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The 20 Best Places to Live in Georgia

Georgia is known as the Peach State because of its reputation for producing the nation's most succulent peach crops. This isn't its only appeal. In fact, there are countless best places to live in Georgia for a variety of reasons.

It's one of the top ten states in the union, according to The Crazy Tourist. The state has a rich history along with a variety of geographical attributes including dense forests, coastal beaches, vast expanses of mountains, and plenty of farmland if you're into growing your own crops.

In most areas of the state, the people are also friendly, all 10.3 million of them. It's a place where deep friend foods and homestyle cuisine reigns supreme, but some locales are preferable to others within the state if you're looking for a safe and comfortable place to live. The best neighborhoods are those with the lowest crime rates, moderate housing prices, good schools, low unemployment rates and a decent cost of living.

These are the criteria that we used to bring you the 20 best places to live in Georgia.

20. Columbus, Georgia

Columbus sits on the banks of the Chattahoochee River with the Fort Benning army base within its boundaries. It's a lovely city to live in with 50 public parks in the city and world-class whitewater rafting. There's even a course that runs through the area. It's also highly rated for its educational system adn it's the home of Columbus State University.

19. Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the state of Georgia's oldest city, established in 1733. It is a vital Atlantic seaport and is still used for the import and export of good to and from the United States. The city streets are lined with cobblestone, numerous parks, and the Savannah Historic District. Up to 11 million tourists visit the city per year, giving residents the opportunity to make a decent living from the increased population during peak seasons.

18. Gainesville, Georgia

Gainesville is known for its many poultry processing plants. It's set up in a rural area with lovely natural wooded areas of dense forests surrounding the city. There are multiple opportunities for outdoor recreation. The educational prospects are high with two universities and it is also the home of the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, offering high-quality healthcare.

17. Woodstock, Georgia

Woodstock is known for its historic downtown district, rich with history and homes on the historic register that dates back to the late 1800s. It is filled with miles of trails near the Little River and Noonday Creek, and Towne Lake also provides outdoor enthusiasts with multiple outdoor recreational opportunities. This is a great place to live if you love the peace and quiet of nature and if you are the outdoorsy type.

16. Athens, Georgia

Athens is an excellent place to live if you are a college student. It's considered to be a college town which offers a good choice of affordable housing opportunities, coffee shops, and more. The medial value of a home in this town is $150,000 and the average rent is $789 per month. There are 120,000 residents in Athens so it's not a small city, and the town is set up to be bike-friendly with a great public transportation system. There are plenty of entertainment, shopping and dining options, and everything here is affordable. The Athens version of Georgia is a proud place to call home, although not much for families. If you are looking for great schools or a mature environment, Athens is not your kind of town. Because this is a college town most ideal for the young at heart.

15. Roswell, Georgia

Roswell is located in Fulton County with a population of 94,000 residents. The schools are top-rated and the unemployment rate is among the lowest in the state. The crime rate is below the state average, and the cost of living is a bit lower than most other cities in Fulton County. The median home value is $297,000 and the average annual salary is $82,150. There are 18 parks within the city so there is plenty of space and opportunities to get out of the house and have some outdoor fun.

14. Decatur, Georgia

Decatur is a great place to live if you're looking for a smaller community that is populated with just under 21,000 residents. It is located in DeKalb County. The schools are rated as among the highest in the state of Georgia. The average home value is $365,900, with rent averaging $887 per month. The crime rate is low which makes it a good choice for people raising their families. There are also plenty of shopping, dining and recreational options in Decatur.

13. John's Creek, Georgia

John's Creek is a suburb of Atlanta that is 30 miles northeast of the larger city of downtown Atlanta. The population is 82,200 residents. The schools are highly rated with graduation rates for high schoolers nearly at one hundred percent. The crime rate is low in John's Creek, and they have a huge selection of shopping, entertainment, dining, and recreational options. The median home value is $333,300 because of the desirability of this suburb.

12. Druid Hills

Druid Hills is another highly rated place to live in Georgia. It is another suburb of Atlanta with a population of 14,000 residents. The average annual salary is $87,912, with plenty of employment opportunities nearby. The diversity is high and the crime rate is nearly zero. Because of the high quality of living in Druid Hills, the average home value is $477,800. It's a beautiful community in a peaceful and beautiful setting with a lot of large houses, good nightlife and it is close to Emory University.

11. Alpharetta, Georgia

Alpharetta is another city in Fulton County that comes highly recommended as one of the best places to live in the state of Georgia. The population is 62,000, and the average annual income is $92,839. The crime rate is lower than the state average and the same is true for the unemployment figures. The schools are among the top in the state as well. If you want to purchase a three bed two bath home the average cost is $327,000. It's a beautiful and peaceful place to live.

10. Suwanee, Georgia

Suwanee is a small city with a population of just 17,000 residents. It's one of the best places to live in Georgia if you're looking for an area with good schools and a low cost of living. The average home value is $239,400 for a four-bed two bath home. The average annual household income is $82,440 and the crime rate is also low.

