The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Georgia For 2024


The most expensive cities in Georgia are Milton and Sandy Springs for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

To live in Georgia’smost expensive places, you’re going to need a couple things to fall into place: a heavy piggy bank, a job that pays the big bucks, and a list of the top ten most expensive places in Georgia for 2024.

Yes, since you can’t pay for the Empire State of the South’s crazy expensive cost of living in homegrown Georgia peaches and peanuts, you’re going to need a job that pays $57,941/year. To get that heavy piggy bank, you’re going to want to commit to one of Georgia’s highest paying jobs: we recommend healthcare, law, or finance. And if that doesn’t work, there are currently 17 Fortune 500 companies and 26 Fortune 1000 companies that include Home Depot, Coca-Cola, and Alfac. More importantly, to get a list of the top ten most expensive places in the Peach State, we recommend that you take a look at HomeSnacks’ list below.

Incidentally, if you choose one of Georgia’s most expensive places to live, you could find yourself living next to famous Georgia faces like the Cincinnati Bengals player Brandon Thompson who hails from one of the state’s most expensive places, Thomasville and the Weather Channel’s Mike Bettes who hails from Sandy Springs.

Want to know more? Grab a slice of peach pie from the in Pooler, find a sunny spot on the beach in Savannah and keep reading.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Georgia For 2024

  1. Milton
  2. Sandy Springs
  3. Brookhaven
  4. Dunwoody
  5. Johns Creek
  6. Decatur
  7. Alpharetta
  8. Dahlonega
  9. Roswell
  10. Braselton

What’s the most expensive place to live in Georgia? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Milton is the most expensive place to live in Georgia.

Waynesboro (the cheapest place to live in Georgia) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.

And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Georgia and the most expensive cities in the country:

The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Georgia For 2024

Milton, GA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 41,029
Cost Of Living Index: 137
Median Income: $142,845
Average Home Price: $866,981
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.1x
More on Milton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Milton is 137. The median income in Milton comes in at $142,845 and the average home value is $866,981 for 2024.

Sandy Springs, GA

Source: Wikipedia User Maksim Sundukov | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 107,221
Cost Of Living Index: 130
Median Income: $93,303
Average Home Price: $636,700
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.8x
More on Sandy Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Sandy Springs is 130. The median income in Sandy Springs comes in at $93,303 and the average home value is $636,700 for 2024.

Brookhaven, GA

Source: Wikipedia User Mmann1988 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 56,848
Cost Of Living Index: 126
Median Income: $114,570
Average Home Price: $677,272
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.9x
More on Brookhaven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Brookhaven is 126. The median income in Brookhaven comes in at $114,570 and the average home value is $677,272 for 2024.

Dunwoody, GA

Source: Wikipedia User Mmann1988 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 51,458
Cost Of Living Index: 124
Median Income: $106,710
Average Home Price: $623,116
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.8x
More on Dunwoody: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Dunwoody is 124. The median income in Dunwoody comes in at $106,710 and the average home value is $623,116 for 2024.

Johns Creek, GA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 82,230
Cost Of Living Index: 123
Median Income: $153,882
Average Home Price: $658,732
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.3x
More on Johns Creek: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Johns Creek is 123. The median income in Johns Creek comes in at $153,882 and the average home value is $658,732 for 2024.

Decatur, GA

Source: Wikipedia User Goingstuckey | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 24,421
Cost Of Living Index: 122
Median Income: $129,992
Average Home Price: $309,943
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.4x
More on Decatur: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Decatur is 122. The median income in Decatur comes in at $129,992 and the average home value is $309,943 for 2024.

Alpharetta, GA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 65,884
Cost Of Living Index: 119
Median Income: $141,402
Average Home Price: $671,145
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.7x
More on Alpharetta: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Alpharetta is 119. The median income in Alpharetta comes in at $141,402 and the average home value is $671,145 for 2024.

Dahlonega, GA

Source: Wikipedia User HowardSF at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 7,083
Cost Of Living Index: 119
Median Income: $57,941
Average Home Price: $344,023
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.9x
More on Dahlonega: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Dahlonega is 119. The median income in Dahlonega comes in at $57,941 and the average home value is $344,023 for 2024.

Roswell, GA

Source: Wikipedia User Carrie Qualters | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 92,770
Cost Of Living Index: 117
Median Income: $122,924
Average Home Price: $610,721
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.0x
More on Roswell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Roswell is 117. The median income in Roswell comes in at $122,924 and the average home value is $610,721 for 2024.

Braselton, GA

Source: Wikipedia User Chris Pruitt | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 13,804
Cost Of Living Index: 113
Median Income: $111,080
Average Home Price: $436,475
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.9x
More on Braselton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Braselton is 113. The median income in Braselton comes in at $111,080 and the average home value is $436,475 for 2024.

Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Peach State For 2024

Map Of The Cheapest Places To Live In Georgia
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Georgia are:

  1. How much money do I make?
  2. How much do I have to spend to live there?

You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.

For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.

With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:

  • Overall Cost Of Living Index
  • Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
  • Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
  • Median Home Price

You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Georgia to figure out which is the most expensive.

You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.

So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 124 places in Georgia that have more than 5,000 people.

