Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,359, settled in 1872.
Pelham earns a D−, ranked 254th of 258 in Georgia, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $39K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, a typical home costs about $149K, 2.6 years of the county’s $58K median household income. Pelham’s property crime rate is 40.2 per 1,000 residents, against 14.5 in Georgia’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. On safety, just 13 of Georgia’s 152 towns do worse. Pelham Commercial Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Pelham beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
3,898 counted in 2010 and 3,507 in 2020; an estimated 3,359 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 4.1% since 2020, after 10% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Pelham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 168 in 1880, 3,507 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pelham, 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 Pelham.
Pelham trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Georgia rate and has household incomes well below the Georgia norm.
21% of Pelham adults have diabetes. Pelham beats the Georgia average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 50% of Pelham adults have high blood pressure.
| Pelham | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 38% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 22% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Pelham | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.1% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 77.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 32.7% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Pelham City school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelham Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 578 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 6.8 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Georgia rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D. Property crime runs at 40.2 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the Georgia rate, most of it theft.
The violent crime rate in Pelham is 6.8 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Homes are within reach (about $149K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 23 miles. At 2.6 years of the county’s $58K median household income, the typical home (about $149K) costs less against local pay than in 83% of Georgia towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
46% of households own their home in Pelham. Typical home values rose 5.2% in the year to September 2026. Pelham’s median rent is $773 a month.
| Pelham | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $773 a month | $1,160 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs based here fell from 1,494 in 2013 to 875. The average commute for its 1,339 working residents takes 15.7 minutes, against 28.3 across Georgia.
Most working residents leave Pelham for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Pelham has lost 619 jobs, to 875 in 2023. Only 6 of the 263 Georgia towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Pelham.
| Pelham | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $39,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Pelham has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Pelham since 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Pelham | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 2.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Collingsworth Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Pelham; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Pelham residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Georgia.
Where Pelham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Pelham.
City in Georgia, United States
Pelham is a city in Mitchell County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,507 at the 2020 census, down from 3,898 in 2010. Pelham is well known for its agriculture, with vast farming of cotton and pecans in the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pelham grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #254 of 258 in Georgia. It grades D− for health, D for safety and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
3 notable people were born here, including Don Griffin and Betty Reed.
