Population & age
- Total population
- 3,529
- Median age
- 19.2
Athens-Clarke County, GA (30609)
Clarke County · Athens-Clarke County, GA · Population 3,529
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Athens-Clarke County, GA (ZIP 30609) sits in Clarke County within the Athens-Clarke County metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in below the national average at 12.5%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 6 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $9,050. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was winter storm-related (SEVERE WINTER STORM, 2026). Annual precipitation averages 51.8" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. Per USDA's Food Environment Atlas, 40.0% of residents in this county live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket — a deep food-access gap. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net loss of 1,226 residents (388 households) — the ZIP's primary county is shrinking. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: fair market rent of $1,280 for a two-bedroom. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 65.2%
- Black
- 11.3%
- Asian
- 10.8%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 10.2%
- Other / multi-racial
- 12.4%
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 36.1%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 27.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 0
- Renter-occupied
- 0
- Vacant units
- 0
Commute
- Public transit
- 168(23.9%)
- Work from home
- 75(10.7%)
- Avg commute
- 11.0 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 0
- Uninsured
- 60(1.7%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 0
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 293(8.3%)
- Non-English at home
- 785(22.2%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$1,120
/month
1 Bed
$1,140
/month
2 Bed
$1,280
/month
3 Bed
$1,670
/month
4 Bed
$1,760
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
1,172
Across 255 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $166.5M.
Single-family
212
18% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
960
82% of total units
Single-family value
$48.4M
construction value
Multifamily value
$118.2M
construction value
Apartment construction (5+ unit buildings) accounts for 75% of new units this year — the area is densifying, not just adding single-family stock.
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$57,718
Average weekly wage
$1,110
Total employment
72,792
Total establishments
3,952
That is roughly 12% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
3.6%
That is 0.4 percentage points below the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
65,487
Employed
63,160
Unemployed
2,327
Based on Clarke County, GA data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Public transit
FTA tracks transit service at the urbanized-area level. Numbers below reflect the agencies and modes serving the area that contains this ZIP, not stop-level coverage.
Service status
Available
Athens-Clarke County, GA
Reporting agencies
2
Largest: Athens-Clarke County Unified Government
Annual ridership
—
unlinked trips · 2024
Source: U.S. Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (transit.dot.gov). Public domain.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
13
Date Range
1973–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 24, 2026 (DR-3642)
Incident period: January 22, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane4 (31%)
- Biological2 (15%)
- Tornado2 (15%)
- Winter Storm1 (8%)
- Tropical Storm1 (8%)
- Other3 (23%)
Individual Assistance
2
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
1
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
13
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
3
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
60.2°F
48.2° – 72.2°
Annual precipitation
51.8"
Annual snowfall
0.6"
Heating · cooling days
3,172.3 · 1,450
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: WINTERVILLE, GA US, 5.2 miles from the centroid of Athens-Clarke County, GA (ZIP 30609)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
46
GoodGood 222dModerate 140dUSG 2d
Peak AQI (2024)
126
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Primary pollutant
PM2.5
258 days as main pollutant
Days measured
364
Based on Clarke County data (2024).
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (epa.gov). Public domain. Only counties with EPA AQS monitoring stations appear here (~30% of US counties); rural ZIPs whose primary county has no monitor will not show this section.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
8,073
That tracks the national county median of about 8,200 years per 100,000.
