Valdosta, GA
Census place 1378800 · pop 55,252
Long branded the 'Azalea City' for its springtime blooms and home to Valdosta State University.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
80.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
4095 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
41.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
20.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
26.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$45,925 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
41.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
556 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
16.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
32.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
16.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
28.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
2 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.95% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
81/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$182,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,366/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
16 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Frequently asked
- Is Valdosta, GA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Valdosta scores 36/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is broadband access. Georgia overall ranks #30 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Valdosta, GA?
- Valdosta reports 556 violent crimes per 100k and 4095 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Valdosta, GA expensive to live in?
- Valdosta has a median home value of $182,800 and typical rent around $1,366/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Valdosta, GA?
- Its weakest measured area is broadband access (80.8%) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Valdosta, GA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (16 min) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Long branded the 'Azalea City' for its springtime blooms and home to Valdosta State University.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.