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Living in
Kennesaw.
About
Life in Kennesaw
Living in Kennesaw means accepting a typical suburban Georgia lifestyle with legitimate Atlanta commute trade-offs. While you're only 27 miles from downtown Atlanta, your average commute is pushing 28 minutes, and traffic on I-75 during rush hour is genuinely congested—you'll need a car for everything here. The cost of living feels moderate for the metro area: median home values hover around $335,000 and rent around $1,845 monthly, but that's still pricier than rural Georgia alternatives.
Kennesaw at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
35.6 yrs
Poverty Rate
10.3%
Foreign-Born
16.1%
Broadband Internet
96.2%
of households
Population Growth
+14.3%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics16.1% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Kennesaw: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Kennesaw, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (30.8%), and 10.9% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
21.4%
of residents
65 and Older
13.2%
of residents
Households with Kids
33.0%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
25.2%
of households
Married Couples
51.2%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.52
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 32% above GA average
Rent, home values, and income in Kennesaw
In Kennesaw, rent runs 32% above the GA average, and home values are 11% above the GA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
51.8%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
27.0%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
100.1
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$2,630
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
64.6%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1998
median year built
Vacant Homes
5.7%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $402,818 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for GA
Unemployment in Kennesaw and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Kennesaw is close to the GA average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Kennesaw Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area
Commute28.6 min avg
How Kennesaw residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Kennesaw, most residents drive alone to work (66%), and 56% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 29 mi
Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Major hub51.5M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 42% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Kennesaw runs 42% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
190.1
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
721.7
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Kennesaw Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 6 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
94.4 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Cobb County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Cobb County, which includes Kennesaw, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 6 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | Hail | $8,000 |
| 2024 | 6 | Thunderstorm Wind | $54,000 |
| 2023 | 12 | Thunderstorm Wind | $19,000 |
| 2022 | 7 | Thunderstorm Wind | $5,000 |
| 2021 | 7 | Thunderstorm Wind | $2.0M |
| 2020 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | $110,000 |
| 2019 | 7 | Drought | $55,000 |
| 2018 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $12,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Cobb County, county-wide
Kennesaw is about 4% of Cobb County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality35 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Cobb County, which includes Kennesaw, is typically good.
Median AQI
35
Cobb County, county-wide
Kennesaw is about 4% of Cobb County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate89°F summers, 33°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Kennesaw has warm summers (avg high 89°F) and mild winters (avg low 33°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
73°/48°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
89°/67°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
74°/50°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
55°/33°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
53.6"
Annual Snowfall
3.8"
Hot Days/Year
55
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
73
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
122
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 31°F | 4.90" |
| Feb | 57°F | 34°F | 5.11" |
| Mar | 65°F | 40°F | 5.14" |
| Apr | 74°F | 48°F | 4.34" |
| May | 81°F | 57°F | 4.01" |
| Jun | 87°F | 65°F | 4.65" |
| Jul | 90°F | 68°F | 4.75" |
| Aug | 89°F | 68°F | 4.17" |
| Sep | 85°F | 61°F | 4.41" |
| Oct | 75°F | 50°F | 3.40" |
| Nov | 64°F | 39°F | 4.42" |
| Dec | 55°F | 34°F | 5.00" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Kennesaw
Uninsured
10.4%
of residents
No hospitals inside Kennesaw's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.5 mi away · Marietta
Wellstar Cobb Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · 11.6 mi away · Austell
Wellstar Paulding Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · 12.8 mi away · Hiram
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education14.3:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Kennesaw
Kennesaw's student/teacher ratio is 14.3:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 47.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
3
within city limits
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
47.3%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.3:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Kennesaw (within 15 miles)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 893 students · in-state tuition $15,441 · 48% graduate · median earnings $48,303 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, 5 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Kennesaw
Kennesaw has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (5 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
National Battlefield Park
5 mi awayChattahoochee River National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
19 mi awayMartin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
National Historical Park
23 mi awayLittle River Canyon National Preserve
National Preserve
63 mi awayChickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
National Military Park
74 mi awayFreedom Riders National Monument
National Monument
79 mi awayRussell Cave National Monument
National Monument
95 mi awayHorseshoe Bend National Military Park
National Military Park
97 mi awayCities Near Kennesaw
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Kennesaw?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Kennesaw FAQ
Is Kennesaw, Georgia affordable?⌄
Kennesaw's median rent is $1,845/month, which is above the national average. The median household income is $83,356/year. Median home value is $335,400.
Is Kennesaw, Georgia safe?⌄
Kennesaw's violent crime rate was 190 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 722 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Kennesaw, Georgia?⌄
Kennesaw has an unemployment rate of 3.2%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Kennesaw, Georgia?⌄
The cost of living in Kennesaw is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,845/month and median household income is $83,356/year. The median home value is $335,400. About 52% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Kennesaw, Georgia?⌄
The average commute in Kennesaw is 29 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from