City profile · Georgia · Census ACS 2023

Ray City, GA

Ray City's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

906
Residents
$42,344
Median income
$118,800
Median home
$1,203
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Ray City.

Place dossier plate

Sheet GA-RAY-CITY-GA · Ray City, GA 906 pop · income 10th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-LOW · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 906
  • INC-LOW $42,344
  • COL-PAR 96.3
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 10th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Walden
  • HOME-LOW $118,800
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Walden, CO (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Ray City

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Ray City on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Ray City on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 906.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $42,344. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Ray City - the verdict

Nationally, Ray City sits in the 10th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

10th
percentile, household income
17th
percentile, home value
51st
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Ray City, GA

Ray City is a small town in Georgia, home to 906 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Ray City report a median income of $42,344 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 18.1%. Ray City's housing stock carries a median value of $118,800, and the median resident age is 30.4 years. Educational attainment runs 14.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 48.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 43 residential building permits were authorized in Ray City (Building Boom), up 617% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Living costs in Georgia run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Georgia at 96.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,203 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Georgia's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). The average commute for Ray City workers runs 20.4 minutes, with 90.9% driving alone and 9.1% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 39.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Ray City's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to housing and income to comparison shortlist to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Ray City, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

Is Ray City growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +174 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +18.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 43 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

See the national growth ranking →

2. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Ray City?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 18.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

3. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Ray City?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Georgia, the closest population matches are Shellman (901 residents, $27,292 income); Coolidge (900 residents, $55,156 income); Hoboken (913 residents, $71,094 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Mechanicsville, CT (906 residents); Coyne Center, IL (906 residents); Lawton, IA (906 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 4

What does the journey to work look like in Ray City?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 90.9%. The reported mean trip to work is 20.4 minutes.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

906 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$42,344 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 18.1% (High poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.3 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Georgia average

City profile score · Ray City, GA

25/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living C
96.3 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
14.3%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Poverty rate F
18.1%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Household income F
$42,344

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Ray City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Poverty rate, Household income. Cost of livingBachelor's+ sharePoverty rateHousehold income 25 F
Ray City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.3 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 18/100 (F) · 14.3%
  • Poverty rate: 17/100 (F) · 18.1%
  • Household income: 10/100 (F) · $42,344

How does Ray City compare to other US cities?

Ray City measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 10% higher than other cities
Home value 17% pricier than other cities
Median rent 51% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Ray City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Georgia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Georgia-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Ray City near the bottom of Georgia's cities

Among the 638 Georgia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Ray City ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ray City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#446 of 610
27th percentile in Georgia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 638
0th percentile in Georgia
Median Home Value
#395 of 577
32nd percentile in Georgia
Poverty Rate
#212 of 637
67th percentile in Georgia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#389 of 638
39th percentile in Georgia
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Georgia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

10thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

10th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Ray City's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$118,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 83% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). This entry sits in this band. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Ray City $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Ray City's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,620 of 15,516
More affordable than 64% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,872 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.8×, Ray City sits in the affordable band: national rank #5,620 of 15,516 and #4,872 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$42,344 Ray City, GA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Ray City, GA Ray City, GA's median household income ($42,344) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Ray City, GA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Ray City, GA median $42,344/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Ray City, GA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Ray City, GA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 14.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 18.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 48.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
906
Median Income
$42,344
Median Home Value
$118,800
Median Age
30.4
Poverty Rate
18.1%
Labor force participation
48.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.3%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
900 residents1,000 residents1,100 residents1,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 958 residents 1,132 residents ▲ +18.2%
Ray City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 958 residents
2021 966 residents
2022 979 residents
2023 1,024 residents
2024 1,050 residents
2025 1,132 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
43
housing units authorized
Single-Family
43
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
47.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 6
2020 8
2021 6
2022 14
2023 11
2024 43

Permit volume increased 617% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.4 minutes
Drive Alone
90.9%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
9.1%

Based on 318 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Georgia statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Georgia at $225 (electricity about $125 , water and sewer about $45 ).

These are Georgia statewide averages, not a meter reading for Ray City. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Georgia's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Ray City is $1,203/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Georgia statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.5 / 100 (Very Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Georgia statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Ray City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Ray City compares to similar-size Georgia cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Ray City (this city) 906 $42,344
Shellman 901 $27,292
Coolidge 900 $55,156
Hoboken 913 $71,094
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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