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%

Bluffton$1,400/mo

Typical home $203K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.98% · Housing →

Ailey$880/mo

Typical home $144K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.08% · or rent about $778/mo · Housing →

The difference: $510 a month, about $6,200 a year, between Bluffton and Ailey.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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

–BlufftonNot graded C+AileyBetter than 36% of districts in the state

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

BlufftonAiley

Snow a year0″0″

January low35°F 38°F

July high92°F 92°F

Growing season (days)236d 251d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th 35th

Outdoors & history

BlufftonAiley

Trails—2 mi

Conserved land—0%

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here—2

Community

BlufftonAiley

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

142 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BlufftonGA AileyGA

Bluffton ↔ Ailey142 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

BlufftonAiley

People

Population 350Lowest 489Highest

Median age 26.5±25.2Lowest 30% below GA 28.5±14.4Highest 24% below GA

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

Kids under 18 47.4%±9.7Highest GA: 23.2% 17.4%±4.4Lowest GA: 23.2%

Age 65+ 7.4%±13.2Lowest GA: 15% 21.9%±12.5Highest GA: 15%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.9%Lowest GA: 34.9% 35.1%Highest GA: 34.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±5.7Lowest GA: 6.4% 29%±25.7Highest GA: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $86,131±$49kHighest 11% above GA $48,750±$11kLowest 37% below GA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $161,300±$146kHighest 47% below GA $124,300±$52kLowest 59% below GA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $778±$11 44% below GA

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,188Highest 36% above GA $1,348Lowest 42% below GA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.7%±100Highest GA: 52.4% 0%±100Lowest GA: 52.4%

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

Below poverty line 2.9%Lowest GA: 13.4% 6.1%Highest GA: 13.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 84.4%Lowest GA: 65.7% 85.4%Highest GA: 65.7%

Typical home builtmedian year 1982Highest 10 yrs older than GA 1972Lowest 20 yrs older than GA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 9% below GA 19 minLowest 32% below GA

Work from home 2%±3.1Lowest GA: 15.9% 5.9%±5.2Highest GA: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.4%Lowest 6.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 49.3 miHighest 14.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 7.48Highest 1.86Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Valdosta (10%)Vidalia (28%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AileyFew work in Bluffton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miLowest 1.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 0.8 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 13.7Lowest 30.9Highest

Schools

School district —Montgomery County

High school in town —None in town

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.

Bluffton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bluffton’s Town Square.

Ailey neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ailey’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Bluffton and Ailey

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

Towns like Bluffton

+ Compare

Scotland218 people · $103K homes

+ Compare

Eton735 people · $229K homes

+ Compare

Buckhead331 people · $228K homes

+ Compare

Braswell400 people · $257K homes

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.

Bluffton vs Ailey

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $510 more a month in Bluffton

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

142 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Bluffton and Ailey

Towns like Bluffton

Post to Bluffton

Check your email