Valdosta, GA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Georgia·Valdosta

Lowndes County · Valdosta · population 55,667

First-time buyersInvestors
Valdosta, GA
Image: Wikipedia · Valdosta, Georgia
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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70
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Valdosta stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 7.6% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $212,237
1-year +3.0%
5-yr CAGR +7.6%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$212k$105k$143k$182k$221k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
35/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,342/mo$0$716$1,432202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent14414780100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.2
Buy

At a 13.2 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Valdosta on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.2 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
65 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
77 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
48 · w16%
Rent YoY
68 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Valdosta has averaged 7.6% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+3.0% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Valdosta's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Valdosta

Valdosta is a city in Lowndes County, Georgia, with an estimated population of 55,667. The median home value in Valdosta is $212,237 as of 2026-04, up 3.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Valdosta average $1,342 per month, up 3.4% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 70 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $212,237 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +7.6% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.0% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Valdosta (Wikipedia)

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.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorScott James Matheson
Area36.43 sq mi
Elevation220 ft
Motto"A City Without Limits" (2002–present)
Density1538.88/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Lowndes County right now.

NWS active alerts (GA)Georgia Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Lowndes County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Valdosta

14 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Devonwood$149,079+6.3%
2North Patterson Street$130,645-9.3%
3Brook Haven$94,196-5.7%
4Lincoln Park$93,094+6.0%
5Leila Ellis$78,921-20.4%
6Ulmer Avenue$77,552-11.5%
7Hightower$76,147-8.6%
8Brookwood$72,477-15.8%
9Tom Town$63,933-14.8%
10South Side$60,295-9.3%
11Cypress$59,586-5.1%
12Little Miami$52,396-16.1%
13Pineville$50,248-20.5%
14West Side$48,294-25.5%

Cities like Valdosta

Dalton, GA69 · RisingWarner Robins, GA75 · RisingRome, GA71 · RisingThomasville, GA70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Valdosta

ToolCan I afford Valdosta?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Valdosta rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Valdosta to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolValdosta cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
55° / 36°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
91° / 71°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
217
~59% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
1″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Valdosta listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Valdosta area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$71,400
Georgia state median
Top industries (state-level)
Logistics/DistributionFilm/TVHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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