What it's like to live in Doraville
Doraville is a small city in Georgia with county unemployment 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. Doraville deals with rent well above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
How Doraville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Doraville
Based on Doraville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,736
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $74,720 a year
- 70% of Doraville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$66,380
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,190
- Homes cost 4.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 32% above US
$1,868/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,868 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $331,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $331,900 · 70% 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▲ 34% above US
440 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 4090/100k · Doraville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.4 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; 16% 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 & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% 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 (6 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Doraville's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,868/mo) equals 33% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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