Best Places to Live in Georgia
If Georgia's on your mind, Augusta, Athens and Peachtree City are among many popular places to live.
The Peach Tree State has a Peachtree City, plus there are several other great communities for residents to call home. Here are a handful of the best places to live in Georgia:
In This Article
Augusta
Internationally famous for hosting The Masters golf tournament each spring, Augusta is on the Georgia–South Carolina border along the Savannah River. The city houses Fort Gordon, which supports a population of about 80,000 including military families, contractors, retirees and others, and the population is expected to increase dramatically in the next few years with the announcement of a U.S. Army Cyber Command facility.
Columbus
Along the banks of the Chattahoochee River is Columbus, known mostly as home to Fort Benning army installation and its 40,000 employees. The city has 50 public parks and the longest urban whitewater rafting course in the world, and students can earn a top education at Columbus State University.
Savannah
Established in 1733 and the oldest city in Georgia, Savannah is an important Atlantic seaport for importing and exporting products from home and abroad. The city is also a tourism destination, with cobblestone streets, parks and distinct neighborhoods in its Savannah Historic District that attract 11 million tourists a year.
Athens
Home to the University of Georgia, Athens offers a true college town atmosphere with music venues, coffee shops, restaurants and bars. Every summer since 1996, the city has hosted an AthFest music and arts event in the downtown area, and every spring there are national bicycle races collectively known as the Twilight Series.
Peachtree City
More than 9,000 households in Peachtree City own a golf cart, because the community has a large system of golf cart paths that spider throughout the town. The median income for families is $100,000, and residents have access to Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field. Higher education institutions include Clayton State University and Point University.
Sandy Springs
Just north of Atlanta is Sandy Springs, a community with 16 public parks that showcase a variety of events. The largest is an annual Sandy Springs Festival that draws about 30,000 attendees. The biggest employer in the city is IBM, and the median income for families in Sandy Springs is $83,000.
Gainesville
Often called “Poultry Capital of the World” due to its many poultry processing plants, Gainesville is largely a rural community with several heavily wooded natural areas. Outdoor recreation opportunities are abundant, and residents have local luxuries like two universities and a Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Woodstock
Historic homes from the late 1800s line Main Street in Woodstock, a city that also features a historic downtown district. Residents can enjoy attractions such as Towne Lake, and a plan is in place to construct several miles of trails along natural areas like Little River and Noonday Creek.
Decatur
The layout of Decatur has more than 20 distinct neighborhoods, including a number of historic districts. The motto of the city is “Everything is Greater in Decatur,” and the community features much citizen involvement for local causes. Residents are privy to spacious shopping centers, a dozen public parks and four college campuses.
Marietta
Dobbins Air Reserve Base and a Lockheed Martin manufacturing plant are the major industries in Marietta, and another large employer is Cobb County School District. Marietta has several public parks and six historic districts, and more than 20,000 students attend either Southern Polytechnic State University or Life University.
