Housing decision brief
Dougherty County, GA Housing Market
Dougherty County screens as a below-state purchase price, rent that needs comparison, 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.
62nd lowest home value out of 159 Georgia counties with data | 97th lowest rent out of 159
Median home value
$129,200
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$905/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$887/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.8x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
31.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$18/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$129,200 median home value is 20% below Georgia county median
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $18/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Lower income base
$46,784 median income is 16% below Georgia county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.39% effective property-tax rate is 56% above Georgia county median
Health context
Health score is 10.5 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
- 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 Dougherty 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. | $129,200 | $161,000 | $281,900 | 20% favorable20% below Georgia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $905 | $847 | $1,163 | 7% pressure7% above Georgia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $887 | $786 | $1,672 | 13% pressure13% above Georgia county median |
Median household income | $46,784 | $55,714 | $74,755 | 16% pressure16% below Georgia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.39% | 0.89% | 1.02% | 56% pressure56% above Georgia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 31.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 11% pressure31.00% 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
+$10,584
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$8,770
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Dougherty County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $905/month , about 23.2% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Dougherty County pay $905/month on average, compared to $887/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 2%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $36,200/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $38,014/year. With a median household income of $46,784, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 31.0% of renter households in Dougherty County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Elbert County where rent averages $849/month, Dougherty County is approximately 7% more 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talbot County, GA | $127,200 | $950/mo | Same-state comparison near $127,200 home value and $950/mo rent. |
| Cook County, GA | $123,000 | $901/mo | Same-state comparison near $123,000 home value and $901/mo rent. |
| Charlton County, GA | $119,000 | $895/mo | Same-state comparison near $119,000 home value and $895/mo rent. |
| Sumter County, GA | $122,300 | $847/mo | Same-state comparison near $122,300 home value and $847/mo rent. |
| Elbert County, GA | $114,600 | $849/mo | Same-state comparison near $114,600 home value and $849/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Dougherty County
Is Dougherty County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Dougherty County?
How much income do you need for housing in Dougherty County?
What should I double-check before moving to Dougherty County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.