Housing decision brief
Ben Hill County, GA Housing Market
Ben Hill County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
42nd lowest home value out of 159 Georgia counties with data | 25th lowest rent out of 159
Median home value
$114,600
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$692/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$654/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
23.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$38/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$114,600 median home value is 29% below Georgia county median
Lower rent
$692/mo is 18% below Georgia county median
Rent burden below pressure line
23.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $38/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Lower income base
$39,081 median income is 30% below Georgia county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.06% effective property-tax rate is 19% above Georgia county median
Health context
Health score is 8.8 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Ben Hill County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $114,600 | $161,000 | $281,900 | 29% favorable29% below Georgia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $692 | $847 | $1,163 | 18% favorable18% below Georgia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $654 | $786 | $1,672 | 17% favorable17% below Georgia county median |
Median household income | $39,081 | $55,714 | $74,755 | 30% pressure30% below Georgia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.06% | 0.89% | 1.02% | 19% pressure19% above Georgia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 23.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 18% favorable23.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$11,401
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$11,052
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Ben Hill County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $692/month in gross rent, with 23.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
Renters in Ben Hill County pay $692/month on average, compared to $654/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 5%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $27,680/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $28,029/year. With a median household income of $39,081, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 23.0% of renter households in Ben Hill County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Crisp County where rent averages $743/month, Ben Hill County is approximately 7% less expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Davis County, GA | $109,300 | $674/mo | Same-state comparison near $109,300 home value and $674/mo rent. |
| Terrell County, GA | $111,500 | $727/mo | Same-state comparison near $111,500 home value and $727/mo rent. |
| Crisp County, GA | $120,800 | $743/mo | Same-state comparison near $120,800 home value and $743/mo rent. |
| Quitman County, GA | $103,000 | $734/mo | Same-state comparison near $103,000 home value and $734/mo rent. |
| Baker County, GA | $120,100 | $643/mo | Same-state comparison near $120,100 home value and $643/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 2 active sites in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Ben Hill County
Is Ben Hill County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Ben Hill County?
How much income do you need for housing in Ben Hill County?
What should I double-check before moving to Ben Hill County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.