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Place dossier plate
SheetGA-WAYCROSS-GA · Waycross, GA 13,813 pop · income 6th pct · 10 tracts
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 Waycross
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Waycross on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Lineville · lowest
37,396
Lineville · lowest
37,396 median HH income
25.5% of the leader · rank #1
Houstonia · near
37,396
Houstonia · near
37,396 median HH income
25.5% of the leader · rank #2
Waycross · this city
37,398
Waycross · this city
37,398 median HH income
25.5% of the leader · rank #3
Sutton · near
37,400
Sutton · near
37,400 median HH income
25.5% of the leader · rank #4
Red Rock · near
37,401
Red Rock · near
37,401 median HH income
25.5% of the leader · rank #5
Newington · highest
146,681
Newington · highest
146,681 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
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.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Waycross on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 13,813.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Waycross - the verdict
Waycross ranks in the 6th percentile for household income and the 2nd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
6th
percentile, household income
6th
percentile, home value
51st
percentile, median rent
2nd
percentile, safety
📝 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: Waycross, GA
Georgia's Waycross is a small town, with 13,813 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Waycross households earn a median of $37,398 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 30.0%. Waycross's housing stock carries a median value of $88,600, and the median resident age is 35.5 years. 16.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 45.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 10 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Low Activity). Waycross's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 6061.3 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 67.3°F with 50.4 inches of precipitation per year.
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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,203 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Georgia's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). 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 Waycross'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 reported crime to work and mobility to population change to schools and households to within-city variation to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Waycross, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
How far does income reach against housing in Waycross?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 30.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Waycross?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 6061.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 166% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 10 Census tracts to this city.
Which cities make useful reference points for Waycross?
Within Georgia, the closest population matches are College Park (13,969 residents, $48,505 income); Vinings (13,538 residents, $91,308 income); Braselton (14,139 residents, $113,810 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Hawaiian Gardens, CA (13,816 residents); Halawa, HI (13,809 residents); Lumberton, TX (13,803 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.
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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Waycross?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 84.2%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
5.0%
Drive alone
84.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 4,443 workers age 16+.
Is Waycross growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
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.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +2 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 10 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+0.0%
2025 estimate
13,936
2020 estimate
13,934
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
The NCES join finds 10 public schools within the city match. 16.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
10
Bachelor's degree+
16.3%
Poverty estimate
30.0%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 67.3°F, with 50.4 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Georgia is 39.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
67.3°F
Annual precipitation
50.4 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
39.5
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 30.0% (Highest-decile poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
96.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Georgia average
F
City profile score · Waycross, GA
16/100
5 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
16.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$37,398
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
30.0%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
1,033 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Waycross profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.3 index
Bachelor's+ share: 24/100 (F) · 16.3%
Household income: 3/100 (F) · $37,398
Poverty rate: 0/100 (F) · 30.0%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 1,033 /100k
Where Waycross sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Waycross's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Waycross highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Waycross, GA (this city): home $88,600, crime 6,061/100k
Hawaiian Gardens, CA : home $509,600, crime 2,839/100k
Lumberton, TX : home $271,500, crime 538/100k
Bedford, IN : home $136,900, crime 303/100k
Olean, NY : home $90,500, crime 4,136/100k
College Park, GA : home $314,500, crime 8,731/100k
Braselton, GA : home $425,900, crime 788/100k
Jefferson, GA : home $346,800, crime 493/100k
Covington, GA : home $242,700, crime 4,465/100k
Bainbridge, GA : home $150,600, crime 3,631/100k
How does Waycross compare to other US cities?
Where Waycross sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income6% higher than other cities
Home value6% pricier than other cities
Median rent51% pricier than other cities
Safety2% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Georgia and the picture shifts: Waycross ranks #162 of 166 Georgia cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Waycross 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 Waycross near the bottom of Georgia's cities
Among the 638 Georgia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Waycross ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Waycross only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#498 of 610
18th percentile in Georgia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 638
0th percentile in Georgia
Median Home Value
#483 of 577
16th percentile in Georgia
Poverty Rate
#69 of 637
89th percentile in Georgia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#344 of 638
45th 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.
Gauge source note
6th percentile nationally for median household income · 2nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Waycross's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Waycross's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Waycross's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$88,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 94% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Waycross's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,327 of 15,516
More affordable than 79% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#262 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.4×, Waycross sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,327 of 15,516 and #262 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
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
$37,398Waycross, GA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Waycross, 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 Waycross, GA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)16.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)30.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)45.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
13,813
Median Income
$37,398
Median Home Value
$88,600
Median Age
35.5
Poverty Rate
30.0%
Labor force participation
45.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
6061.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1033.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
5027.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
67.3°F
Annual Precipitation
50.4"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Schools
Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Waycross's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
13,934 residents
2021
13,758 residents
2022
13,789 residents
2023
13,802 residents
2024
13,827 residents
2025
13,936 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
10
housing units authorized
Single-Family
7
detached homes
Multifamily
3
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
2
2
0
$0.5M
2021
4
4
0
$0.8M
2022
6
6
0
$1.3M
2023
4
2
2
$0.5M
2024
10
7
3
$2.0M
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
84.2%
Carpool
8.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
5.0%
Other
1.3%
Based on 4,443 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 Waycross. 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 Waycross 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 Waycross sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Waycross 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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.