While big cities like Atlanta offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.
With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Atlanta. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Atlanta without actually having to be in the city.
Of course, not all suburbs of Atlanta are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Atlanta area.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Atlanta for 2024:
What’s the best suburb of Atlanta? Avondale Estates ranks as the best suburb of Atlanta for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Avondale Estates, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Atlanta ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about Georgia:
The 10 Best Atlanta Suburbs To Live For 2024
/10
Population: 3,507
Median Income: $136,250
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
Poverty Rate: 3.7%
More on Avondale Estates: Data | Real Estate
Avondale Estates is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Atlanta area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Avondale Estates.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $136,250 a year, which is the 5th highest in the Atlanta region. And only 0.0% are out of work. Homes average more than $536,016 each.
/10
Population: 51,458
Median Income: $106,710
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
Poverty Rate: 6.3%
More on Dunwoody: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Dunwoody is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Atlanta for 2024.
It ranks 12th for incomes in the area and only 8.11% of residents lack insurance, good for 13th best.
3. Berkeley Lake, GA
/10
Population: 2,527
Median Income: $152,908
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%
Poverty Rate: 1.9%
More on Berkeley Lake: Real Estate
Here in Berkeley Lake, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Atlanta metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Berkeley Lake.
/10
Population: 82,230
Median Income: $153,882
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
Poverty Rate: 3.8%
More on Johns Creek: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Johns Creek ranks as the 4th best suburb of Atlanta for 2024.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Johns Creek and the schools are some of the best around.
/10
Population: 65,884
Median Income: $141,402
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%
Poverty Rate: 5.0%
More on Alpharetta: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Coming in as the fifth best is Alpharetta.
Alpharetta gets kudos for having the 4th most expensive homes in the Atlanta area, where houses sell for an average of $671,145. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
My Grandmother lived in Alpharetta when I was growing up and I still have family there. It would take a lot of money to get me to live there. All the transplants have ruined it.
/10
Population: 41,029
Median Income: $142,845
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 3.8%
More on Milton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Milton is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 3.21%.
According to online reports, Milton is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Atlanta area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 24,421
Median Income: $129,992
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%
Poverty Rate: 6.4%
More on Decatur: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Decatur.
Decatur schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 7.2 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
If you can deal with the surrounding Atlanta traffic, Decatur is a very nice city. It is very up-and-coming, with lots of trendy restaurants, a few small art galleries, and a very walkable landscape, which is rare in the Atlanta area. There are many festivals throughout the year, including art festivals, beer festivals, and a book festival in September.
Everything at Leon’s Full Service restaurant, especially the beef brisket, is great. Parking in Decatur can be a hassle, though, so be prepared to drive around looking for a spot.
/10
Population: 107,221
Median Income: $93,303
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
Poverty Rate: 7.1%
More on Sandy Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Sandy Springs is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 8.73% of people lack insurance, good for 14th in the area.
