Thomaston, GA · standard

ZIP Code 30286

Upson County, Georgia — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

23,490
47/sq mi: $55,087
Median income: $168,600
Median home value: 15.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Thomaston pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.

21th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 34th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 47
people per sq mi: 59%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 30286 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 30286 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 503.0 square miles in Thomaston, Upson County, Georgia. The area is home to 23,490 residents, producing a population density of 47 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 30286 against Georgia and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 30286 sits at $55,087 (22% below the Georgia average), while per-capita income is $30,426. The poverty rate stands at 20.6% and the unemployment rate at 3.8%. On housing, the median home value is $168,600 (30% below the state average) with median rent at $849 per month, and 58.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 30286 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 15.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.6, and the average commute is 26 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 2 additional ZIPs sharing Upson County, so you can benchmark 30286 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 30286

Retail trade

88
Other services (except public administration)

65
Health care and social assistance

57
Accommodation and food services

49
Professional, scientific, and technical services

32

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 30286, Thomaston, GA · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

23,490

Population

503.0

Area (sq mi)

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 30286?

39.6

Median Age

47.9%

Male

52.1%

Female

1.6%

Foreign-Born

White 67.4%

African American 25.9%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.3%

Two or More Ethnicities 5.4%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$55,087

Median Household Income

-22% vs state

$30,426

Per Capita Income

20.6%

Poverty Rate

3.8%

Unemployment Rate

26.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 30286 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$55,087 21st percentile higher than 21% of 30,318 US ZIPs

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 54.7%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 15.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

10,954

Total Housing Units

9,325

Occupied Units

1,629

Vacant Units

2.61

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 58.6%

Renter 41.4%

$168,600

Median Home Value

-30% vs state

$849

Median Rent

1976

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+7.4%

YoY Change (2024)

241

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+141%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 30286 have increased 7.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +141% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+4.8%	139
2021	+14.7%	160
2022	+27.8%	204
2023	+10.3%	225
2024	+7.4%	241

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 441 business establishments in ZIP 30286, employing approximately 5,529 people with a combined annual payroll of $232,574,000.

441

Businesses

5,529

Employees

$232.6M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	88	19.9%
Other services (except public administration)	65	14.7%
Health care and social assistance	57	12.9%
Accommodation and food services	49	11.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	32	7.3%
Construction	31	7.0%
Finance and insurance	28	6.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	22	5.0%
Manufacturing	18	4.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing	12	2.7%
Transportation and warehousing	11	2.5%
Information	7	1.6%
Utilities	6	1.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	6	1.4%
Wholesale trade	5	1.1%
Educational services	4	0.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 30286 vs 30256 →

30286

23,490
30256

2,826
30258

2,622
30285

707

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 30286 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

30285

$84,732
30256

$73,571
30258

$58,777
30286

$55,087

What this shows By household income, ZIP 30286 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
30256	Meansville, GA	2,826	9.4 mi
30285	The Rock, GA	707	8.9 mi
30258	Molena, GA	2,622	10.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Upson County

Upson County Thomaston, GA Georgia

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 30286 in? ▼

ZIP code 30286 (Thomaston) is located in Upson County, Georgia. Upson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/upson-ga.

What is the population of ZIP code 30286? ▼

ZIP code 30286 in Thomaston, GA has a population of 23,490 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 30286? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 30286 is $55,087, which is 28% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 30286? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 30286 is $168,600, which is 39% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 30286? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 30286 is White at 67.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.9% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 30286? ▼

ZIP code 30286 has 441 business establishments employing approximately 5,529 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 30286? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 30286 are: Retail trade (88), Other services (except public administration) (65), Health care and social assistance (57). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 30286? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 30286 increased by 7.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 141%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 30286? ▼

In ZIP code 30286, 54.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 30286? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 30286 is 26.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 30286? ▼

In ZIP code 30286, approximately 58.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 41.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 30286? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 30286 is 20.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.