Housing decision brief
Clay County, GA Housing Market
Clay County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable 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.
16th lowest home value out of 159 Georgia counties with data | 3rd lowest rent out of 159
Median home value
$94,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$536/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$656/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
26.5%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$120/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
3 notes
Home-value estimate has a $25,961 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$94,400 median home value is 45% below Georgia county median
Lower rent
$536/mo is 39% below Georgia county median
Rent burden below pressure line
26.50% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 91.6 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$49,147 median income is 16% below Georgia county median
Health context
Health score is 21.7 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.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $25,961, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- 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 Clay 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. | $94,400 | $170,200 | $281,900 | 45% favorable45% below Georgia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $536 | $879 | $1,163 | 39% favorable39% below Georgia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $656 | $811 | $1,672 | 19% favorable19% below Georgia county median |
Median household income | $49,147 | $58,239 | $74,755 | 16% pressure16% below Georgia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.99% | 1.00% | 1.02% | Near state median1% below Georgia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 26.50% | 28.70% | N/A | 8% favorable26.50% 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
+$27,707
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$21,033
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Clay County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $578/month representing approximately 14.2% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 29.0%.
Rent vs own
At $578/month rent versus $653/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $75/month cheaper , a 11% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $23,120/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $27,986/year. With a median household income of $48,715, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in Clay County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Georgia, Clay County is less affordable than Screven County by roughly 8% ($578/mo vs $629/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkins County, GA | $92,900 | $535/mo | Same-state comparison near $92,900 home value and $535/mo rent. |
| Calhoun County, GA | $81,000 | $546/mo | Same-state comparison near $81,000 home value and $546/mo rent. |
| Johnson County, GA | $94,900 | $647/mo | Same-state comparison near $94,900 home value and $647/mo rent. |
| Clinch County, GA | $84,400 | $509/mo | Same-state comparison near $84,400 home value and $509/mo rent. |
| Wilcox County, GA | $87,600 | $610/mo | Same-state comparison near $87,600 home value and $610/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $25,961 ACS margin of error.
- 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 Clay County
Is Clay County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Clay County?
How much income do you need for housing in Clay County?
What should I double-check before moving to Clay County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.