Places › Georgia › Albany

Living in Albany, GA

Small city in Georgia

Albany is a small city in Georgia, home to about 68,000 people, with 99,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Albany a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $129k and rents for $1,530 a month
  • Low natural disaster risk: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Dog-friendly: 4 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places

👎 Cons

  • Smaller job market: about 99,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer graduates: 22% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Albany ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
68,000
99,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
64°F / 92°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$129k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,530/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
88
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,500
State income tax per resident · 1.45% property tax
Safety
2.8× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
7 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, hurricanes
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
22%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
ATL
143 mi away

Living in Albany: common questions

What is the cost of living in Albany?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $129k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,530 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 88, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Albany?

Georgia collects about $1,500 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.45% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Albany safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.8× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Albany?

Albany has mild winters: winter days average around 64°F and summer days around 92°F.

Does Albany get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and hurricanes: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.39 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Albany?

The nearest major airport is ATL, about 143 mi away.

How Albany scores

Each bar compares Albany with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Suburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Mild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Slow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Anonymous AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Good
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Below average
🎓Education Poor
🧸Kids & family Poor
🐕Dog-friendly Good
⛰️Outdoors Below average
🎭Culture Poor
🛡️Safety Higher crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Excellent
☀️Sunny Good
🌤️Mild summers Below average
✈️Airport Average

Places like Albany

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.

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Is Albany right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.