What it's like to live in Atlanta
Atlanta is a major city in Georgia with unemployment below the national average, a highly educated workforce, a growing population, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Atlanta deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
How Atlanta compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Atlanta
Based on Atlanta's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,422
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $68,440 a year
- 49% of Atlanta renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$87,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $43,960
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 21% above US
$1,711/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,711 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $439,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $439,600 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 123% above US
736 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3117/100k · Atlanta Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% take public transit; 30% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
4 hospitals
There are 4 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 64% above US
59% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
94 public schools inside the boundary
There are 94 public schools inside the boundary and 41 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (3 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Atlanta's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,711/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (30% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Atlanta
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