What it's like to live in Tifton
Tifton is a small city in Georgia with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Tifton deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Tifton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Tifton
Based on Tifton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,596
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $31,920 a year
- 40% of Tifton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,620
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 44% below US
$798/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $798 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $196,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $196,200 · 40% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Tift County is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Tift County (county-wide)
Getting around▼ 26% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 39°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 39% below US
22% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 22%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Andersonville National Historic Site (62 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Tifton's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($798/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Tifton
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