/10
Population: 35,171
Median Income: $100,913
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 5.9%
More on Woodstock: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Is ‘Everything Better In Woodstock?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
/10
Population: 7,710
Median Income: $112,898
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Poverty Rate: 1.8%
More on Tyrone: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
And rounding out the top ten for 2024 is Tyrone.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Atlanta for 2024
Figuring out the best suburbs around Atlanta was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2018-2022 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Atlanta.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 53 suburbs to evaluate around Atlanta.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 53 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Atlanta.” We’re lookin’ at you, Avondale Estates.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Atlanta suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Atlanta ‘Burbs of 2024
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Atlanta are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Atlanta but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more Georgia reading, check out:
Table: Best Atlanta Suburbs
Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Avondale Estates, GA | 3,507 | $136,250 | $536,016 |
2 | Dunwoody, GA | 51,458 | $106,710 | $623,116 |
3 | Berkeley Lake, GA | 2,527 | $152,908 | $728,718 |
4 | Johns Creek, GA | 82,230 | $153,882 | $658,732 |
5 | Alpharetta, GA | 65,884 | $141,402 | $671,145 |
6 | Milton, GA | 41,029 | $142,845 | $866,981 |
7 | Decatur, GA | 24,421 | $129,992 | $309,943 |
8 | Sandy Springs, GA | 107,221 | $93,303 | $636,700 |
9 | Woodstock, GA | 35,171 | $100,913 | $434,309 |
10 | Tyrone, GA | 7,710 | $112,898 | $479,618 |
11 | Roswell, GA | 92,770 | $122,924 | $610,721 |
12 | Grayson, GA | 4,572 | $121,421 | $423,969 |
13 | Holly Springs, GA | 16,675 | $108,332 | $411,079 |
14 | Brookhaven, GA | 56,848 | $114,570 | $677,272 |
15 | Smyrna, GA | 55,863 | $92,258 | $448,692 |
16 | Duluth, GA | 31,742 | $88,915 | $418,705 |
17 | Suwanee, GA | 21,238 | $100,780 | $578,726 |
18 | Chattahoochee Hills, GA | 3,273 | $84,605 | $530,420 |
19 | Powder Springs, GA | 16,930 | $88,311 | $358,104 |
20 | Peachtree Corners, GA | 42,147 | $74,716 | $521,450 |
21 | Snellville, GA | 20,895 | $88,586 | $350,856 |
22 | Kennesaw, GA | 33,360 | $81,467 | $401,282 |
23 | Fayetteville, GA | 19,010 | $79,865 | $410,964 |
24 | Acworth, GA | 22,318 | $74,643 | $400,640 |
25 | Mcdonough, GA | 29,134 | $77,804 | $347,529 |
26 | Hampton, GA | 8,244 | $67,808 | $330,762 |
27 | Marietta, GA | 61,387 | $67,589 | $452,424 |
28 | Chamblee, GA | 29,980 | $76,682 | $457,676 |
29 | Villa Rica, GA | 17,354 | $82,373 | $312,462 |
30 | Hiram, GA | 4,911 | $81,055 | $316,693 |
31 | Stockbridge, GA | 28,858 | $72,175 | $298,450 |
32 | Riverdale, GA | 14,933 | $61,622 | $236,180 |
33 | Douglasville, GA | 35,252 | $72,753 | $307,358 |
34 | Norcross, GA | 17,530 | $74,921 | $314,441 |
35 | Dallas, GA | 14,126 | $60,032 | $346,508 |
36 | Lovejoy, GA | 10,429 | $59,184 | $287,995 |
37 | Doraville, GA | 10,691 | $59,636 | $352,077 |
38 | Stone Mountain, GA | 6,638 | $44,950 | $281,949 |
39 | Fairburn, GA | 16,469 | $67,245 | $331,795 |
40 | Lawrenceville, GA | 30,465 | $55,608 | $374,957 |
41 | Hapeville, GA | 6,566 | $62,117 | $273,382 |
42 | Austell, GA | 8,109 | $64,071 | $295,883 |
43 | Lilburn, GA | 14,741 | $61,347 | $385,612 |
44 | East Point, GA | 38,113 | $59,602 | $262,257 |
45 | Union City, GA | 26,869 | $46,696 | $247,142 |
46 | Conyers, GA | 17,415 | $53,500 | $303,333 |
47 | Clarkston, GA | 14,553 | $51,122 | $273,169 |
48 | Palmetto, GA | 4,650 | $52,444 | $240,512 |
49 | College Park, GA | 14,113 | $47,706 | $292,210 |
50 | Lithonia, GA | 2,614 | $45,431 | $265,761 |
51 | Jonesboro, GA | 4,415 | $33,621 | $247,639 |
52 | Morrow, GA | 6,563 | $64,890 | $227,622 |
53 | Forest Park, GA | 19,619 | $41,837 | $177,768 |