PlainZIP

Fort Gaines, GA · standard

ZIP Code 39851

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

2,388
8/sq mi
$48,382
Median income
$95,500
Median home value
28.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

12th pct
household income, US ZIPs
8th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
72%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 39851 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 39851 covers 314.2 square miles in Fort Gaines, Clay County, Georgia (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,388 residents on file, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 39851 reports a modest median household income of $48,382 (31% below the Georgia average), while per-capita income is $33,400. 22.6% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 6.3%. On housing, the median home value is $95,500 (60% below the state average) with median rent at $541 per month, and 72.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 2 additional ZIPs sharing Clay County, so you can benchmark 39851 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 39851

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fort Gaines, GA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 39851.

establishments

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 39851, Fort Gaines, GA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

2,388

Population

314.2

Area (sq mi)

8

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 39851?

46.0

Median Age

39.1%

Male

60.9%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 24.8%
African American 72.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.9%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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?

$48,382

Median Household Income

-31% vs state

$33,400

Per Capita Income

22.6%

Poverty Rate

6.3%

Unemployment Rate

24.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 39851 ranks nationally

Fort Gaines, GA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$48,382 12th percentile higher than 12% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 56.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 28.2%

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

What does housing look like?

1,465

Total Housing Units

914

Occupied Units

551

Vacant Units

2.21

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 72.1%
Renter 27.9%

$95,500

Median Home Value

-60% vs state

$541

Median Rent

1984

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 40 business establishments in ZIP 39851, employing approximately 276 people with a combined annual payroll of $13,194,000.

40

Businesses

276

Employees

$13.2M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 15 37.5%
Health care and social assistance 5 12.5%
Construction 3 7.5%
Finance and insurance 3 7.5%
Other services (except public administration) 3 7.5%

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 39851 vs 39836 →

ZIP 39851 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 39851 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 39851 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 39851 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
39836 Coleman, GA 461 8.4 mi
36373 Shorterville, AL 581 9.0 mi
39824 Bluffton, GA 544 9.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Clay County

39824 standard
Bluffton, GA
Pop: 544
39867 standard
Morris, GA
Pop: 321

Related Areas

Clay County Fort Gaines, GA Georgia

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 39851 in? ▼
ZIP code 39851 (Fort Gaines) is located in Clay County, Georgia. Clay County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/clay-ga.
What is the population of ZIP code 39851? ▼
ZIP code 39851 in Fort Gaines, GA has a population of 2,388 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 39851? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 39851 is $48,382, which is 37% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 39851? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 39851 is $95,500, which is 66% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 39851? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 39851 is African American at 72.3%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 39851? ▼
ZIP code 39851 has 40 business establishments employing approximately 276 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 39851? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 39851 are: Retail trade (15), Health care and social assistance (5), Construction (3). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 39851? ▼
In ZIP code 39851, 56.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.2% 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 39851? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 39851 is 24.1 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 39851? ▼
In ZIP code 39851, approximately 72.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 39851? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 39851 is 22.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.