Best Places31523, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 31523, 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.
31523 ranks 10,605th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on fast internet by a wide margin, and disaster risk is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 31523
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.
31523's strengths and weaknesses
Where 31523 ranks high
- Internet speedBetter than 96% of zip codes
- Voter turnoutBetter than 89% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 87% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than 81% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$649 a month, better than 81% of zip codes
Where 31523 ranks low
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 15% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 30% of zip codes
- Big-city accessBetter than only 34% of zip codes
- TransitBetter than only 35% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 31523
A household needs to earn about $78,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 31523 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $92,121, 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 31523's effective rate of 0.56%, 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 31523
31523 runs older than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 31523.
Who works in 31523, and how
Work in 31523 centers on health care & social and retail trade. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 89%
- Work from home 9%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 31523
The coast is about 21 minutes away. Distance to the water changes a lot across 31523, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 31523, month by month
31523 sees roughly 95 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 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 | 79° | 67° | 56° |
| July | 92° | 81° | 74° |
| October | 81° | 70° | 61° |
Flying in and out of 31523
The nearest airport, Brunswick Golden Isles, is about 9 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Jacksonville International, about 48 miles away.
The best schools in and around 31523
Schools across 31523 average a B−, better than 59% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Satilla Marsh Elementary SchoolB+ · 54% proficient
- Sterling Elementary SchoolC · 32% proficient
- Glyndale Elementary SchoolD+ · 23% 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 31523 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
31523 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 31523 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 31523
Is 31523 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 31523 ranks 10,605th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on fast internet, civic engagement, and few empty homes, 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 31523 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $310,231. The overall cost of living runs about 12% below the national average. Set against a $92,121 median income, cost of living beats 81% of zip codes.
Is 31523 safe?
Yes, 31523 is safer than 67% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $240 per resident a year.
Compare 31523 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 31523. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 31523 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.
31523 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 31523: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 31523: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 31523: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 31523: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
31523 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.