Housing decision brief
Dooly County, GA Housing Market
Dooly 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.
23rd lowest home value out of 159 Georgia counties with data | 46th lowest rent out of 159
Median home value
$96,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$761/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$636/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
19.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$125/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
$96,400 median home value is 40% below Georgia county median
Lower rent
$761/mo is 10% below Georgia county median
Rent burden below pressure line
19.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $125/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 85.1 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
1.24% effective property-tax rate is 40% above Georgia county median
Health context
Health score is 20.9 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
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- 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 Dooly 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. | $96,400 | $161,000 | $281,900 | 40% favorable40% below Georgia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $761 | $847 | $1,163 | 10% favorable10% below Georgia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $636 | $786 | $1,672 | 19% favorable19% below Georgia county median |
Median household income | $56,545 | $55,714 | $74,755 | Near state median1% above Georgia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.24% | 0.89% | 1.02% | 40% pressure40% above Georgia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 19.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 32% favorable19.00% 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
+$26,105
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$29,288
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Dooly County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $761/month , about 16.1% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Dooly County is $761/month, while owner costs run $636/month. Owning saves approximately $125/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $30,440/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $27,257/year. With a median household income of $56,545, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 19.0% of renter households in Dooly County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Dooly County sits 6% less expensive than Glascock County ($813/month) in terms of median gross rent.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes County, GA | $105,000 | $759/mo | Same-state comparison near $105,000 home value and $759/mo rent. |
| Mitchell County, GA | $105,500 | $776/mo | Same-state comparison near $105,500 home value and $776/mo rent. |
| Irwin County, GA | $105,300 | $824/mo | Same-state comparison near $105,300 home value and $824/mo rent. |
| Burke County, GA | $107,800 | $763/mo | Same-state comparison near $107,800 home value and $763/mo rent. |
| Chattooga County, GA | $98,700 | $789/mo | Same-state comparison near $98,700 home value and $789/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 1 active site in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Dooly County
Is Dooly County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Dooly County?
How much income do you need for housing in Dooly County?
What should I double-check before moving to Dooly County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.