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Living in
Tifton.
About
Life in Tifton
Living in Tifton means trading big-city hustle for genuine affordability and a community where people actually know their neighbors. This county seat of 17,000 sits right on Interstate 75 in south central Georgia, giving you easy highway access to Atlanta (167 miles north) and Valdosta (45 miles south), but the real character comes from being a college town with deep agricultural roots. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College anchors the local economy alongside Southern Regional Technical College and a UGA campus, which means steady employment and an educated population that keeps the community engaged.
Tifton at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
34.8 yrs
Poverty Rate
23.5%
Foreign-Born
6.7%
Broadband Internet
76.7%
of households
Population Growth
+3.3%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics6.7% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Tifton: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Tifton, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (63.4%), and 11.9% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
25.3%
of residents
65 and Older
16.5%
of residents
Households with Kids
32.3%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
36.5%
of households
Married Couples
34.4%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.37
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 43% below GA average
Rent, home values, and income in Tifton
In Tifton, rent runs 43% below the GA average, and home values are 35% below the GA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
40.3%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
17.0%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$1,680
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
40.6%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1978
median year built
Vacant Homes
13.5%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $208,512 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for GA
Unemployment in Tifton
Unemployment in Tift County, which includes Tifton, is close to the GA average.
Unemployment rate
Tifton: Tift County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Tift County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Tifton Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute19.3 min avg
How Tifton residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Tifton, most residents drive alone to work (75%), and 80% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 41 mi
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (ABY)
Regional airport · few flights38k passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safety
Crime rates
Crime data not available
The FBI has no complete year of crime data between 2018 and 2025 for the Tifton Police Department, so there's no reliable local crime rate to show for Tifton.
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 9 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
56.0 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Tift County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Tift County, which includes Tifton, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 9 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | Drought | $100,000 |
| 2024 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $10.0M |
| 2023 | 9 | Thunderstorm Wind | $58,000 |
| 2022 | 4 | Thunderstorm Wind | $7,000 |
| 2021 | 7 | Thunderstorm Wind | $3,000 |
| 2020 | 5 | Thunderstorm Wind | $100,000 |
| 2019 | 9 | Thunderstorm Wind | $50,000 |
| 2018 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | $490,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Tift County, county-wide
Air Quality44 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Coffee County, GA (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 40 miles from Tifton) is typically good — 247 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
44
Good Days
247
per year
Moderate Days
118
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Coffee County, GA (40 mi away)
Climate89°F summers, 39°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Tifton has warm summers (avg high 89°F) and mild winters (avg low 39°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
76°/53°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
89°/69°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
77°/55°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
62°/39°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
48.2"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
74
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
30
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
102
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 37°F | 4.08" |
| Feb | 64°F | 40°F | 4.40" |
| Mar | 69°F | 46°F | 4.77" |
| Apr | 75°F | 52°F | 3.28" |
| May | 84°F | 60°F | 2.67" |
| Jun | 88°F | 67°F | 4.95" |
| Jul | 90°F | 70°F | 5.16" |
| Aug | 89°F | 70°F | 4.45" |
| Sep | 86°F | 65°F | 4.28" |
| Oct | 77°F | 55°F | 2.83" |
| Nov | 68°F | 45°F | 3.16" |
| Dec | 63°F | 40°F | 4.20" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 3.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Tifton
Tifton has 1 hospital, averaging 3.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
14.0%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
3.0 / 5
Tift Regional Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education14.8:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Tifton
Tifton's student/teacher ratio is 14.8:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 22.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
9
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
22.1%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.8:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Tifton
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Public · 4-year · 3,208 students · in-state tuition $3,268 · 31% graduate · median earnings $41,999 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Andersonville National Historic Site, 62 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Tifton
Tifton has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Andersonville National Historic Site (62 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Andersonville National Historic Site
National Historic Site
62 mi awayJimmy Carter National Historical Park
National Historical Park
65 mi awayOcmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
National Historical Park
95 mi awayPublic Libraries in Tifton
Coastal Plain Regional Library Headquarters
2014 Chestnut Avenue, Tifton
Tifton-Tift County Public Library
245 Love Ave., Tifton
Cities Near Tifton
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Tifton?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Tifton FAQ
Is Tifton, Georgia affordable?⌄
Tifton's median rent is $798/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $45,298/year. Median home value is $196,200.
What is the job market like in Tifton, Georgia?⌄
Tift County, which includes Tifton, has an unemployment rate of 3.1%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Tifton, Georgia?⌄
The cost of living in Tifton is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $798/month and median household income is $45,298/year. The median home value is $196,200. About 40% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Tifton, Georgia?⌄
The average commute in Tifton is 19 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from