Español

Este sitio también está en español. Leer en español

City · 6,030 residents · Telfair County, Georgia

McRae-Helena , Georgia

In McRae-Helena, typical rent is $713 a month. Compared with all of Telfair County, the share of households that own their home is 10 points lower.

WhatsApp

  • Typical rent

    $713a month

    About the same as the county

    49% below Georgia

    • McRae-Helena
    • Telfair
    • Georgia

  • Households that own their home

    55%

    10 points below the county

    11 points below Georgia

    • McRae-Helena
    • Telfair
    • Georgia

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

McRae-Helena is in Telfair County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Telfair County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets McRae-Helena apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. McRae-Helena has the 5th lowest typical rent of the 162 cities in Georgia with more than 5,000 people ($713).

  2. 55% of households in McRae-Helena own their home, against 65% in Telfair County.

  3. 22% of households in McRae-Helena have no internet at home (17% in Telfair County).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in McRae-Helena

What homes there are in McRae-Helena, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house is the most common home in McRae-Helena: 62% of homes, near the figure in Telfair County (62%).

Year built

Homes in McRae-Helena are older: the typical year built is 1973; in Telfair County, 1979.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,473 a month

Telfair County: $1,519 a month

Without a mortgage

$395 a month

Telfair County: $422 a month

Owners with a mortgage

39%

Telfair County: 35%

In McRae-Helena, 39% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,473 a month, about the same as in Telfair County.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical rent in McRae-Helena stayed about the same over that time: the difference is within the Census margin of error.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureMcRae-HelenaTelfair CountyGeorgiaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate6.8%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.1%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2.4%3.4%
People per household 2.532.872.622.53
Drive alone 90%89%71%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate6%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate5%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutesUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in McRae-Helena are smaller: 2.53 people on average; in Telfair County, 2.87.

To get to work, 90% of workers in McRae-Helena drive alone; in Telfair County, 89%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in McRae-Helena?

The Census Bureau publishes no typical home value or typical household income for McRae-Helena, so we don't measure how heavy the payment is. Enter your own numbers in the calculator. The Census Bureau publishes no typical home value for McRae-Helena, so the calculator starts with the one for Telfair County: $113,300. The rate is Freddie Mac’s weekly average (7.18%, November 5, 2026); yours may be different. The FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Telfair County. Change the price, the down payment or the loan type and see how your payment changes.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Telfair County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in McRae-Helena. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $3,966 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$957

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$111,247
Total interest
$160,059
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $1,913 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

Type your income to see which tier this payment lands in.

Show the result as
per month$957
Principal & interest$754
Property tax$106
Home insurance$47
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$50

You need at least $3,966 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

McRae-Helena and Telfair County

McRae-Helena is in Telfair County, Georgia. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

McRae-Helena's own numbers

Typical monthly rent
$713
Households that own their home
55%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Telfair County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,002
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.3%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Telfair County.

Everything about Telfair County

Buying

Buying a home in McRae-Helena

The Census Bureau publishes no typical home value for McRae-Helena. Below are the numbers for Telfair County.

How prices have changed in Georgia

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Georgia rose 110% in the 10 years through 2025.

Period Georgia U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.2% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +58% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +110% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

McRae-Helena next to Telfair County, Georgia and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical monthly rent
  • McRae-Helena $713
  • Telfair $712
  • Georgia $1,393
  • United States $1,413
See the full table
McRae-Helena next to Telfair County and Georgia
Measure McRae-Helena Telfair County Georgia U.S.
Typical monthly rent $713 $712 $1,393 $1,413
Households that own their home 55% 65% 66% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,284 $1,269 $2,341 $3,119
Renters with high rent for their income 51% — 52% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Telfair County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in McRae-Helena

The Census Bureau publishes no typical home value for McRae-Helena, so we don't build this table. You can enter the price you're looking for in the calculator above.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for McRae-Helena and for Telfair County.

Flood risk in Telfair County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Telfair County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.3%
78
Of those, with NFIP insurance
6.4%
County Georgia U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.3% 2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 6.4% 43% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in McRae-Helena

Typical rent in McRae-Helena is $713 a month: about the same as the county. In McRae-Helena, 51% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Telfair County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,002 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $19.27 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Telfair County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $825 $15.87 $33,000
1 bedroom $882 $16.96 $35,280
2 bedrooms $1,002 $19.27 $40,080
3 bedrooms $1,194 $22.96 $47,760
4 bedrooms $1,317 $25.33 $52,680

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in McRae-Helena

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). McRae-Helena has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,000 in 31055 to $1,250 in 31037.

1 of the 2 is above the fair market rent for Telfair County ($1,002).

  • 31037 $1,250$1,520
  • 31055 $1,000$1,190

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for McRae-Helena when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in McRae-Helena

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Telfair County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in McRae-Helena

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for McRae-Helena or Telfair County. The ones below are statewide in Georgia: they work in McRae-Helena the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Georgia

  • Georgia Dream Homeownership Program

    Statewide in Georgia

    Georgia state program for first-time buyers: a mortgage with down payment assistance of up to 5% of the price or $10,000, as a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments. Offered by Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • Georgia Dream Peach Plus Loan Program

    Statewide in Georgia

    FHA or VA mortgage from the Georgia Dream program with down payment assistance of 3.5% of the price (up to $10,000), or 4% (up to $12,500) for police officers, educators, health care workers, military members or families with a person with a disability; no first-time buyer requirement. Offered by Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

    Type not stated

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near McRae-Helena

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of McRae-Helena, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Family Visions Outreach, Inc.

    601 West Price St., Sylvester · 67 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (229) 777-7704

  • Homefirst Housing Resource Services, Inc.

    688 Walnut St, Macon · 69 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (478) 219-3957

  • CCCS of the Savannah Area, Inc. - Statesboro Branch

    515 Denmark Street Suite 700, Statesboro · 70 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (912) 691-2227

All counseling agencies in Georgia

Help in Spanish near McRae-Helena

None of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of McRae-Helena

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Telfair County is named for McRae-Helena or Telfair County.

One other authority has an office in Telfair County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to McRae-Helena, with the typical home value.

Everything about Telfair County Housing in Georgia

Neighboring counties

If Telfair County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in McRae-Helena.

All guides
A family walks a boardwalk trail in the forest; one of them uses a wheelchair.

Questions

Housing questions about McRae-Helena

Short answers with the numbers for McRae-Helena and all of Telfair County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does it cost to rent in McRae-Helena?

Typical rent in McRae-Helena is $713 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Telfair County is $1,002.

What is the FHA loan limit in McRae-Helena?

McRae-Helena uses the FHA limit for all of Telfair County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in McRae-Helena?

The typical homeowner in McRae-Helena pays $1,284 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is Data not available for this place of the home’s value; in Telfair County, the rate is 1.12%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in McRae-Helena?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Telfair County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).