Ray City Hotel, Ray City, Georgia (circa 1912), c. 1912
Ray City’s story
111 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1912.
- 1915Ray City is settled
Ray CityGA
A town of 1,132, settled in 1915.
Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,132
2025 Census estimate · +18.7% since 2020
Typical home
$234K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
83
A commuter town
Is Ray City a good place to live?
Ray City’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for incomes. Residents are less healthy than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Ray City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. Ray City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Ray City stand out
Where Ray City beats most towns.
Small town
1,132 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Ray City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Ray City is from typical.
Jobs & income$56K median household incomeDOpen →HealthSGMC Health Lanier 6.4 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsBeat 74% of Georgia districts on tests and graduationB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.4 of 20; 3.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksBOpen →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life0.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.6; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ray City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ray City, and how to reach them.
PowerGeorgia Power16.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRay City water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ray City’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Georgia you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBerrien County Board of Elections and RegistrationBerrien County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code3164531645 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ray City.
HealthD
Ray City earns a D for health
39% of adults feel lonely in Ray City, where Georgia’s towns sit at 39% and U.S. towns at 33%. 19% of Ray City adults smoke cigarettes. Ray City beats the Georgia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
14%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Ray City | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 39% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Georgia
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Ray City | GA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18.5% | 13.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 6.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.5% | 6.1% |
SGMC Health Lanier
6.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most of Ray City’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Ray City for work: only 1% work in town. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Ray City, against 15% in Georgia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Ray City has added 47 jobs, to 83 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Ray City | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 9.1% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Ray City1%
Valdosta22%
Nashville18%
Adel3%
Tifton2%
17 mi
median commute distance
83
jobs based in Ray City
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A−
Homes in Ray City are worth about $234K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Ray City home is worth about $234,000, up 2.6% in a year, 29% below the Georgia typical home. Ray City’s median rent is $773 a month.
$234KZillow home value
| Ray City | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $773 a month | $1,154 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 58% | 73% |
Typical home value
Ray City$234K
Georgia$329K
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Ray City, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Ray City has mild winters and hot summers
Ray City has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Ray City is 92°F.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–64°
Spring53–79°
Summer70–91°
Fall56–79°
Nov 21
typical first frost
Mar 10
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ray City
18pages on Ray City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ray City; the nearest are
Wiregrass Georgia Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Valdosta16 mi$3,480 in-state tuitionValdosta State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Valdosta16.6 mi$6,124 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Ray City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
A growing town
Ray City has grown 4% since 2010
1,090 counted in 2010 and 956 in 2020; an estimated 1,132 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Ray City
City in Georgia, United States
Ray City is a city in Berrien County and Lanier County, Georgia, United States. The population was 956 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 190 ft
- ZIP code
- 31645
- Area code
- 229
Questions about Ray City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ray City, GA expensive?
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 A−.