Valdosta, GA · standard

ZIP Code 31602

Lowndes 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 14, 2026

34,702
329/sq mi: $56,939
Median income: $217,300
Median home value: 32.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

24th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 48th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 329
people per sq mi: 44%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 31602 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 31602 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 105.6 square miles in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia. The area is home to 34,702 residents, producing a population density of 329 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 31602 against Georgia and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 31602 sits at $56,939 (19% below the Georgia average), while per-capita income is $29,723. The poverty rate stands at 24.1% and the unemployment rate at 5.6%. On housing, the median home value is $217,300 (10% below the state average) with median rent at $1,100 per month, and 43.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 31602 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 32.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.6, and the average commute is 17 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Lowndes County, so you can benchmark 31602 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 31602

Health care and social assistance

242
Retail trade

179
Finance and insurance

97
Accommodation and food services

97
Professional, scientific, and technical services

92

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 31602, Valdosta, GA · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-14 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

34,702

Population

105.6

Area (sq mi)

329

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 31602?

30.6

Median Age

48.0%

Male

52.0%

Female

4.1%

Foreign-Born

White 48.3%

African American 41.5%

Asian 2.0%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%

Two or More Ethnicities 6.6%

Hispanic or Latino 6.8%

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?

$56,939

Median Household Income

-19% vs state

$29,723

Per Capita Income

24.1%

Poverty Rate

5.6%

Unemployment Rate

17.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 31602 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$56,939 24th percentile higher than 24% 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 62.1%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 32.1%

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

What does housing look like?

16,059

Total Housing Units

14,481

Occupied Units

1,578

Vacant Units

2.36

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 43.6%

Renter 56.4%

$217,300

Median Home Value

-10% vs state

$1,100

Median Rent

1988

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

+11.7%

YoY Change (2024)

196

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+96%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 31602 have increased 11.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +96% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+2.4%	131
2021	+11.6%	146
2022	+15.0%	168
2023	+4.7%	176
2024	+11.7%	196

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 1,081 business establishments in ZIP 31602, employing approximately 15,007 people with a combined annual payroll of $653,062,000.

1,081

Businesses

15,007

Employees

$653.1M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Health care and social assistance	242	22.4%
Retail trade	179	16.6%
Finance and insurance	97	9.0%
Accommodation and food services	97	9.0%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	92	8.5%
Other services (except public administration)	85	7.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing	75	6.9%
Construction	67	6.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	39	3.6%
Wholesale trade	38	3.5%
Transportation and warehousing	14	1.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	14	1.3%
Educational services	13	1.2%
Information	12	1.1%
Manufacturing	9	0.8%
Management of companies and enterprises	4	0.4%

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 31602 vs 31698 →

31602

34,702
31601

32,730
31605

20,188
31632

10,295
31698

2,223
31699

621

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 31602 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

31632

$83,946
31605

$79,156
31602

$56,939
31601

$36,111

What this shows By household income, ZIP 31602 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
31698	Valdosta, GA	2,223	3.5 mi
31601	Valdosta, GA	32,730	8.1 mi
31632	Hahira, GA	10,295	8.3 mi
31605	Valdosta, GA	20,188	8.2 mi
31699	Moody Afb, GA	621	11.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lowndes County

Lowndes County Valdosta, GA Georgia

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 31602 in? ▼

ZIP code 31602 (Valdosta) is located in Lowndes County, Georgia. Lowndes County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lowndes-ga.

What is the population of ZIP code 31602? ▼

ZIP code 31602 in Valdosta, GA has a population of 34,702 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 31602? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 31602 is $56,939, which is 25% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 31602? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 31602 is $217,300, which is 22% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 31602? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 31602 is White at 48.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.8% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 31602? ▼

ZIP code 31602 has 1,081 business establishments employing approximately 15,007 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 31602? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 31602 are: Health care and social assistance (242), Retail trade (179), Finance and insurance (97). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 31602? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 31602 increased by 11.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 96%. 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 31602? ▼

In ZIP code 31602, 62.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 32.1% 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 31602? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 31602 is 17.3 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 31602? ▼

In ZIP code 31602, approximately 43.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 56.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 31602? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 31602 is 24.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.