Housing decision brief
Towns County, GA Housing Market
Towns County screens as a higher 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.
144th lowest home value out of 159 Georgia counties with data | 71st lowest rent out of 159
Median home value
$311,900
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$822/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$866/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
5.3x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
28.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$44/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$822/mo is 3% below Georgia county median
Rent burden below pressure line
28.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
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
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- 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 Towns 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. | $311,900 | $161,000 | $281,900 | 94% pressure94% above Georgia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $822 | $847 | $1,163 | Near state median3% below Georgia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $866 | $786 | $1,672 | 10% pressure10% above Georgia county median |
Median household income | $58,400 | $55,714 | $74,755 | 5% favorable5% above Georgia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.37% | 0.89% | 1.02% | 59% favorable59% below Georgia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 28.00% | 28.00% | N/A | Near state median28.00% 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
+$25,520
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$21,286
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Towns County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $822/month , about 16.9% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Towns County pay $822/month on average, compared to $866/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 5%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $32,880/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $37,114/year. With a median household income of $58,400, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 28.0% of renter households in Towns County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Berrien County where rent averages $771/month, Towns 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fannin County, GA | $274,600 | $876/mo | Same-state comparison near $274,600 home value and $876/mo rent. |
| Union County, GA | $272,600 | $842/mo | Same-state comparison near $272,600 home value and $842/mo rent. |
| Rabun County, GA | $272,600 | $1,016/mo | Same-state comparison near $272,600 home value and $1,016/mo rent. |
| Adams County, ID | $327,300 | $823/mo | Out-of-state peer near $327,300 home value and $823/mo rent. |
| Banks County, GA | $251,700 | $788/mo | Same-state comparison near $251,700 home value and $788/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 Towns County
Is Towns County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Towns County?
How much income do you need for housing in Towns County?
What should I double-check before moving to Towns County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.