Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Metter earns a D, ranked 184th of 258 in Georgia, mostly because of health and safety. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. Its police reported 12 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 76% of U.S. towns. It also has a long history, with 5 places on the National Register. Only 25 of Georgia’s 307 towns score higher on civic life. Its National Register listings include Candler County Courthouse and South Metter Residential Historic District. Only 7 of the 259 Georgia towns we compare have a lower typical rent than Metter.
Where Metter beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Metter is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 213 in 1900, 4,004 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Metter, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Metter.
Metter is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has home values climbing faster than Georgia’s, but it has household incomes well below the Georgia norm.
Against the 1,388 U.S. towns with household incomes like Metter’s, it is less healthy than 68%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income.
Among adults in Metter, 40% feel lonely. This Georgia town beats the Georgia average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. In Metter, 46% of adults have high blood pressure, and 18% report frequent physical distress.
| Metter | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Metter | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.9% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 77.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Candler County school district. Enrollment at Metter’s public school: 994 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metter Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 994 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
Home values rose 51% in five years, to about $212K, against 21% across Georgia.
For households in Metter, the share who own their home is 48%. Typical home values rose 6.7% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Metter’s rate of reported violence stands at 3 per 1,000 residents, above both the Georgia town median (2.2) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6). Within Georgia, it does better than 44% of towns. Its property crime rate comes in at 14.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Metter | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.4 per 1,000 residents | 14.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1.8 miles of trail. Metter’s trail density stands at 0.2 miles per square mile, where Georgia’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
| Metter | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 2.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Metter’s peak summer temperature comes in at 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,521 working residents takes 21.3 minutes, against 28.3 across Georgia.
The median commute is under 19 miles. In Metter, 24% of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Statesboro (8%), Stillmore (5%) and Savannah (4%). The town’s average trip to work stands at 21 minutes.
| Metter | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $36,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 15% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Households in Metter have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 55% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts nearly a third of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 31% to inland flooding. Paid flood insurance claims here since 2013: one.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Metter
About 1 of every 100 Metter residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
5 places in Metter on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Georgia, United States
Metter is a city in and the county seat of Candler County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,130 at the 2010 census. In 2020, its population was 4,004. The city is halfway between Macon and Savannah on Interstate 16.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Metter grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #184 of 258 in Georgia. It grades D− for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Georgia, it does better than 44% of towns.
That is 4.3 years of the area's median household income ($49,581 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