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
21%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.7
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.1
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
14.6%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
82
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,944
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
5.5
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
74%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
56%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 10.2% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Clarke data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Limited food access for many residents
40.0% of Clarke County, GA residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.19
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
0.02
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.89
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.97
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 21.8% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Clarke County, GA for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 0 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 0 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
0
Burglary
0
Vehicle theft
0
County-level data for Clarke (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▼−1,226 people
−388 households • −$78.8M net AGI flow
Moved in
6,564households
9,555 people • $333.8M AGI
Moved out
6,952households
10,781 people • $412.5M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Oconee County, GA — 314 households
- Gwinnett County, GA — 288 households
- Jackson County, GA — 207 households
- Fulton County, GA — 188 households
- Barrow County, GA — 174 households
Where departing residents went
- Oconee County, GA — 368 households
- Fulton County, GA — 296 households
- Jackson County, GA — 285 households
- Gwinnett County, GA — 284 households
- Madison County, GA — 267 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $50,846 versus departing households' $59,337.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Georgia
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 30609. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
5.39%
flat · 1 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
7.49%
State 4.00% · avg local 3.49%
Property tax (effective)
1.09%
Median $1,221/year
Tax burden rank
9 of 50
9.00% of personal income
Paid family leave
Program
No program
No program
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
130% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 30609
Other ZIPs in Athens-Clarke County
Nearby ZIPs by distance
30602 (Athens-Clarke County, 0.8 mi) · 30605 (Athens-Clarke County, 3.3 mi) · 30606 (Athens-Clarke County, 3.5 mi) · 30601 (Athens-Clarke County, 4.8 mi) · 30683 (Athens-Clarke County, 6.7 mi) · 30607 (Athens-Clarke County, 7.2 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
24.0%
9.0pp below the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
12.5%
19.5pp below the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
32.7%
10.7pp above the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
66.5%
9.5pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
13.8%
Tracks close to the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
1.8%
9.2pp below the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
6
Median in-state tuition
$9,050
Median earnings (10 yr)
$38,208
- 4-Year
University of Georgia
Athens, GA · 30602
- In-state tuition
- $11,450
- Out-of-state tuition
- $31,688
- Acceptance rate
- 37.7%
- Graduation rate
- 88.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $68,726
- Median student debt
- $18,500
- 2-Year
Athens Technical College
Athens, GA · 30601
- In-state tuition
- $3,390
- Out-of-state tuition
- $5,958
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 43.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $35,951
- Median student debt
- —
- 4-Year
Emmanuel University
Franklin Springs, GA · 30639
- In-state tuition
- $25,500
- Out-of-state tuition
- $25,500
- Acceptance rate
- 74.0%
- Graduation rate
- 38.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $38,208
- Median student debt
- $24,325
- Certificate
Georgia Institute of Cosmetology
Athens, GA · 30606
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 50.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $21,432
- Median student debt
- $11,273
- 4-Year
College of Athens
Watkinsville, GA · 30677
- In-state tuition
- $9,050
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,050
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- —
- Median student debt
- —
- 2-Year
Georgia Military College - Madison
Madison, GA · 30650
- In-state tuition
- $8,112
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,112
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $39,257
- Median student debt
- $8,563
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Athens-Clarke County, GA (ZIP 30609) sits in Clarke County within the Athens-Clarke County metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in below the national average at 12.5%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 6 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $9,050. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was winter storm-related (SEVERE WINTER STORM, 2026). Annual precipitation averages 51.8" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. Per USDA's Food Environment Atlas, 40.0% of residents in this county live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket — a deep food-access gap. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net loss of 1,226 residents (388 households) — the ZIP's primary county is shrinking. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: fair market rent of $1,280 for a two-bedroom. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits higher the national rate at 32.7%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 30609
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 30609?
24.0%, which is 9.0 percentage points below the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 30609?
32.7%, which is 10.7 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 30609?
12.5%, which is 19.5 percentage points below the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 30609?
3,529 people live in ZIP 30609, with a median age of 19.2 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 30609?
In ZIP 30609, 10.7% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 23.9% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 30609 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 30609 ranks in the 56th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 30609?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 30609, ranking in the 82th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 30609 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 13 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 30609 between 1973–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 30609?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 30609, accounting for 4 of 13 declarations (31%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 30609?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 30609 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3642) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 30609?
6 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 30609 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including University Of Georgia, Athens Technical College, and Emmanuel University (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 30609?
Median in-state tuition across 6 nearby institutions is $9,050 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 30609?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $38,208 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 30609?
ZIP 30609 has an average annual temperature of 60.2°F and 51.8" of annual precipitation based on the WINTERVILLE, GA US weather station 5.2 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
Does ZIP 30609 have public transit?
Yes — ZIP 30609 is part of the Athens-Clarke County, GA urbanized area, primarily served by Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (National Transit Database 2024, retrieved May 4, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 30609?
Georgia has a flat income tax with a top rate of 5.39%. Combined sales tax: 7.49% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Georgia have paid family leave?
Georgia has no state paid family leave program (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 30609?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (6 institutions), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (13 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), public transit coverage from the National Transit Database (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (13 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). Transit coverage retrieved May 4, 2026 from the National Transit Database (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 30609
Other ZIPs in Athens-Clarke County
Nearby ZIPs by distance
30602 (Athens-Clarke County, 0.8 mi) · 30605 (Athens-Clarke County, 3.3 mi) · 30606 (Athens-Clarke County, 3.5 mi) · 30601 (Athens-Clarke County, 4.8 mi) · 30683 (Athens-Clarke County, 6.7 mi) · 30607 (Athens-Clarke County, 7.2 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 30609?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
56th percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 2 census tracts, population 1,675
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
85
Limited English Speakers
66
Persons with Disability
76
Without HS Diploma
11
Without Health Insurance
129
Adults Age 65+
12
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.