9. Marietta, Georgia

Marietta is located in Cobb County, adn it's not far from Atlanta. The population is 58,900 which makes it a moderate-sized city. The schools have a high raign of 9 out of 10. The affordable cost of living makes this a good choice for people raising a family, as the average monthly rent is $900 and the median cost of a home is $211,500. Marietta offers a lot for families to do with 18 parks, museums, and theaters to visit. Noteworthy features of Marietta include 18 miles of trails in the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, and the Civil War museum which sponsors war reenactments.

8. Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw is located in Cobb County with a population of 32,200 residents. This city is growing rapidly though, because of its high livability scores. The cost of living is low with the average home value at $151,800, which is the best in the state for a quality neighborhood location. The schools are high performing and the community is diverse with a low crime rate and an A+ rating of the "desirability for families" scale at Niche.com. Kenneway is a historic town with lovely brick walkways, specialty shops, parks, restaurants, and museums. It is the home of Kenneway State University.

7. Mountain Park, Georgia

Mountain Park is a small community that is suburban, located in Gwinnett County. The population is a mere 12,700. This small community is the gateway that leads to the Stone Mountain Park. It's a tourist haven, with several cute and quaint coffee shops. The homes in this beautiful community average $168,500 and thats one of the lowest averages in the entire state. If you don't mind a decent drive to get to a big city, this is an amazing and scenic place to live in Georgia.

6. Peachtree City, Georgia

Peachtree City has a population of 34,900. It's a suburb of Atlanta, located in Fayette County. It's the golfing capital of the state, and the town has been made to accommodate the ten thousand golf carts that are seen speeding through the 90 miles of trails, which are also suitable for walking. There are a lot of lakes, trails, baseball fields, an amphitheater, and even a BMX park, so it's made to accommodate people of all ages with regard to recreation options. The median home value is a low $274,600 with rent prices a little higher at $2,000 per month, so it's geared more towards people who want to become homeowners with regard to a lower cost of living. The average salary per annum is $85,420. All these reasons and more make Peachtree City one of the best places to live in Georgia.

5. Evans, Georgia

Evans, Georgia is located in Columbia County and it has a population of 33,730. The town has the aesthetics of a rural town. If you like country living then this town might be ideal for you. It's only ten miles away from downtown Augusta if you like to have easy access to a larger metropolitan area. Evans gets high ratings for its diversity and the variety of cultures you'll find there. In addition, the crime rates are almost non-existent and the schools have a high rating. The average annual income is $92,507 annually. The quality of life there is marked by the high home prices with a median value of $227,600 and the average rent price at $1,544.

4. Sandy Springs, Georgia

Sandy Springs is located North of Atlanta in Fulton County. It's a big city with a population a little over 100,000. The real estate market in the area is on fire, with the average home cost landing at $415,600. This is because of the high quality of life in the city. It's an excellent place to raise a family because the neighborhoods are well-defined, and the local communities sponsor a variety of different festivals and events, so there is always something to do. The healthcare is highly rated with three large hospitals including a children's hospital in the city

3. Virginia-Highland, Georgia

This is a neighborhood that is near the downtown portion of Atlanta. It's an area where numerous young professionals have made their homes. It's not a far commute from the metro area with ample job opportunities. There are 10,300 people living in this community. The average home price is $496,195 because of the high quality of life there, and rent is around $1,000 a month. It's a beautiful neighborhood with many homes that resemble cottage styling, and there are lots of local businesses for shopping, as well as tons of restaurants and cafes.

2. Milton, Georgia

Milton is a new neighborhood that was just incorporated in 2006. It's grown at a high rate though, with a population of 35,800 residents, as one of the larger Atlanta suburbs. It has a small-town feeling, but it's a short commute to the hustle and bustle of Atlanta. It's ranked as the ninth-best place to live in all of the southern United States. The education system gets high marks, and there are plenty of things for families with kids to do including parks, tennis, baseball, horseback riding, swimming, golf, festivals and other forms of entertainment. The average home value is $459,500 and the area is surrounded by rolling hills. The average annual income is $111,778.

1. Vinings, Georgia

Vinings is rated as the number two best place to live in the state of Georgia, but we've moved it up a notch above Milton. The household income is $75,451 which is 36% higher than the average income in the United States adn 48% higher than the state of Georgia overall. The unemployment rate is a mere 1% and the median home value is $397,600 which is 115% higher than the US average, but it indicates that there is high desirability to own a home in this city. The schools are rated A+ with a graduation rate that is 20% higher than the state of Georgia overall, with higher test scores than the US average.

Liz Flynn

Written by Liz Flynn

Liz Flynn has worked as a full-time writer since 2010 after leaving a career in education. She finds almost all topics she writes about interesting, but her favorite subjects are travel and food. Liz loves the process of researching information, learning new things, and putting into words what others who share her interests might like to read. Although she spends most of her time writing, she also enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, watching films, cooking, dining out, reading, motorsports, gaming, and walking along the beach next to her house with her dog.

Read more posts by Liz Flynn

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