Macon, GA · standard

ZIP Code 31217

Bibb 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

18,408
72/sq mi: $44,809
Median income: $105,200
Median home value: 8.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Macon pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

9th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 11th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 72
people per sq mi: 65%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 31217 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 31217 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 255.7 square miles in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. The area is home to 18,408 residents, producing a population density of 72 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 31217 against Georgia and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 31217 sits at $44,809 (36% below the Georgia average), while per-capita income is $22,833. The poverty rate stands at 29.3% and the unemployment rate at 9.6%. On housing, the median home value is $105,200 (56% below the state average) with median rent at $856 per month, and 65.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 31217 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 8.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.2, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Bibb County, so you can benchmark 31217 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 31217

Health care and social assistance

60
Retail trade

32
Other services (except public administration)

20
Transportation and warehousing

17
Construction

11

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 31217, Macon, 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

18,408

Population

255.7

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 31217?

37.2

Median Age

47.0%

Male

53.0%

Female

1.3%

Foreign-Born

White 35.1%

African American 58.1%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%

Two or More Ethnicities 5.5%

Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

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?

$44,809

Median Household Income

-36% vs state

$22,833

Per Capita Income

29.3%

Poverty Rate

9.6%

Unemployment Rate

24.4 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 31217 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$44,809 9th percentile higher than 9% 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 51.7%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 8.4%

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

What does housing look like?

7,834

Total Housing Units

6,336

Occupied Units

1,498

Vacant Units

2.74

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 65.3%

Renter 34.7%

$105,200

Median Home Value

-56% vs state

$856

Median Rent

1974

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

+28.2%

YoY Change (2024)

192

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+92%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 31217 have increased 28.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +92% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+10.0%	115
2021	+15.9%	134
2022	+30.9%	175
2023	-14.6%	150
2024	+28.2%	192

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 196 business establishments in ZIP 31217, employing approximately 4,929 people with a combined annual payroll of $271,753,000.

196

Businesses

4,929

Employees

$271.8M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Health care and social assistance	60	30.6%
Retail trade	32	16.3%
Other services (except public administration)	20	10.2%
Transportation and warehousing	17	8.7%
Construction	11	5.6%
Manufacturing	11	5.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	11	5.6%
Wholesale trade	9	4.6%
Accommodation and food services	7	3.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing	5	2.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	5	2.5%

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 31217 vs 31213 →

31217

18,408
31211

16,282
31201

8,761
31020

2,541
31207

974

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 31217 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

31020

$69,720
31211

$49,202
31217

$44,809
31201

$29,420

What this shows By household income, ZIP 31217 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
31213	Macon, GA	0	7.7 mi
31201	Macon, GA	8,761	6.9 mi
31020	Dry Branch, GA	2,541	10.2 mi
31207	Macon, GA	974	8.4 mi
31211	Macon, GA	16,282	7.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Bibb County

Bibb County Macon, GA Georgia

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 31217 in? ▼

ZIP code 31217 (Macon) is located in Bibb County, Georgia. Bibb County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/bibb-ga.

What is the population of ZIP code 31217? ▼

ZIP code 31217 in Macon, GA has a population of 18,408 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 31217? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 31217 is $44,809, which is 41% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 31217? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 31217 is $105,200, which is 62% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 31217? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 31217 is African American at 58.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.4% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 31217? ▼

ZIP code 31217 has 196 business establishments employing approximately 4,929 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 31217? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 31217 are: Health care and social assistance (60), Retail trade (32), Other services (except public administration) (20). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 31217? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 31217 increased by 28.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 92%. 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 31217? ▼

In ZIP code 31217, 51.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 8.4% 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 31217? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 31217 is 24.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 31217? ▼

In ZIP code 31217, approximately 65.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 34.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 31217? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 31217 is 29.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.