ZIP 31064 vs ZIP 31085

This side-by-side compares ZIP 31064 (Monticello, GA) and ZIP 31085 (Shady Dale, GA) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 31064 has a population of 9,450 at 15 people per square mile, while ZIP 31085 has 1,043 at 9 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 31064 reports a median household income of $60,217 against $46,375 in ZIP 31085, with per-capita income of $34,098 vs $21,521. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 22.2% in 31064 and 12.6% in 31085. Poverty rate reads 17.6% vs 20.9%, and unemployment 8.2% vs 0.6% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $233,600 in 31064 versus $116,100 in 31085, with median rent of $1,039 and $965 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 85.1% vs 78.2%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.