What it's like to live in Canton
Canton is a small city in Georgia with unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a population that has grown fast since 2020, 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. Canton deals with rent well above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, above-average rainfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Canton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Canton
Based on Canton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,360
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,200 a year
- 61% of Canton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$81,560
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $40,780
- 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▲ 19% above US
$1,680/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,680 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 $407,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $407,800 · 61% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 35% below US
2.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.8%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 64% below US
120 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 633/100k · Canton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 31°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 10% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (21 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Canton's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,680/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home).
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