Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Valdosta earns a D−, 245th of 258 graded towns in Georgia, mostly because of safety and health. Its crime rate is higher than 94% of U.S. towns, with 265 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Residents are less healthy than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. In its favor, it is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. 51% of working residents work locally in Valdosta, above both the Georgia town median (9%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Lowndes County Courthouse and Converse-Dalton House. Among 263 Georgia towns, just 7 have a lower average trip to work than Valdosta.
Where Valdosta beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Crescent, The
Census counts: 166 in 1860, 55,378 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
16 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Valdosta is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Valdosta, 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 Valdosta.
Valdosta draws workers from Bemiss and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Georgia rate.
Property crime runs at 37.8 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Georgia rate, most of it theft.
Valdosta’s property crime rate is 37.8 per 1,000 residents. Valdosta reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less. Valdosta’s violent crime rate is 4.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Valdosta | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 37.8 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Valdosta City school district. Three of its 14 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sallas Mahone ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 1,045 | C |
| Lowndes High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 3,152 | A |
| Scintilla Charter AcademyTop results in townGrades K–10 | Grades K–10 | 947 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
33,687 jobs are based in Valdosta, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.1 minutes, against 28.3 across Georgia.
26% of residents live below the poverty line in Valdosta. The top destinations are Moultrie (1%), Atlanta (1%) and Thomasville (1%). The median household income in Valdosta is $46,000.
| Valdosta | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 26% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 9.2% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 4,331 U.S. towns with household incomes like Valdosta’s, it is less healthy than 60%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
30% of Valdosta adults worry about having enough food. Valdosta beats the Georgia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 41% of Valdosta adults feel lonely.
| Valdosta | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 22% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 36% |
| What stands out | Valdosta | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.7% | 7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.7% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
13 miles of trail in 18 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Freedom Park, 241 acres with 3.6 miles of trail.
| Valdosta | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3% | 2.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Freedom Park | 3.6 mi | 241 |
| 2. Vallotton Youth Complex | 0.6 mi | 41 |
| 3. Langdale Park | — | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Valdosta home is worth about $212,000, up 4.1% in a year, 36% below the Georgia typical home.
| Valdosta | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 58% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 58% | 52% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,054 a month | $1,160 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
26.1% of residents live below the poverty line, against 13.4% across Georgia, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income. The median household earns $45,925, against $77,353 across Georgia.
Adults 18 to 34 are 36% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 27% of residents (39% statewide). 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Georgia.
| Valdosta | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.9 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 24% | 22% |
55% women, 45% men
About 84 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.1 points). Across Georgia, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 30.4, men 27.8.
| Valdosta | GA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.1% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.5% | 11.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 20.8% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.2% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 13.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8% | 12.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8% | 12.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.3% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.9% | 5.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.3% | 10.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.7% | 26.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.4% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.9% | 21.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.5% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
85 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 12 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 85 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Valdosta.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Valdosta has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91° and January nights drop to 40°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2 within 15 miles of the center of Valdosta
About 14 of every 100 Valdosta residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
16 places in Valdosta on the National Register of Historic Places.
47 notable people were born in Valdosta.
City in Georgia, United States
Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As the principal city of the Valdosta metropolitan statistical area, which in 2023 had a metropolitan population of 151,118, according to the US Census Bureau its metropolitan area includes Brooks County to the west. With a city population of 55,378 in 2020, Valdosta is the home of Valdosta State University, a regional university in the University System of Georgia with over 12,000 students as of 2021.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Valdosta.
Bemiss reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Valdosta with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Valdosta grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #245 of 258 in Georgia. It grades D for health, D for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($57,085 across the Valdosta, GA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
47 notable people were born here, including Bill Hicks and Thomas Rhett.
