A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Blakely$780/mo

Typical home $131K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $765/mo · Housing →

Thomson$1,210/mo

Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.97% · or rent about $848/mo · Housing →

The difference: $430 a month, about $5,100 a year, between Thomson and Blakely.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Thomson places higher on 9 of 19 GA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Georgia ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

C−BlakelyBetter than 20% of districts in the state DThomsonBetter than 14% of districts in the state

Health

DBlakelyHealthier than 6% of U.S. towns DThomsonHealthier than 8% of U.S. towns

8Blakely

9Thomson

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 265 towns #257#65 Most conserved landOutdoors · 257 towns #230#117 Most remote workersWork · 257 towns #205#115 Highest graduation rateSchools · 256 towns #154#214 Lowest property taxCost of living · 264 towns #47#91 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 265 towns #180#224 Fastest growingGrowth · 254 towns #145#185 Highest incomeIncome · 265 towns #187#225

Left end = #1 in Georgia. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Blakely’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

BlakelyThomson

Snow a year0″1″

January low38°F 34°F

July high93°F 90°F

Growing season (days)264d 237d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th 15th

Outdoors & history

BlakelyThomson

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0.4%2.4%

Settled1825 1837

National Register places3 7

Archive photos16 12

Famous people born here6 11

Community

BlakelyThomson

Library hours a week42 hrs 42 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

202 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BlakelyGA ThomsonGA

Blakely ↔ Thomson202 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Georgia average

BlakelyThomson

People

Population 5,238Lowest 6,821Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6%Highest GA: +10.6% +0.5%Lowest GA: +10.6%

Median age 39.8±2.8Highest 6% above GA 38.1±3.6Lowest about the GA average

Blakely and Thomson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 26.1%±4.6Highest GA: 23.2% 25.2%±6.2Lowest GA: 23.2%

Blakely and Thomson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 16%±3.6Highest GA: 15% 15.9%±3.6Lowest GA: 15%

Blakely and Thomson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12%Lowest GA: 34.9% 13.3%Highest GA: 34.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±2.5Lowest GA: 6.4% 6.1%±2.5Highest GA: 6.4%

Thomson and Blakely are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $49,821±$15kHighest 36% below GA $42,180±$10kLowest 45% below GA

Blakely and Thomson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $152,500±$41kLowest 50% below GA $161,100±$31kHighest 47% below GA

Thomson and Blakely are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $765±$86Lowest 45% below GA $848±$95Highest 39% below GA

Thomson and Blakely are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,280Lowest 45% below GA $1,565Highest 33% below GA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49%±13.8Lowest GA: 52.4% 68.3%±17.1Highest GA: 52.4%

Thomson and Blakely are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 26.8%Lowest GA: 13.4% 28.8%Highest GA: 13.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 48.4%Lowest GA: 65.7% 48.5%Highest GA: 65.7%

Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 9 yrs older than GA 1979Lowest 13 yrs older than GA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minHighest 37% below GA 17 minLowest 41% below GA

Work from home 4.7%±2.9Lowest GA: 15.9% 10.2%±8.1Highest GA: 15.9%

Thomson and Blakely are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 24.1%Highest 15.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.3 miHighest 22.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.90Lowest 1.14Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Dothan (7%)Augusta (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ThomsonFew work in Blakely

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.4%Lowest 2.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 14.5Lowest 70.8Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #205 of 231 in GA #209 of 231 in GA

School district Early CountyMcDuffie County

High school in town Early County High SchoolThomson High School

Students per teacherat that high school 13.4Lowest 16.0Highest

Georgia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Blakely neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Blakely’s Town Square.

Thomson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Thomson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Blakely and Thomson

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Blakely

+ Compare

Hawkinsville4,731 people · $159K homes

+ Compare

Elberton4,720 people · $115K homes

+ Compare

Glennville5,179 people · $204K homes

+ Compare

Nashville4,928 people · $134K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Georgia towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Blakely vs Thomson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $430 more a month in Thomson

Thomson places higher on 9 of 19 GA lists

What daily life feels like in each

202 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Blakely and Thomson

Towns like Blakely

Post to Blakely

Check your email