City profile · Georgia · Census ACS 2023

Santa Claus, GA

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

171
Residents
$73,214
Median income
$108,300
Median home
$1,203
Median rent (state)
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Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

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Starting with Santa Claus, GA - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Santa Claus.

Place dossier plate

Sheet GA-SANTA-CLAUS-GA · Santa Claus, GA 171 pop · income 54th pct

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

  • POP-VILLAGE 171
  • INC-MID $73,214
  • COL-PAR 96.3
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-MID 54th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Kahuku
  • HOME-LOW $108,300
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Kahuku, HI (+ $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 Santa Claus

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Santa Claus 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 Santa Claus 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: 171.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $73,214. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Santa Claus - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Santa Claus lands in the 54th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

54th
percentile, household income
12th
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: Santa Claus, GA

171 people live in Santa Claus, Georgia - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Santa Claus households earn a median of $73,214 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.6%. Home values in Santa Claus run a median of $108,300, and the median resident age is 37.9 years. 32.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 68.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Georgia run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Georgia scores 96.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,203 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Georgia run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 39.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Santa Claus'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 housing and income to comparison shortlist to population change to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

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

1. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Santa Claus?

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. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

2. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Santa Claus?

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 Manor (170 residents); Waverly (172 residents, $82,188 income); Brinson (173 residents, $72,000 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Spring Garden, AL (171 residents); Grayling, AK (171 residents); Keswick, CA (171 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 3

Is Santa Claus growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.5% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 4

What does the journey to work look like in Santa Claus?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 71.6%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

171 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$73,214 /yr

Above median income · poverty 3.6% (Below-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.3 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Georgia average

City profile score · Santa Claus, GA

61/100

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.

Poverty rate B
3.6%

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

Bachelor's+ share C+
32.8%

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

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.

Household income C-
$73,214

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).

Santa Claus profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share, Cost of living, Household income. Poverty rateBachelor's+ shareCost of livingHousehold income 61 C+
Santa Claus profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 74/100 (B) · 3.6%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 63/100 (C+) · 32.8%
  • Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.3 index
  • Household income: 53/100 (C-) · $73,214

How does Santa Claus compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 54% higher than other cities
Home value 12% 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 Santa Claus 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 Santa Claus near the bottom of Georgia's cities

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

Median Household Income
#161 of 610
74th percentile in Georgia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 638
0th percentile in Georgia
Median Home Value
#424 of 577
27th percentile in Georgia
Poverty Rate
#537 of 637
15th percentile in Georgia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#121 of 638
81st 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.

54thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

54th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Santa Claus's home value compares nationally

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

$108,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 88% 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. Santa Claus $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

Santa Claus's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.5×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#366 of 15,516
More affordable than 98% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#360 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 1.5×, Santa Claus sits in the affordable band: national rank #366 of 15,516 and #360 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

$73,214 Santa Claus, GA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Santa Claus, GA Santa Claus, GA's median household income ($73,214) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Santa Claus, GA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Santa Claus, GA median $73,214/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%
Santa Claus, 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 Santa Claus, GA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 32.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 68.2%

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

Population
171
Median Income
$73,214
Median Home Value
$108,300
Median Age
37.9
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Labor force participation
68.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.8%

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
196 residents198 residents200 residents202 residents204 residents 202020212022202320242025 201 residents 202 residents ▲ +0.5%
Santa Claus's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 201 residents
2021 199 residents
2022 198 residents
2023 201 residents
2024 202 residents
2025 202 residents

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
71.6%
Carpool
9.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
4.9%
Other
13.6%

Based on 81 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 Santa Claus. 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 Santa Claus 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 Santa Claus sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Santa Claus 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
Santa Claus (this city) 171 $73,214
Manor 170 N/A
Waverly 172 $82,188
Brinson 173 $72,000
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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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