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 Low-density area
- $48,382
- Median income Below-median income area
- $95,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 28.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average Georgia ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,400. The poverty rate is 22.6%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $95,500 (60% below the average Georgia ZIP), and median rent is $541; owner occupancy is 72.1%.
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. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 2 more in Clay County, so 39851 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
15 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 5
Health care and social assistance
5 establishments
- Construction 3
Construction
3 establishments
- Finance and insurance 3
Finance and insurance
3 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 3
Other services (except public administration)
3 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, 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
Who lives in ZIP 39851?
46.0
Median Age
39.1%
Male
60.9%
Female
0.0%
Foreign-Born
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 ZIP avg
$33,400
Per Capita Income
22.6%
Poverty Rate
6.3%
Unemployment Rate
24.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 39851 ranks among Georgia ZIPs
Fort Gaines, GA household income vs. every Georgia ZIP code
Median household income among 677 reporting Georgia ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$48,382 17th percentile higher than 17% of 677 Georgia ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Georgia 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,465housing units
1,465
Total Housing Units
914
Occupied Units
551
Vacant Units
2.21
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$95,500
Median Home Value
-60% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 39851
Fort Gaines (39851)
2,388 residents
- 36373 581
Shorterville (36373)
581 residents
- 39824 544
Bluffton (39824)
544 residents
- 39836 461
Coleman (39836)
461 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 39851 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 39851 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 36373
Shorterville (36373)
$55,800 median income
- 39824
Bluffton (39824)
$49,353 median income
- 39851
Fort Gaines (39851)
$48,382 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 39851, both outside GA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,388 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Clay County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 39851's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 39851 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Fort Gaines, GA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.