31543 ZIP Code — Hortense, GA

Brantley County, Georgia

ZIP code 31543 is located in Hortense, Georgia, within Brantley County. It covers approximately 164.81 square miles and serves a population of 4,483 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 912.

About ZIP code 31543

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $79,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $36,648. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 53% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 34 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks. 16% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 31543 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

4,483

population

164.81

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

31543 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 31543

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 31543. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hortense	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

31546 Jesup (11.8 mi) 31566 Waynesville (12.4 mi) 31560 Screven (14.7 mi) 31557 Patterson (15.1 mi) 31553 Nahunta (15.7 mi) 31599 Jesup (16.7 mi) 31523 Brunswick (16.8 mi) 31545 Jesup (17.4 mi) 31525 Brunswick (19.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	4,483
Population density	27 / sq mi
State FIPS	13
County FIPS	025

Geography
Land area	164.81 sq mi
Water area	0.83 sq mi
Latitude	31.3593
Longitude	-81.8456
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	912

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.8%	60.9%	41.5%
$50k – $100k	19.7%	26.3%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	20.5%	12.8%	21.2%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.0%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

4,483

Population

People per sq mi

43.4

Median age

$36,648

Median household income

$25,647

Per capita income

$79,300

Median home value

$753

Median monthly rent

85.9%

Home ownership

13.6%

Poverty rate

2.6%

Unemployment

1,951

Housing units

11.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

104

202

10–14

223

156

15–19

173

189

20–24

209

131

25–34

145

318

35–44

352

257

45–54

283

162

55–59

179

60–64

107

299

65–74

331

100

75–84

111

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,000	22.3%
18 and over	3,483	77.7%
65 and over	1,016	22.7%
Median age	43.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.4%

Black or African American 7.5%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Other race 2.5%

Two or more races 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	3,962	85.4%
Black or African American	350	7.5%
Hispanic or Latino	158	3.4%
Other race	117	2.5%
Two or more races	54	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.8%	60.9%	41.5%
$50k – $100k	19.7%	26.3%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	20.5%	12.8%	21.2%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.0%	7.1%

Under $10k 1.3%

$15k–$25k 40.9%

$25k–$35k 5.1%

$35k–$50k 13.0%

$50k–$75k 9.8%

$75k–$100k 4.0%

$100k–$150k 15.0%

$150k–$200k 8.2%

$200k+ 2.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.3%
$15k–$25k	40.9%
$25k–$35k	5.1%
$35k–$50k	13.0%
$50k–$75k	9.8%
$75k–$100k	4.0%
$100k–$150k	15.0%
$150k–$200k	8.2%
$200k+	2.6%
Median income	$36,648

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 33.8%

$50k–$100k 17.6%

$100k–$150k 20.0%

$150k–$200k 6.3%

$200k–$300k 16.9%

$500k–$1M 5.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$79,300
Median rent / month	$753
Owner occupied	85.9%
Renter occupied	14.1%
Vacant	25.0%
Single-family detached	46.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	53.7%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.49

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	4.2%
2000–2009	40.2%
1990–1999	17.1%
1980–1989	7.4%
1970–1979	11.7%
1960–1969	10.2%
1950–1959	5.0%
1940–1949	0.4%
1939 or earlier	3.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	6.2%
2 bedrooms	7.5%
3 bedrooms	67.6%
4 bedrooms	13.6%
5+ bedrooms	4.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.9%
1 vehicle	34.3%
2 vehicles	39.3%
3 or more	23.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.0%
Electricity	92.9%
Propane / LP gas	0.5%
Wood	5.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	771	47.1%
Cohabiting couple	58	3.5%
Male householder, no spouse	326	19.9%
Female householder, no spouse	482	29.4%
Households with children under 18	398	24.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	771	47.1%
Average household size	2.74

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.2%	22.6%
Married	47.3%	48.6%
Separated	4.4%	0.0%
Widowed	8.0%	16.6%
Divorced	4.1%	12.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 12.9%

HS graduate 51.3%

Some college, no degree 12.8%

Associate's degree 9.8%

Bachelor's degree 6.5%

Graduate / professional 5.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.8%
Bachelor's or higher	11.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	14	1.4%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	538	53.2%
High school	337	33.3%
College / grad school	122	12.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 18.0%

Construction 16.8%

Transportation & utilities 15.7%

Education & healthcare 12.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.6%

Other services 9.2%

Professional & management 6.3%

Agriculture & mining 3.6%

Finance & real estate 2.8%

Public administration 1.6%

Manufacturing 1.1%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.8%
Service	18.3%
Sales & office	24.7%
Natural resources & construction	14.2%
Production & transportation	15.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	89.7%
Government	8.8%
Self-employed	1.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.4%
Carpool	11.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	1.9%
Other means	3.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.5

Poverty

All people 13.6%

Under 18 years 37.7%

18 and over 7.1%

Married-couple families 8.4%

Female-led households 37.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	52.8%
Retirement income	20.0%
Supplemental Security	5.0%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.0%
High blood pressure	37.5%
High cholesterol	35.4%
Diabetes	12.7%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	10.8%
Arthritis	29.9%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	10.6%
Cancer	6.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.4%
Binge drinking	15.7%
No physical activity	32.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.8%
Depression	25.0%
Fair or poor health	21.0%
Poor mental health	18.6%
Poor physical health	14.3%
No health insurance	22.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.8%
Visited dentist	47.1%
Cholesterol screening	87.0%
Teeth loss	22.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	315	9.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.1%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	18.2%
65 and over	22.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	42.0%
Public insurance	45.4%
No insurance	15.9%
Uninsured under 19	2.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,398	98.1%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,350	97.0%
Born in same state	4,350	97.0%
Born in different state	2,762	61.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	133	3.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	360	8%
Italian	68	1.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	65	1.4%
German	12	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.5%
Internet access	95.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 31543

What city is ZIP code 31543 in?

ZIP code 31543 is primarily assigned to Hortense, Georgia.

What county is ZIP code 31543 in?

ZIP code 31543 falls within Brantley County, Georgia.

Does ZIP code 31543 have a large retiree population?

53% of households in ZIP code 31543 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 31543?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 31543 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 31543 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 31543?

The median home value in ZIP code 31543 is $79,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 31543 in?

ZIP code 31543 observes the EST timezone.