Scores by category

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

Safety4#15,088/15,637
Economy21#12,315/15,631
Housing13#13,058/14,977
Health11#13,937/15,609
Healthcare25#11,702/15,650
Environment48#8,094/15,453
Education6#14,634/15,649
Infrastructure12#13,805/15,650
Community18#12,829/15,651
Leisure & amenities8#14,395/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Thomson, Georgia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “McDuffie 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

Job growth · high6.1%
99/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMcDuffie County value
Pharmacies · high3.2 /10k
97/100Georgia 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMcDuffie County value
Unemployment rate · low0.8%
93/100Georgia 3.4%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Natural hazard risk · low5.5
91/100Georgia 24.82025Federal Emergency Management AgencyMcDuffie County value
Average commute time · low16.8 min
86/100Georgia 28.3 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Comfortable days · high31.8%
86/100Georgia 31.5%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationMcDuffie County value

Weaknesses

Grocery stores · low0.5 /10k
1/100Georgia 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMcDuffie County value
Primary care shortage · high20.0
1/100Georgia 8.2United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMcDuffie County value
Loneliness · high42.0%
2/100Georgia 37.9%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Georgia 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMcDuffie County value
Average weekly wage · low$891
5/100Georgia $1,404United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMcDuffie County value
Poverty rate · high28.8%
6/100Georgia 12.8%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Trends

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

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
62.2% (2015-2019) → 75.6% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
55.9% (2015-2019) → 68.3% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
37.7% (2015-2019) → 47.4% (2020-2024)
+9.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Unemployment rateImproving
9.8% (2015-2019) → 0.8% (2020-2024)
−9 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$29,367 (2015-2019) → $42,180 (2020-2024)
+44%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
34.7% (2015-2019) → 43.4% (2020-2024)
+8.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

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, Thomson, Georgia improved on 3 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 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.

Improved3

Commute−7.3 min24.1 min → 16.8 min
Household income+44%$29,367 → $42,180
Broadband+13 points62.2% → 75.6%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Thomson, Georgia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.1 min2015-2019	16.8 min2020-2024	−7.3 min	Improved	96%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.2%2015-2019	13.3%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Broadband subscriptions	62.2%2015-2019	75.6%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	74%
Child poverty rate	37.7%2015-2019	47.4%2020-2024	+9.6 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Effective property tax rate	0.87%2015-2019	1.06%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	3%
High school diploma or higher	79.3%2015-2019	81.3%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.7×	Within the margin of error	35%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4522015-2019	0.4532020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$29,3672015-2019	$42,1802020-2024	+44%	Improved	79%
Poverty rate	22.8%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	+6 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Rent as share of income	34.7%2015-2019	43.4%2020-2024	+8.7 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Rent-burdened households	55.9%2015-2019	68.3%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.7%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	73%

“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 Thomson, Georgia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Thomson, 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, Thomson, Georgia itself moved −0.9 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

6,821 residents (±14)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

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

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

6,821 residents (±14)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

White26%1,771
Black66%4,505
Hispanic or Latino4.8%†325
Asian0.0%†3
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races3.2%†217

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−14.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

4,555 residents (±353)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

No high school diploma19%†852
High school or GED52%2,391
Some college11%†501
Associate degree4.5%†207
Bachelor's degree9.2%†418
Graduate degree4.1%†186

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: High school or GED (+12.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

2,522 households (±201)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $25k36%†899
$25k–50k20%†507
$50k–75k19%†483
$75k–100k4.8%†122
$100k–150k16%†408
$150k–200k3.5%†89
$200k or more0.6%†14

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+2.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

2,522 households (±201)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

Own49%1,224
Rent51%1,298

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,266 households (±236)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $75033%†423
$750–1,00035%†447
$1,000–1,50022%†283

Home values

1,224 homes (±254)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

Under $150k45%†547
$150k–250k41%†506
$250k–400k14%†171

Age of homes

2,776 homes (±210)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

2010 or later3.8%†105
2000–200915%†410
1980–199928%†776

Size of homes

2,776 homes (±210)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom9.7%†269
2 bedrooms24%†672

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

2,697 workers (±376)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

Drive alone80%2,161
Carpool7.2%†194
Public transit0.5%†13
Walk0.1%†3
Bike0.0%0
Work from home10%†276
Other1.9%†50

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−11.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

2,421 workers (±387)

Thomson, Georgia
Georgia share

Under 15 min44%†1,066
15–29 min38%†931
30–44 min12%†302

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

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 McDuffie County, the county holding most of Thomson's residents.

McDuffie County has 452 employer establishments, 207 for every 10,000 residents (0.83× the US rate of 248; 0.88× Georgia's), with 6,673 paid employees at an average annual pay of $39,145. The Census Bureau also counts 2,394 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 452; 2,394 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 207; US 248 · Georgia 236
Paid employees: 6,673
Average annual pay: $39,145; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	40	18.3	1.00×About typical	686	$18,176	11
Ambulatory health care services	33	15.1	0.72×Fewer than typical	397	$43,481	99
Specialty trade contractors	26	11.9	0.77×Fewer than typical	99	$40,768	165
Religious organizations	24	11	1.98×More than typical	94	$17,989	—
Limited-service restaurants	23	10.5	1.31×More than typical	506	$17,328	3
Gasoline stations	19	8.7	2.68×More than typical	168	$29,798	3
Full-service restaurants	14	6.4	0.83×About typical	162	$20,790	5
Offices of other health practitioners	14	6.4	1.05×About typical	54	$48,167	18
Building equipment contractors	11	5	0.84×About typical	40	$47,100	27
Clothing and accessories stores	11	5	1.39×More than typical	60	$14,950	29
Lessors of real estate	11	5	0.41×Fewer than typical	22	$54,000	99
Child day care services	9	4.1	1.69×Too few to compare	82	$21,012	90

Rank places for an industry Open McDuffie County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 21,854 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 Thomson, Georgia: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
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

1KFY2017
17KFY2018
5.1KFY2019
-0.6FY2020
22KFY2021
294.5FY2023
7.1KFY2024
5.7KFY2025

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 Thomson, Georgia, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in McDuffie 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.

Thomson, 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.

McDuffie County9100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC29

Other cities and towns in McDuffie County

Largest first.

Dearing760

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
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/1376280