Housing decision brief
Irwin County, GA Housing Market
Irwin 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.
31st lowest home value out of 159 Georgia counties with data | 72nd lowest rent out of 159
Median home value
$105,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$824/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$685/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
23.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$139/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
$105,300 median home value is 35% below Georgia county median
Lower rent
$824/mo is 3% 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 $139/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 86.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$53,915 median income is 3% below Georgia county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.11% effective property-tax rate is 25% above Georgia county median
Health context
Health score is 18.6 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
- 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 Irwin 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. | $105,300 | $161,000 | $281,900 | 35% favorable35% below Georgia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $824 | $847 | $1,163 | Near state median3% below Georgia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $685 | $786 | $1,672 | 13% favorable13% below Georgia county median |
Median household income | $53,915 | $55,714 | $74,755 | Near state median3% below Georgia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.11% | 0.89% | 1.02% | 25% pressure25% 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
+$20,955
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$24,558
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Irwin County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $824/month , about 18.3% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Irwin County is $824/month, while owner costs run $685/month. Owning saves approximately $139/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $32,960/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $29,357/year. With a median household income of $53,915, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 23.0% of renter households in Irwin County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Georgia, Irwin County is less affordable than Fannin County by roughly 6% ($824/mo vs $876/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County, GA | $105,500 | $776/mo | Same-state comparison near $105,500 home value and $776/mo rent. |
| Wilkes County, GA | $105,000 | $759/mo | Same-state comparison near $105,000 home value and $759/mo rent. |
| Bacon County, GA | $104,100 | $789/mo | Same-state comparison near $104,100 home value and $789/mo rent. |
| Seminole County, GA | $111,600 | $819/mo | Same-state comparison near $111,600 home value and $819/mo rent. |
| Burke County, GA | $107,800 | $763/mo | Same-state comparison near $107,800 home value and $763/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Irwin County
Is Irwin County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Irwin County?
How much income do you need for housing in Irwin County?
What should I double-check before moving to Irwin County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.