Moving to McRae-Helena
Telfair County loses about 5.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within Georgia, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Telfair County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 10.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into Telfair County report $30,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $34,500, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
- Income you would need
- $28,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $713 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,473 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $113,500.
- Getting to work
- 21 minutes each way on average; 6.2% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- Kennett, MO matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
What it costs to live here
Median gross rent is $713, 48% below the median place.
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in McRae-Helena, $713 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Like McRae-Helena, but easier on the budget
Places that match McRae-Helena on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.
| Place | Match | Rent to income | More left a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennett, MO | 94 | 14.9% vs 19.6% | n/a | Compare |
| Hamilton, AL | 91 | 13.1% vs 19.6% | n/a | Compare |
| Central City, KY | 87 | 16.1% vs 19.6% | n/a | Compare |
| West Frankfort, IL | 87 | 16.6% vs 19.6% | n/a | Compare |
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in McRae-Helena.
All 13 cost and housing measures
| Measure | McRae-Helena | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $713 | 48% below | |
| Rent to income1 | 19.6% | 4% below | |
| Property tax rate1 | 1.1% | 24% above | |
| Home price to income1 | 2.6x | 32% below | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure | $1,002 | 38% below | |
| HUD area median income3County figure | $66,500 | 38% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $1,284 | 61% below | |
| Median home value1 | $113,500 | 64% below | |
| Homeownership1 | 54.7% | 18% below | |
| Renters paying 30%+1 | 50.7% | 0% above | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1 | $1,473 | 21% below | |
| Vacant homes1 | 19.0% | 169% above | |
| Median year built1 | 1973 | 0% below |
Work and pay
Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).
More on work and pay, against the typical place
All 9 work and pay measures
| Measure | McRae-Helena | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $43,618 | 46% below | |
| Income per person1 | $15,215 | 62% below | |
| Average annual pay4County figure | $43,800 | 34% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year4County figure | 4.6% | 24% above | |
| Jobs4County figure | 2,120 | 99% below | |
| Poverty rate1 | 31.5% | 193% above | |
| Mean commute1 | 21 min | 16% below | |
| Works from home1 | 6.2% | 50% below | |
| Commutes by transit1 | 0.0% | below (median 0.8%) |
Who lives here
8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 98% of the 2,473 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 166 Georgia places we track.
More about who lives here, against the typical place
All 9 people measures
| Measure | McRae-Helena | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 6,030 | 5920th largest | |
| Population change since 20205 | -18.1% | below (median 1.1%) | |
| Median age1 | 41.3 | 6% above | |
| Bachelor's or higher1 | 8.0% | 75% below | |
| High school or higher1 | 79.8% | 14% below | |
| Household size1 | 2.5 | 1% above | |
| Born abroad1County figure | 6.4% | 28% below | |
| No health insurance1 | 18.7% | 192% above | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 73.3% | 21% below |
Life in McRae-Helena
OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 166 Georgia places we track.
Founded or incorporated in 2015. 3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia
Out the door, against the typical place
Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
National Park Service sites nearby
- Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park 68 miles
- Andersonville National Historic Site 73 miles
- Jimmy Carter National Historical Park 88 miles
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 16 schools and local life measures
| Measure | McRae-Helena | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools12County figure | 4 | 56% below | |
| Public school students12County figure | 1,543 | 68% below | |
| Students per teacher12County figure | 14.2 | 8% below | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure | 13.5 | 35% below | |
| Shops per 10k7County figure | 39.7 | 31% above | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure | 5.1 | 75% below | |
| Parks per 10k8 | 0.0 | below (median 10.2) | |
| Playgrounds per 10k8 | 0.0 | below (median 9.4) | |
| Grocery stores per 10k8 | 1.7 | 22% below | |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8 | 0.0 | below (median 11.2) | |
| Libraries per 10k8 | 3.3 | 282% above | |
| Named paths and bike trails8 | 0.0 | below (median 2.0) | |
| Transit stops per sq mi8 | 0.0 | below (median 0.2) | |
| Nearest National Park Service site9 | 67.8 | 120% above | |
| National Park Service sites within 60 miles9 | 0 | below (median 2) | |
| National Register listings10County figure | 3 | 77% below |
Safety, weather and risk
Violent crime per 100k is 102, 47% below the median place.
Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.
All 9 weather and risk measures
| Measure | McRae-Helena | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high13County figure | 92°F | 6% above | |
| January average low13County figure | 38°F | 50% above | |
| Average temperature13County figure | 66°F | 21% above | |
| Annual precipitation13County figure | 46.9 in | 7% above | |
| Natural hazard risk14County figure | 23.5 | 75% below | |
| Hurricane risk14County figure | 80.6 | 14% above | |
| Tornado risk14County figure | 52.2 | 36% below | |
| Wildfire risk14County figure | 45.3 | 26% below | |
| Heat wave risk14County figure | 56.8 | 37% below |
How it is changing
Population change sped up in the latest estimate: +1.9% from 2024 to 2025, against -5.3% a year before that.
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release. Between the 2019 and 2024 releases, which share no survey years, the median rent went from 25.4% to 19.6% of the median income.
Population estimate
Median home value
Median gross rent
Median household income
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
McRae-Helena in 2030: where the trends point
If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% now.
Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, McRae-Helena does better than 74% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 76%.
| Measure | Latest | 2030 projection | Likely range | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $713/mo (2024) | $910/mo | $750 to $1,110/mo | +4.1% |
| Median household income | $43,618 (2024) | $57,000 | $48,000 to $67,500 | +4.6% |
| Median home value | $113,500 (2024) | $166,000 | $120,000 to $229,000 | +6.5% |
| Population | 5,443 (2025) | 4,800 | 4,610 to 5,010 | −2.5% |
The median home would be worth 2.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.6 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like McRae-Helena
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashtabula, OH | $793 | $44,120 | Compare |
| Lebanon, KY | $701 | $45,479 | Compare |
| Albion, NY | $881 | $41,581 | Compare |
| Oakdale, LA | $873 | $42,540 | Compare |
Nearby
- Eastman, GA19 mi
- Vidalia, GA31 mi
- Fitzgerald, GA32 mi
- Dublin, GA33 mi
- Douglas, GA39 mi
- Swainsboro, GA49 mi
Compare McRae-Helena with
More in this area
Places built like McRae-Helena
Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how McRae-Helena performs against places like it.
| Place | Rent to income | Income growth | Pop. change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McRae-Helena, GA | 19.6% | 9.1%/yr | -18.1% | |
| Big Stone Gap, VA | 17.5% | 3.0%/yr | -3.3% | Compare |
| Sylvester, GA | 18.4% | 13.8%/yr | -3.5% | Compare |
| Seaford, DE | 26.1% | 2.2%/yr | 15.5% | Compare |
| Lancaster, SC | 22.5% | 9.0%/yr | 13.2% | Compare |
| LaFayette, GA | 21.9% | 8.5%/yr | 3.8% | Compare |
| Bennettsville, SC | 21.7% | 4.0%/yr | -6.5% | Compare |
Common questions
Is McRae-Helena a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The population has fallen 18.1% since 2020, a steeper drop than in 99% of the 1,634 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 139 Georgia places we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 38 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is McRae-Helena expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 19.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $113,500.
What salary do you need to live in McRae-Helena?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $28,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.
Is McRae-Helena safe?
There were 102 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.
What places are similar to McRae-Helena?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Ashtabula, OH, Lebanon, KY, Albion, NY and Oakdale, LA.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
- SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
- National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).
What stands out compares McRae-Helena with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for McRae-Helena itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/mcrae-helena-georgia
Citytistics. “McRae-Helena, Georgia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/mcrae-helena-georgia/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.