City · Candler County, Georgia

Metter, Georgia

Metter is a city in Candler County, Georgia. It has 3,989 residents. Metter, Georgia has a quality-of-life score of 7 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,542 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Georgia it ranks #270 of 386 cities and towns. It ranks best on pharmacies (high), unemployment rate (low) and job growth (high). It ranks worst on dentists (low), reading scores (low) and life expectancy (low).

7Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,542 of 15,651 cities and towns
Georgia: #270 of 386 in GA
Population: 3,989 (2020-2024)
Land area: 8 mi²
Density: 529.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 1351072

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety23#12,007/15,637
Economy29#11,032/15,631
Housing52#7,183/14,977
Health9#14,274/15,609
Healthcare7#14,592/15,650
Environment22#12,095/15,453
Education6#14,690/15,649
Infrastructure7#14,480/15,650
Community7#14,544/15,651
Leisure & amenities67#5,135/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Metter, Georgia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Candler County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Pharmacies · high4.4 /10k
100/100Georgia 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCandler County value
Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100Georgia 3.4%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Job growth · high3.8%
96/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataCandler County value
Public EV charging ports · high18.6 /10k
94/100Georgia 6.7 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyCandler County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low110 min
92/100Georgia 168 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesCandler County value
Distance to an emergency room · low3.0 mi
92/100Georgia 7.4 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesCandler County value

Weaknesses

Dentists · low9 /100k
1/100Georgia 54 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCandler County value
Reading scores · low2.47
1/100Georgia 2.97United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCandler County value
Life expectancy · low69.1 yrs
2/100Georgia 76.0 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCandler County value
Premature death · high16,501 /100k
2/100Georgia 9,221 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCandler County value
Loneliness · high41.2%
3/100Georgia 37.9%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high31.4%
3/100Georgia 14.0%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child poverty rateImproving
59.2% (2015-2019) → 9.1% (2020-2024)
−50 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
61.0% (2015-2019) → 32.5% (2020-2024)
−29 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
55.9% (2015-2019) → 83.3% (2020-2024)
+27 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedImproving
0.8 /1k (2021) → 1.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+131%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Poverty rateImproving
35.9% (2015-2019) → 15.2% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$23,170 (2015-2019) → $35,759 (2020-2024)
+54%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Metter, Georgia improved on 6 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved6

Unemployment−9.5 points9.5% → 0.0%
Poverty−21 points35.9% → 15.2%
Broadband+27 points55.9% → 83.3%
Rent burden−29 points61.0% → 32.5%
Rent / income−9.5 points37.2% → 27.7%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Metter, Georgia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.6 min2015-2019	21.3 min2020-2024	+2.8 min	Within the margin of error	21%
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.8%2015-2019	16.1%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Broadband subscriptions	55.9%2015-2019	83.3%2020-2024	+27 points	Improved	97%
Effective property tax rate	1.18%2015-2019	0.96%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	62%
High school diploma or higher	72.1%2015-2019	80.4%2020-2024	+8.3 points	Within the margin of error	93%
Home price to income ratio	4.7×2015-2019	4.4×2020-2024	−0.3×	Within the margin of error	90%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5452015-2019	0.4412020-2024	−0.103	Within the margin of error	96%
Median household income	$23,1702015-2019	$35,7592020-2024	+54%	Improved	88%
Poverty rate	35.9%2015-2019	15.2%2020-2024	−21 points	Improved	99%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	37.2%2015-2019	27.7%2020-2024	−9.5 points	Improved	93%
Rent-burdened households	61.0%2015-2019	32.5%2020-2024	−29 points	Improved	97%
Unemployment rate	9.5%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	−9.5 points	Improved	99%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	30.2%2015-2019	31.4%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	32%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Metter, Georgia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Metter, Georgia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Metter, Georgia itself moved +19 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

3,989 residents (±29)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,735 households (±202)

Metter, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $25k33%†574
$25k–50k28%†489
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,735 households (±202)

Metter, Georgia
Georgia share

Own48%832
Rent52%903

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,500 workers (±227)

Metter, Georgia
Georgia share

Drive alone83%1,242
Carpool12%†176
Public transit0.0%0

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Candler County, the county holding most of Metter's residents.

Candler County has 233 employer establishments, 210 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248; 0.89× Georgia's), with 2,289 paid employees at an average annual pay of $38,241. The Census Bureau also counts 965 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 233; 965 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 210; US 248 · Georgia 236
Paid employees: 2,289
Average annual pay: $38,241; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Candler County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	22	19.8	1.08×About typical	361	$19,313	6
Specialty trade contractors	19	17.1	1.11×About typical	110	$57,218	99
Building equipment contractors	13	11.7	1.95×More than typical	76	$56,579	22
Truck transportation	13	11.7	2.32×More than typical	38	$46,921	68
Gasoline stations	12	10.8	3.34×More than typical	108	$30,352	—
Limited-service restaurants	12	10.8	1.35×More than typical	223	$20,587	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	11	9.9	2.26×More than typical	21	$28,952	35
Legal services	10	9	1.68×More than typical	27	$43,074	7
Full-service restaurants	9	8.1	1.06×Too few to compare	102	$16,951	3
Ambulatory health care services	8	7.2	0.35×Too few to compare	42	$45,500	24
Religious organizations	8	7.2	1.30×Too few to compare	32	$20,906	—
Grocery and convenience stores	7	6.3	2.13×Too few to compare	115	$16,626	—

Rank places for an industry Open Candler County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 11,093 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Metter, Georgia: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

557.6FY2017
351FY2018
200.8FY2019

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Metter, Georgia, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Metter is mostly in Candler County.

See federal money in Candler County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Metter, Georgia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Rick W. AllenR-GA-12 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Candler County9100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Candler County

Largest first.

Pulaski230

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1351072

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends