What it's like to live in Clarkston
Clarkston is a small city in Georgia with county unemployment below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Clarkston deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
How Clarkston compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Clarkston
Based on Clarkston's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,844
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $56,880 a year
- 61% of Clarkston renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$60,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,260
- Homes cost 6.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,422/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,422 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $302,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $302,600 · 61% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in DeKalb County is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
DeKalb County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 46% above US
481 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1751/100k · Clarkston Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.2 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°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
Education & workforce▼ 32% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary and 1 private school.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (9 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Clarkston's strongest point is county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,422/mo) equals 35% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Clarkston
All Georgia guides →Moving to North Decatur →
4 mi away · pop. 18,442
Rent $1,913/mo · Income $110,871
Compare with Clarkston →Moving to North Druid Hills →
4 mi away · pop. 17,997
Rent $1,874/mo · Income $102,742
Compare with Clarkston →Not sure Clarkston is the one?
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