur Williams Middle SchoolB− · 39% proficient
- Appling County Middle SchoolC · 32% proficient
Top high schools
- Pierce County High SchoolA− · 60% proficient
- Wayne County High SchoolB− · 41% proficient
- Appling County High SchoolC · 33% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 31518 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
31518 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 31518 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 31518
Is 31518 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 31518 ranks 18,459th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, quiet, and the weather, and lowest on disaster risk and summer heat. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 31518 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $149,402. The overall cost of living runs about 14% below the national average. Set against a $77,634 median income, cost of living beats 56% of zip codes.
Is 31518 safe?
Yes, 31518 is safer than 75% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $213 per resident a year.
Compare 31518 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 31518. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 31518 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.
31518 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 31518: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 31518: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 31518: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 31518: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
31518 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.