ZIP Code 31503 — Waycross city, GA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 31503 covers Waycross, GA in Ware County with a population of about 23,173.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 37.2 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 912; U.S. House district GA-1; the JACKSONVILLE media market.

Waycross, GA sits in a university / college context (near coastal pines technical college (2.2 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 31503 is about $55,042 — about 27% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 17.7%; unemployment rate near 5.5%; 12.3% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 21.4 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Manufacturing; about 4.8% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 10.4 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $108,100 — about 69% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $633 (about 46% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 67.8% (about 2.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 31503 in Waycross, GA, a household would need roughly $30,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $694. That sits below the local median household income ($55,042), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Waycross city, GA as Relatively Low (composite score 49.4), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (87.7) and wildfire (73.7). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Waycross city, GA show little to no average snow and around 50.4 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,022 for ZIP 31503 (Waycross city, GA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.