39851 ZIP Code — Fort Gaines, GA

Clay County, Georgia

ZIP code 39851 is located in Fort Gaines, Georgia, within Clay County. It covers approximately 137.10 square miles and serves a population of 1,872 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 229.

About ZIP code 39851

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $76,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 59%.

Median household income is $32,331. Poverty affects 28% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 39% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (46%), diabetes (23%), smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 39851 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,872

population

137.10

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

39851 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 39851

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 39851. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Fort Gaines	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

39824 Bluffton (9.6 mi) 39836 Coleman (9.8 mi) 36373 Shorterville (11.4 mi) 36310 Abbeville (12 mi) 39840 Cuthbert (17.4 mi) 39846 Edison (17.7 mi) 39854 Georgetown (18.3 mi) 39823 Blakely (19 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,872
Population density	14 / sq mi
State FIPS	13
County FIPS	061

Geography
Land area	137.10 sq mi
Water area	20.85 sq mi
Latitude	31.6482
Longitude	-85.0337
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	229

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	76.4%	72.4%	41.5%
$50k – $100k	17.9%	23.0%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	4.7%	3.7%	21.2%
Over $200k	1.0%	0.9%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

1,872

Population

People per sq mi

42.5

Median age

$32,331

Median household income

$21,899

Per capita income

$76,700

Median home value

$378

Median monthly rent

59.1%

Home ownership

28.2%

Poverty rate

5.8%

Unemployment

1,017

Housing units

16.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

101

20–24

25–34

113

35–44

123

45–54

115

55–59

60–64

112

65–74

149

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	447	23.9%
18 and over	1,425	76.1%
65 and over	460	24.6%
Median age	42.5 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 73.4%

White 23.3%

Asian 2.3%

Two or more races 0.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.3%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	1,378	73.4%
White	437	23.3%
Asian	44	2.3%
Two or more races	13	0.7%
Hispanic or Latino	6	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	76.4%	72.4%	41.5%
$50k – $100k	17.9%	23.0%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	4.7%	3.7%	21.2%
Over $200k	1.0%	0.9%	7.1%

Under $10k 9.2%

$10k–$15k 11.2%

$15k–$25k 16.6%

$25k–$35k 13.3%

$35k–$50k 14.8%

$50k–$75k 11.2%

$75k–$100k 18.4%

$100k–$150k 5.1%

$150k–$200k 0.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.2%
$10k–$15k	11.2%
$15k–$25k	16.6%
$25k–$35k	13.3%
$35k–$50k	14.8%
$50k–$75k	11.2%
$75k–$100k	18.4%
$100k–$150k	5.1%
$150k–$200k	0.2%
Median income	$32,331

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 29.4%

$50k–$100k 35.1%

$100k–$150k 15.5%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k–$300k 8.8%

$300k–$500k 5.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$76,700
Median rent / month	$378
Owner occupied	59.1%
Renter occupied	40.9%
Vacant	40.2%
Single-family detached	55.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.4%
Mobile homes	35.0%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	1.99

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.4%
2000–2009	9.7%
1990–1999	18.1%
1980–1989	15.5%
1970–1979	22.4%
1960–1969	6.2%
1950–1959	6.3%
1940–1949	3.3%
1939 or earlier	13.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.2%
1 bedroom	7.7%
2 bedrooms	30.7%
3 bedrooms	43.6%
4 bedrooms	13.3%
5+ bedrooms	2.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.4%
1 vehicle	36.9%
2 vehicles	31.3%
3 or more	20.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.5%
Electricity	81.9%
Propane / LP gas	12.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	162	20.1%
Cohabiting couple	41	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	203	25.2%
Female householder, no spouse	399	49.6%
Households with children under 18	152	18.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	343	42.6%
Average household size	2.25

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	44.0%	41.2%
Married	33.6%	18.1%
Separated	8.3%	5.9%
Widowed	6.5%	13.9%
Divorced	7.5%	20.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.3%

Some HS, no diploma 7.5%

HS graduate 35.7%

Some college, no degree 22.5%

Associate's degree 15.9%

Bachelor's degree 6.4%

Graduate / professional 9.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.2%
Bachelor's or higher	16.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	18	3.9%
Kindergarten	16	3.4%
Elementary school	141	30.4%
High school	165	35.6%
College / grad school	124	26.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.3%

Transportation & utilities 13.5%

Manufacturing 12.4%

Public administration 11.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.2%

Retail trade 9.4%

Agriculture & mining 7.9%

Construction 7.8%

Other services 4.6%

Finance & real estate 1.9%

Professional & management 1.0%

Wholesale trade 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	18.9%
Service	22.3%
Sales & office	21.4%
Natural resources & construction	10.0%
Production & transportation	27.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.3%
Government	17.1%
Self-employed	6.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.4%
Carpool	4.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.0%
Work from home	5.0%
Other means	5.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.7

Poverty

All people 28.2%

Under 18 years 47.9%

18 and over 21.7%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 27.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.2%
Retirement income	28.3%
Supplemental Security	5.5%
Cash public assistance	0.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	38.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	46.0%
High blood pressure	53.3%
High cholesterol	39.1%
Diabetes	22.7%
Heart disease	11.6%
Stroke	7.3%
Asthma	12.4%
Arthritis	37.4%
Kidney disease	5.8%
Pulmonary disease	13.5%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.5%
Binge drinking	10.0%
No physical activity	40.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	41.3%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	31.7%
Poor mental health	17.7%
Poor physical health	18.6%
No health insurance	26.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.3%
Visited dentist	41.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.8%
Teeth loss	31.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	108	7.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.2%
Under 18	5.4%
18–64 years	8.4%
65 and over	45.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.3%
Public insurance	50.4%
No insurance	9.0%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,714	91.6%
Spanish	23	1.3%
Other Indo-European	23	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,812	96.8%
Born in same state	1,805	96.4%
Born in different state	1,448	77.4%
Foreign born	7	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	60	3.2%
Not a US citizen	16	26.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	173	9.2%
French	112	6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	44	2.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.0%
Internet access	91.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 39851

What city is ZIP code 39851 in?

ZIP code 39851 is primarily assigned to Fort Gaines, Georgia.

What county is ZIP code 39851 in?

ZIP code 39851 falls within Clay County, Georgia.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 39851?

28% of residents in ZIP code 39851 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 39851 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 39851 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 39851?

Health data for ZIP code 39851 shows elevated rates of obesity (46%) and diabetes (23%) and smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 39851?

The median home value in ZIP code 39851 is $76,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 39851 in?

ZIP code 39851 observes the EST timezone.