Pulaski County

Pulaski County ranks 53rd out of 1,000 counties nationally, landing in the 93rd percentile overall, with a median home price of $182,215 and year-over-year appreciation of 3.93%. The appreciation score of 83 out of 100 tells you where this market leans: it is an appreciation-oriented play, not a cash-flow engine. The cash flow score is 0, which is a clear signal that at a 6.85% rate on a $182,215 purchase with $36,443 down, the monthly income-to-expense math is tight to negative before you even layer in management, maintenance, and reserves. The affordability index of 91 out of 100 confirms that entry prices are low on an absolute basis, but low price alone does not produce positive cash flow if rents do not cover the carry.

The appreciation score of 83 makes Pulaski most relevant to a patient buy-and-hold investor who can tolerate near-breakeven or slightly negative monthly cash flow in exchange for equity accumulation over a 5-to-10-year hold. The 3.93% price appreciation rate is real movement on a $182,215 asset, adding roughly $7,160 to equity annually at the current pace. A value-add operator who can acquire below median, force appreciation through renovation, and refinance or sell into a rising price environment has a credible thesis here, given that the affordability score of 91 leaves room for price growth without hitting a ceiling. A pure cash-flow buyer targeting monthly income from day one should look elsewhere, because the zero cash-flow score reflects the structural gap between rents and carrying costs at current prices and rates.

At $194 per month combined, the tax and insurance carry is not punishing. The state-average effective property tax rate of 0.92% (Tax Foundation 2024, with the caveat that actual Pulaski County or township rates may differ) produces an annual tax bill of roughly $1,676 on the median-priced asset, and insurance runs another $656 annually at the 0.36% state-average rate. Neither figure is a deal-killer, but combined they add nearly $2,332 per year to your fixed carry before debt service. With the cash-flow score already at zero, these costs deserve attention in your underwrite, particularly if your property-specific tax assessment or insurance quote comes in above the state average, which is common in smaller rural counties.

The stability score of 50 out of 100 is the figure that demands the most scrutiny. A population of 9,887 in a rural Georgia county means the tenant pool is thin, absorption is slow, and a single large employer pulling back can move vacancy materially. No economic anchor data was provided for Pulaski, so the specific drivers of local rental demand are not quantifiable here, but the small population alone warrants building conservative vacancy assumptions into your underwrite, likely 10% or higher, rather than the 5% default you might use in a metro submarket.

Against the neighboring counties, Pulaski's overall score of 75 sits in the middle of the pack. Sumter County scores 80 overall on a median price of $136,879, which is $45,000 cheaper than Pulaski with a higher composite rating. That spread is worth investigating: if Sumter's score advantage reflects better cash-flow characteristics, a cash-flow-oriented investor may find more yield per dollar deployed there. Decatur County at 77 overall and $171,230 median also scores above Pulaski at a lower entry price. Lanier County, despite a slightly lower overall score of 73, shows a rent-to-price ratio of 9.81% on a $210,779 median and $1,722 median rent, which is a meaningful data point: gross yield at that ratio competes well on paper, though the higher price means more capital at risk. Tattnall County at 71 and $188,123 offers no compelling advantage over Pulaski on either price or score. The clearest case for choosing Pulaski over its neighbors is the appreciation thesis. Its 83 appreciation score is the specific metric where it differentiates, and an investor who has underwritten the thin tenant pool risk, stress-tested the carry at above-average vacancy, and is comfortable with a long hold period will find that combination of 93rd-percentile national ranking and sub-$185,000 median prices relatively rare in Georgia.