What it's like to live in Decatur
Decatur is a small city in Georgia with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Decatur deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Above-average rainfall
How Decatur compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Decatur
Based on Decatur's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,310
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,200 a year
- 44% of Decatur renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$140,280
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $70,140
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 17% above US
$1,655/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,655 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $701,400. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $701,400 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 28% below US
3.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 60% below US
131 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1887/100k · Decatur Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 39% 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▲ 112% above US
76% 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
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 7 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 (5 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Decatur's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,655/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (39% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Decatur
All Georgia guides →Moving to North Decatur →
1 mi away · pop. 18,442
Rent $1,913/mo · Income $110,871
Compare with Decatur →Moving to Belvedere Park →
2 mi away · pop. 14,181
Rent $1,534/mo · Income $65,462
Compare with Decatur →Moving to Candler-McAfee →
3 mi away · pop. 20,905
Rent $1,498/mo · Income $64,699
Compare with Decatur →Not sure Decatur is the one?
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