Living in Atlanta, GA
Big city in Georgia
Atlanta is a big city in Georgia, home to about 499,000 people, with 2.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
In short: The Southeast's business and culture hub, with one of the world's busiest airports. Leafy neighbourhoods and heavy traffic.
Is Atlanta a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Easy flying: ATL is 9 mi away
- Highly educated: 58% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 5 research universities are within 31 mi
- Strong healthcare: 8 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Atlanta ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Atlanta: common questions
What is the cost of living in Atlanta?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $375k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,180 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 100, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Atlanta?
Georgia collects about $1,500 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.97% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Atlanta safe?
Atlanta isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
What is the weather like in Atlanta?
Atlanta has mild winters: winter days average around 56°F and summer days around 89°F.
Does Atlanta get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.26 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Atlanta?
The nearest major airport is ATL, about 9 mi away.
How Atlanta scores
Each bar compares Atlanta 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).
Places like Atlanta
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Georgia.
Is Atlanta right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.