Best Places31520, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 31520, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. The coast is close, and the measures below put a number on how close. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
31520 ranks 29,299th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on fast internet by a wide margin, and summer heat is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 31520
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.
31520's strengths and weaknesses
Where 31520 ranks high
- Internet speedBetter than 95% of zip codes
- Short commute17.1 minutes each way, better than 93% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than 92% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than 92% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$649 a month, better than 81% of zip codes
Where 31520 ranks low
- Heat safetyBetter than only 6% of zip codes
- Household income$45,336 median, better than only 7% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Health outlookBetter than only 9% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 9% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 31520
A household needs to earn about $60,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 31520 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $45,336, so buying stretches a typical household.
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 31520'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 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 31520
31520'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 31520.
Who works in 31520, and how
Work in 31520 centers on hospitality & food and retail trade. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 90%
- Work from home 6%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in 31520
31520 has more restaurants and bars per resident than 82% of zip codes and more parkland per resident than 88% of zip codes. The coast is about 12 minutes away. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of 31520 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 31520, month by month
31520 sees roughly 106 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 degrees. January highs sit near 64, with lows near 44. The comfortable stretch runs February through April and October through December.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 53° | 44° |
| April | 79° | 69° | 60° |
| July | 92° | 84° | 77° |
| October | 82° | 73° | 64° |
Flying in and out of 31520
The nearest airport, Brunswick Golden Isles, is about 6 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Jacksonville International, about 48 miles away.
The best schools in and around 31520
Schools across 31520 average a C+, better than 40% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- St. Simons Elementary SchoolA · 62% proficient
- Satilla Marsh Elementary SchoolB+ · 54% proficient
- Golden Isles Elementary SchoolB− · 41% proficient
Top middle schools
- Glynn MiddleB+ · 48% proficient
- Risley Middle SchoolB− · 39% proficient
- Jane Macon MiddleC+ · 38% proficient
Top high schools
- Glynn AcademyB · 50% proficient
- Brunswick High SchoolC+ · 38% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 31520 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
31520 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 31520 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 31520 suits
Remote workers
Internet is fast and widely advertised and 6% already work from home.
Common questions about living in 31520
Is 31520 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 31520 ranks 29,299th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on fast internet, short commutes, and cell coverage, 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 31520 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $236,211. The overall cost of living runs about 17% below the national average. Set against a $45,336 median income, cost of living beats 9% of zip codes.
Is 31520 safe?
31520 is safer than 12% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $559 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 31520?
July highs average about 92 degrees, and January highs near 64 with lows near 44. That works out to about 106 pleasant days a year, more than 67% of zip codes.
Is 31520 good for families?
Schools beat 40% of zip codes, crime safety beats 12%, and childcare runs $649 a month.
Compare 31520 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 31520. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 31520 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.
31520 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 31520: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 31520: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 31520: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 31520: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
31520 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.