31503 ZIP Code — Waycross, GA

Ware County, Georgia

ZIP code 31503 is located in Waycross, Georgia, within Ware County. It covers approximately 337.89 square miles and serves a population of 22,394 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 912.

About ZIP code 31503

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $105,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

Median household income is $50,559. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. 37% 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 22 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 (25%) compared to national benchmarks. 18% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 31503 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

22,394

population

337.89

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

31503 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 31503

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 31503. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Waycross	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

31501 Waycross (3.2 mi) 31516 Blackshear (11.8 mi) 31542 Hoboken (14.3 mi) 31552 Millwood (17.3 mi) 31550 Manor (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	22,394
Population density	66 / sq mi
State FIPS	13
County FIPS	299

Geography
Land area	337.89 sq mi
Water area	5.48 sq mi
Latitude	31.1827
Longitude	-82.3596
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	55.4%	62.4%	41.5%
$50k – $100k	31.3%	25.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	11.7%	10.2%	21.2%
Over $200k	1.7%	1.6%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

22,394

Population

People per sq mi

38.2

Median age

$50,559

Median household income

$22,570

Per capita income

$105,400

Median home value

$787

Median monthly rent

69.2%

Home ownership

20.4%

Poverty rate

4.6%

Unemployment

6,632

Housing units

11.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

604

Under 5

555

769

5–9

706

766

10–14

703

814

15–19

748

695

20–24

638

1,651

25–34

1,516

1,329

35–44

1,220

1,776

45–54

1,631

755

55–59

693

802

60–64

736

1,013

65–74

930

541

75–84

496

160

85+

147

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,197	23.2%
18 and over	17,197	76.8%
65 and over	3,287	14.7%
Median age	38.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 68.4%

Black or African American 19%

Two or more races 4.8%

Hispanic or Latino 4.6%

Asian 1.7%

Other race 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	16,067	68.4%
Black or African American	4,449	19%
Two or more races	1,135	4.8%
Hispanic or Latino	1,079	4.6%
Asian	408	1.7%
Other race	255	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	72	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.4%	62.4%	41.5%
$50k – $100k	31.3%	25.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	11.7%	10.2%	21.2%
Over $200k	1.7%	1.6%	7.1%

Under $10k 7.3%

$10k–$15k 8.6%

$15k–$25k 9.3%

$25k–$35k 12.5%

$35k–$50k 12.0%

$50k–$75k 21.7%

$75k–$100k 13.8%

$100k–$150k 10.9%

$150k–$200k 2.3%

$200k+ 1.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.3%
$10k–$15k	8.6%
$15k–$25k	9.3%
$25k–$35k	12.5%
$35k–$50k	12.0%
$50k–$75k	21.7%
$75k–$100k	13.8%
$100k–$150k	10.9%
$150k–$200k	2.3%
$200k+	1.6%
Median income	$50,559

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 24.6%

$50k–$100k 23.9%

$100k–$150k 15.1%

$150k–$200k 15.0%

$200k–$300k 15.3%

$300k–$500k 3.1%

$500k–$1M 3.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$105,400
Median rent / month	$787
Owner occupied	69.2%
Renter occupied	30.8%
Vacant	16.5%
Single-family detached	58.9%
Large apartment buildings	1.2%
Mobile homes	32.8%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.68

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	6.2%
2000–2009	12.5%
1990–1999	19.0%
1980–1989	20.6%
1970–1979	13.6%
1960–1969	10.2%
1950–1959	9.9%
1940–1949	4.5%
1939 or earlier	3.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.8%
1 bedroom	4.6%
2 bedrooms	19.5%
3 bedrooms	64.0%
4 bedrooms	7.9%
5+ bedrooms	1.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.1%
1 vehicle	37.6%
2 vehicles	37.5%
3 or more	17.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.0%
Electricity	86.8%
Propane / LP gas	4.1%
Wood	0.7%
No fuel used	2.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,266	43.8%
Cohabiting couple	226	3.0%
Male householder, no spouse	1,511	20.3%
Female householder, no spouse	2,452	32.9%
Households with children under 18	2,083	27.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,220	29.8%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	41.5%	28.3%
Married	37.5%	42.3%
Separated	2.6%	3.0%
Widowed	4.6%	15.1%
Divorced	13.7%	11.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.9%

Some HS, no diploma 15.4%

HS graduate 42.3%

Some college, no degree 17.2%

Associate's degree 6.4%

Bachelor's degree 7.0%

Graduate / professional 4.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	77.7%
Bachelor's or higher	11.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	238	4.8%
Kindergarten	387	7.8%
Elementary school	2,295	46.5%
High school	1,484	30.1%
College / grad school	531	10.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.4%

Manufacturing 13.1%

Retail trade 10.8%

Construction 8.5%

Public administration 8.1%

Other services 7.6%

Professional & management 7.3%

Transportation & utilities 6.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.0%

Wholesale trade 4.5%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Information 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.5%
Service	16.3%
Sales & office	20.6%
Natural resources & construction	17.2%
Production & transportation	18.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.7%
Government	17.9%
Self-employed	7.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.7%
Carpool	8.9%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	4.4%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.4

Poverty

All people 20.4%

Under 18 years 34.9%

18 and over 15.5%

Married-couple families 7.6%

Female-led households 37.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.5%
Retirement income	19.1%
Supplemental Security	8.2%
Cash public assistance	2.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.8%
High blood pressure	40.4%
High cholesterol	35.7%
Diabetes	14.0%
Heart disease	8.6%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	10.7%
Arthritis	29.1%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	10.5%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.2%
Binge drinking	14.3%
No physical activity	34.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.0%
Depression	22.6%
Fair or poor health	22.3%
Poor mental health	18.1%
Poor physical health	14.6%
No health insurance	24.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.1%
Visited dentist	46.4%
Cholesterol screening	87.5%
Teeth loss	24.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	883	5.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.1%
Under 18	5.9%
18–64 years	11.9%
65 and over	30.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	46.4%
Public insurance	45.0%
No insurance	17.8%
Uninsured under 19	2.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	21,235	94.8%
Spanish	734	3.5%
Other Indo-European	533	2.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	118	0.6%
Other languages	83	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	21,667	96.8%
Born in same state	21,533	96.2%
Born in different state	16,320	72.9%
Foreign born	134	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	727	3.2%
Not a US citizen	223	30.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,612	11.7%
French	1,200	5.4%
Italian	866	3.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	100	0.4%
English	92	0.4%
Irish	14	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	33.3%
Internet access	92.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 31503

What city is ZIP code 31503 in?

ZIP code 31503 is primarily assigned to Waycross, Georgia.

What county is ZIP code 31503 in?

ZIP code 31503 falls within Ware County, Georgia.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 31503?

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

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 31503?

20% of residents in ZIP code 31503 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 31503 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 31503 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 31503?

The median home value in ZIP code 31503 is $105,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 31503 in?

ZIP code 31503 observes the EST timezone.