31501 ZIP Code — Waycross, GA

Ware County, Georgia

ZIP code 31501 is located in Waycross, Georgia, within Ware County. It covers approximately 12.00 square miles and serves a population of 13,703 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 912.

About ZIP code 31501

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $87,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 50%.

Median household income is $38,633. Poverty affects 29% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 28% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%), smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks. 17% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 31501 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.

13,703

population

12.00

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

31501 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 31501

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 31501. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Waycross	Acceptable
Waycross	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

31503 Waycross (3.2 mi) 31516 Blackshear (8.9 mi) 31542 Hoboken (14.6 mi) 31552 Millwood (16.9 mi) 31557 Patterson (17.8 mi) 31551 Mershon (18.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,703
Population density	1,142 / sq mi
State FIPS	13
County FIPS	299

Geography
Land area	12.00 sq mi
Water area	0.08 sq mi
Latitude	31.2280
Longitude	-82.3480
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	912

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	69.9%	62.4%	41.5%
$50k – $100k	20.6%	25.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	8.5%	10.2%	21.2%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.6%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

13,703

Population

1,142

People per sq mi

38.2

Median age

$38,633

Median household income

$23,115

Per capita income

$87,500

Median home value

$750

Median monthly rent

50.4%

Home ownership

28.8%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

4,235

Housing units

18.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

468

Under 5

570

502

5–9

611

422

10–14

513

379

15–19

460

234

20–24

284

853

25–34

1,037

871

35–44

1,060

621

45–54

755

309

55–59

375

318

60–64

387

638

65–74

777

400

75–84

487

168

85+

204

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,475	25.4%
18 and over	10,228	74.6%
65 and over	2,674	19.5%
Median age	38.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 48.4%

Black or African American 45.9%

Two or more races 2.6%

Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Other race 0.5%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	6,757	48.4%
Black or African American	6,395	45.9%
Two or more races	361	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	244	1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	79	0.6%
Other race	76	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	18	0.1%
Asian	17	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	69.9%	62.4%	41.5%
$50k – $100k	20.6%	25.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	8.5%	10.2%	21.2%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.6%	7.1%

Under $10k 9.2%

$10k–$15k 14.4%

$15k–$25k 12.2%

$25k–$35k 10.8%

$35k–$50k 16.8%

$50k–$75k 14.7%

$75k–$100k 10.5%

$100k–$150k 7.0%

$150k–$200k 1.9%

$200k+ 2.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.2%
$10k–$15k	14.4%
$15k–$25k	12.2%
$25k–$35k	10.8%
$35k–$50k	16.8%
$50k–$75k	14.7%
$75k–$100k	10.5%
$100k–$150k	7.0%
$150k–$200k	1.9%
$200k+	2.6%
Median income	$38,633

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 22.5%

$50k–$100k 35.7%

$100k–$150k 16.7%

$150k–$200k 9.9%

$200k–$300k 8.2%

$300k–$500k 4.9%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$87,500
Median rent / month	$750
Owner occupied	50.4%
Renter occupied	49.6%
Vacant	20.6%
Single-family detached	66.3%
Large apartment buildings	2.1%
Mobile homes	6.2%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.56

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.0%
2000–2009	5.6%
1990–1999	8.9%
1980–1989	13.6%
1970–1979	20.5%
1960–1969	13.7%
1950–1959	20.4%
1940–1949	5.8%
1939 or earlier	8.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.7%
1 bedroom	8.5%
2 bedrooms	26.3%
3 bedrooms	50.7%
4 bedrooms	10.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	16.5%
1 vehicle	45.3%
2 vehicles	28.5%
3 or more	9.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.8%
Electricity	91.4%
Propane / LP gas	0.8%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,506	27.1%
Cohabiting couple	392	7.1%
Male householder, no spouse	1,042	18.8%
Female householder, no spouse	2,608	47.0%
Households with children under 18	1,733	31.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,902	34.3%
Average household size	2.43

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	43.7%	40.9%
Married	36.6%	25.5%
Separated	3.3%	4.1%
Widowed	5.1%	13.5%
Divorced	11.3%	16.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.5%

Some HS, no diploma 10.6%

HS graduate 36.1%

Some college, no degree 20.8%

Associate's degree 8.1%

Bachelor's degree 14.3%

Graduate / professional 4.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.9%
Bachelor's or higher	18.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	274	9.3%
Kindergarten	108	3.7%
Elementary school	1,665	56.8%
High school	499	17.0%
College / grad school	385	13.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.5%

Manufacturing 14.0%

Retail trade 13.9%

Professional & management 10.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.3%

Public administration 9.3%

Transportation & utilities 7.6%

Other services 5.7%

Construction 2.8%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Information 0.8%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.1%
Service	18.1%
Sales & office	24.2%
Natural resources & construction	8.0%
Production & transportation	19.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.8%
Government	18.9%
Self-employed	4.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	87.1%
Carpool	8.3%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	3.1%
Other means	1.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.8

Poverty

All people 28.8%

Under 18 years 41.7%

18 and over 24.4%

Married-couple families 7.2%

Female-led households 48.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.1%
Retirement income	17.9%
Supplemental Security	12.9%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	27.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.6%
High blood pressure	43.4%
High cholesterol	34.5%
Diabetes	15.6%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	4.8%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	28.0%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	8.7%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.3%
Binge drinking	13.6%
No physical activity	33.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.2%
Depression	18.9%
Fair or poor health	21.9%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	13.4%
No health insurance	24.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.7%
Visited dentist	47.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	23.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	655	6.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.0%
Under 18	3.3%
18–64 years	14.8%
65 and over	31.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	45.3%
Public insurance	47.7%
No insurance	17.3%
Uninsured under 19	9.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,665	92.4%
Spanish	56	0.4%
Other Indo-European	56	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,542	98.8%
Born in same state	13,506	98.6%
Born in different state	10,990	80.2%
Foreign born	36	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	161	1.2%
Not a US citizen	13	8.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	784	5.7%
Arab	674	4.9%
Italian	465	3.4%
English	55	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	29	0.2%
Dutch	16	0.1%
Polish	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.5%
Internet access	93.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 31501

What city is ZIP code 31501 in?

ZIP code 31501 is primarily assigned to Waycross, Georgia.

What county is ZIP code 31501 in?

ZIP code 31501 falls within Ware County, Georgia.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 31501?

29% of residents in ZIP code 31501 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 31501 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 31501 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 31501?

The median home value in ZIP code 31501 is $87,500.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 31501?

Health data for ZIP code 31501 shows elevated rates of diabetes (16%) and smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 31501 in?

ZIP code 31501 observes the EST timezone.