Best Places31743, GA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 31743, 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.
31743 ranks 31,242nd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on affordable childcare by a wide margin, and a weak job market ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 31743
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.
31743's strengths and weaknesses
Where 31743 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$539 a month, better than 92% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than 82% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 77% of zip codes
- State infrastructureBetter than 73% of zip codes
- Voter turnoutBetter than 69% of zip codes
Where 31743 ranks low
- Local economyBetter than only 6% of zip codes
- School gradeD, better than only 6% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Household income$47,626 median, better than only 8% of zip codes
- Air qualityBetter than only 11% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 31743
A household needs to earn about $34,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 31743 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $47,626, 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 31743's effective rate of 1.00%, 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 4 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 31743
31743'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 31743.
Who works in 31743, and how
Work in 31743 centers on health care & social and education. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 90%
- Work from home 7%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in 31743
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 31743.
What the weather is like in 31743, month by month
31743 sees roughly 103 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 degrees. January highs sit near 60, with lows near 40. The comfortable stretch runs February through May, October, and November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 49° | 40° |
| April | 79° | 66° | 55° |
| July | 92° | 81° | 73° |
| October | 81° | 68° | 58° |
Flying in and out of 31743
The nearest airport, Southwest Georgia Regional, is about 29 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International, about 120 miles away.
The best schools in and around 31743
Schools across 31743 average a D, better than 6% of zip codes.
Top middle schools
- Lee County Middle School EastC+ · 36% proficient
- Crisp County Middle SchoolC− · 28% proficient
- Sumter County Middle SchoolF · 9% proficient
Top high schools
- Lee High School 9th Grade CampusB · 49% proficient
- Crisp County High SchoolD · 20% proficient
- Lee County High SchoolD− · 13% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 31743 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
31743 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 31743 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 31743
Is 31743 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 31743 ranks 31,242nd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, quiet, and state finances, and lowest on a weak job market and the schools. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 31743 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $125,681. The overall cost of living runs about 10% below the national average. Set against a $47,626 median income, cost of living beats 7% of zip codes.
Is 31743 safe?
31743 is safer than 14% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $524 per resident a year.
Compare 31743 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 31743. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 31743 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.
31743 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 31743: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 31743: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 31743: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 31743: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
31743 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.