Population & age
- Total population
- 821
- Median age
- 18.9
Valdosta, GA (31698)
Lowndes County · Valdosta, GA · Population 821
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Valdosta, GA (ZIP 31698) sits in Lowndes County within the Valdosta 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 12.9%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 3 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $6,124. Local establishments report average pay of $33,841 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $48,531 per worker, roughly 26% below the US average. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was hurricane-related (HURRICANE HELENE, 2024). Annual precipitation averages 52.8" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. County Health Rankings reports 11,342 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. Fast-food restaurants outnumber grocery stores roughly 7-to-1 per capita (USDA Food Environment Atlas) — a "food swamp" pattern often linked to higher diet-related disease prevalence. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Brooks County, GA (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,240 for a two-bedroom and 33.9% of workers working from home. 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
- 54.9%
- Black
- 41.8%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.0%
- Other / multi-racial
- 3.2%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 20.5%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 0
- Renter-occupied
- 0
- Vacant units
- 0
Commute
- Public transit
- 46(27.9%)
- Work from home
- 56(33.9%)
- Avg commute
- 13.7 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 0
- Uninsured
- 35(4.3%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 0
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 0(0.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 0(0.0%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$960
/month
1 Bed
$960
/month
2 Bed
$1,240
/month
3 Bed
$1,650
/month
4 Bed
$1,990
/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
899
Across 896 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $195.3M.
Single-family
893
99% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
6
1% of total units
Single-family value
$194.9M
construction value
Multifamily value
$397,600
construction value
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.
Business & employment
Business establishments
3
Total employment
107
Annual payroll
$3.6M
Average annual pay
$33,841
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$48,531
Average weekly wage
$933
Total employment
49,348
Total establishments
3,318
That is roughly 26% 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
3.9%
That tracks the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
49,343
Employed
47,395
Unemployed
1,948
Based on Lowndes 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
Valdosta, GA
Reporting agencies
1
Largest: City of Valdosta
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
18
Date Range
1977–2024
Most Recent Declaration
HURRICANE HELENE
Hurricane — declared September 30, 2024 (DR-4830)
Incident period: September 24, 2024 – October 30, 2024
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane7 (39%)
- Tropical Storm3 (17%)
- Biological2 (11%)
- Severe Storm2 (11%)
- Tornado1 (6%)
- Other3 (17%)
Individual Assistance
2
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
4
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
17
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
8
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
67.7°F
56.7° – 78.7°
Annual precipitation
52.8"
Diurnal range
22°F
Day-night swing
Heating · cooling days
1,510.4 · 2,505.8
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: MADISON, FL US, 27.3 miles from the centroid of Valdosta, GA (ZIP 31698)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
44
GoodGood 212dModerate 128dUSG 1dUnhealthy 1d
Peak AQI (2024)
154
Unhealthy
Primary pollutant
PM2.5
342 days as main pollutant
Days measured
342
Based on Lowndes 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)
11,342
That is roughly 3,142 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
22%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.6
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.5
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
14.3%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
56
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
3,021
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.3
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
76%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
38%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 11.7% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Lowndes 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
Moderate food access challenges
16.9% of Lowndes County, GA residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.14
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
0.03
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.19
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.96
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 8.3% 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 Lowndes 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 · 124 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 830 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
5
Burglary
125
Vehicle theft
97
County-level data for Lowndes (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)
▲+16 people
+35 households • −$29.7M net AGI flow
Moved in
5,483households
10,326 people • $248.7M AGI
Moved out
5,448households
10,310 people • $278.4M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Brooks County, GA — 171 households
- Lanier County, GA — 114 households
- Cook County, GA — 95 households
- Duval County, FL — 90 households
- Miami-Dade County, FL — 90 households
Where departing residents went
- Brooks County, GA — 192 households
- Lanier County, GA — 145 households
- Cook County, GA — 136 households
- Berrien County, GA — 104 households
- Duval County, FL — 101 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $45,367 versus departing households' $51,106.
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 31698. 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 31698
Other ZIPs in Valdosta
Nearby ZIPs by distance
31602 (Valdosta, 3.4 mi) · 31601 (Valdosta, 5.7 mi) · 31605 (Bemiss, 7.1 mi) · 31606 (Echols County, 7.4 mi) · 31699 (Moody Afb, 10.1 mi) · 31632 (Hahira, 10.2 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
28.2%
4.8pp below the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
12.9%
19.1pp below the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
24.7%
2.7pp above the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
73.3%
2.7pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
12.1%
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
3
Median in-state tuition
$6,124
Median earnings (10 yr)
$39,257
- 4-Year
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA · 31698
- In-state tuition
- $6,124
- Out-of-state tuition
- $17,836
- Acceptance rate
- 72.3%
- Graduation rate
- 42.0%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $49,361
- Median student debt
- $24,779
- 2-Year
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
Valdosta, GA · 31602
- In-state tuition
- $3,480
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,048
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 47.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $30,864
- Median student debt
- —
- 2-Year
Georgia Military College - Valdosta
Valdosta, GA · 31605
- 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
Valdosta, GA (ZIP 31698) sits in Lowndes County within the Valdosta 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 12.9%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 3 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $6,124. Local establishments report average pay of $33,841 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $48,531 per worker, roughly 26% below the US average. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was hurricane-related (HURRICANE HELENE, 2024). Annual precipitation averages 52.8" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. County Health Rankings reports 11,342 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. Fast-food restaurants outnumber grocery stores roughly 7-to-1 per capita (USDA Food Environment Atlas) — a "food swamp" pattern often linked to higher diet-related disease prevalence. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Brooks County, GA (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,240 for a two-bedroom and 33.9% of workers working from home. 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 24.7%. 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 31698
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 31698?
28.2%, which is 4.8 percentage points below the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 31698?
24.7%, which is 2.7 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 31698?
12.9%, which is 19.1 percentage points below the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 31698?
821 people live in ZIP 31698, with a median age of 18.9 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 31698?
In ZIP 31698, 33.9% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 27.9% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 31698?
As of 2022, 3 business establishments operated in ZIP 31698 employing 107 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 31698?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 31698 is $33,841, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 31698 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 31698 ranks in the 57th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 31698?
Socioeconomic Status is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 31698, ranking in the 78th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 31698 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 18 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 31698 between 1977–2024 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 31698?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 31698, accounting for 7 of 18 declarations (39%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 31698?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 31698 was "HURRICANE HELENE" — a hurricane declared in 2024 (DR-4830) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 31698?
3 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 31698 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Valdosta State University, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, and Georgia Military College - Valdosta (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 31698?
Median in-state tuition across 3 nearby institutions is $6,124 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 31698?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $39,257 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 31698?
ZIP 31698 has an average annual temperature of 67.7°F and 52.8" of annual precipitation based on the MADISON, FL US weather station 27.3 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
Does ZIP 31698 have public transit?
Yes — ZIP 31698 is part of the Valdosta, GA urbanized area, primarily served by City of Valdosta (National Transit Database 2024, retrieved May 4, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 31698?
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 31698?
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 (3 institutions), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (18 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. Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (18 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 31698
Other ZIPs in Valdosta
Nearby ZIPs by distance
31602 (Valdosta, 3.4 mi) · 31601 (Valdosta, 5.7 mi) · 31605 (Bemiss, 7.1 mi) · 31606 (Echols County, 7.4 mi) · 31699 (Moody Afb, 10.1 mi) · 31632 (Hahira, 10.2 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 31698?
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
57th percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 2 census tracts, population 442
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
32
Limited English Speakers
4
Persons with Disability
56
Without HS Diploma
16
Without Health Insurance
60
Adults Age 65+
44
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.