The place with the highest cost of living in Georgia according to the data is Milton. We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Georgia.

Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Georgia For 2024

Well, there you have it, the places in Georgia that have the highest cost of living, with Milton ranking as the most expensive city in the Peach State.

The most expensive cities in Georgia are Milton, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Decatur, Alpharetta, Dahlonega, Roswell, and Braselton.

Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Georgia according to the data:

  1. Waynesboro
  2. Swainsboro
  3. Camilla

For more Georgia reading, check out:

Most Expensive Cities In Georgia

Rank City Cost Of Living Population Median Income Average Home Price Home/Income Ratio
1 Milton 137 41,029 $142,845 $866,981 6.1x
2 Sandy Springs 130 107,221 $93,303 $636,700 6.8x
3 Brookhaven 126 56,848 $114,570 $677,272 5.9x
4 Dunwoody 124 51,458 $106,710 $623,116 5.8x
5 Johns Creek 123 82,230 $153,882 $658,732 4.3x
6 Decatur 122 24,421 $129,992 $309,943 2.4x
7 Alpharetta 119 65,884 $141,402 $671,145 4.7x
8 Dahlonega 119 7,083 $57,941 $344,023 5.9x
9 Roswell 117 92,770 $122,924 $610,721 5.0x
10 Braselton 113 13,804 $111,080 $436,475 3.9x
11 Peachtree City 112 38,414 $111,850 $519,848 4.6x
12 Suwanee 111 21,238 $100,780 $578,726 5.7x
13 Peachtree Corners 110 42,147 $74,716 $521,450 7.0x
14 Atlanta 106 494,838 $77,655 $379,030 4.9x
15 Smyrna 106 55,863 $92,258 $448,692 4.9x
16 Chamblee 106 29,980 $76,682 $457,676 6.0x
17 Marietta 105 61,387 $67,589 $452,424 6.7x
18 Woodstock 104 35,171 $100,913 $434,309 4.3x
19 Holly Springs 104 16,675 $108,332 $411,079 3.8x
20 Duluth 103 31,742 $88,915 $418,705 4.7x
21 Fayetteville 101 19,010 $79,865 $410,964 5.1x
22 Richmond Hill 101 16,703 $83,519 $394,939 4.7x
23 Flowery Branch 100 9,700 $93,684 $413,457 4.4x
24 Tyrone 100 7,710 $112,898 $479,618 4.2x
25 Cumming 100 7,371 $71,855 $574,758 8.0x
26 Pooler 99 26,264 $89,812 $340,383 3.8x
27 Sugar Hill 99 24,947 $94,520 $443,468 4.7x
28 Loganville 99 14,287 $77,750 $382,369 4.9x
29 Dacula 99 6,906 $81,322 $445,387 5.5x
30 Canton 97 33,499 $75,414 $478,892 6.4x
31 Snellville 97 20,895 $88,586 $350,856 4.0x
32 Lilburn 97 14,741 $61,347 $385,612 6.3x
33 Stockbridge 96 28,858 $72,175 $298,450 4.1x
34 Norcross 96 17,530 $74,921 $314,441 4.2x
35 Doraville 96 10,691 $59,636 $352,077 5.9x
36 McDonough 95 29,134 $77,804 $347,529 4.5x
37 Jefferson 95 13,496 $95,850 $376,132 3.9x
38 Kennesaw 94 33,360 $81,467 $401,282 4.9x
39 Lawrenceville 94 30,465 $55,608 $374,957 6.7x
40 St. Marys 94 18,507 $68,199 $288,009 4.2x
41 Buford 94 17,222 $68,165 $468,970 6.9x
42 Port Wentworth 94 11,103 $61,409 $269,354 4.4x
43 Byron 94 5,687 $83,996 $247,988 3.0x
44 Columbus 93 204,572 $54,561 $151,024 2.8x
45 College Park 93 14,113 $47,706 $292,210 6.1x
46 Gainesville 92 42,780 $64,163 $349,432 5.4x
47 Newnan 92 42,689 $74,606 $356,203 4.8x
48 Douglasville 92 35,252 $72,753 $307,358 4.2x
49 Acworth 92 22,318 $74,643 $400,640 5.4x
50 Kingsland 92 18,563 $73,839 $277,021 3.8x
51 Conyers 92 17,415 $53,500 $303,333 5.7x
52 Powder Springs 92 16,930 $88,311 $358,104 4.1x
53 Hampton 92 8,244 $67,808 $330,762 4.9x
54 Savannah 91 147,583 $54,748 $296,777 5.4x
55 Hinesville 91 34,732 $54,447 $217,324 4.0x
56 Winder 91 18,414 $57,365 $326,583 5.7x
57 Covington 91 14,190 $47,278 $292,367 6.2x
58 Locust Grove 91 9,367 $67,143 $329,824 4.9x
59 Centerville 91 8,220 $74,250 $209,922 2.8x
60 Auburn 91 7,794 $77,896 $334,190 4.3x
61 Valdosta 90 55,266 $41,365 $182,356 4.4x
62 East Point 90 38,113 $59,602 $262,257 4.4x
63 LaGrange 90 31,173 $41,030 $192,745 4.7x
64 Fairburn 90 16,469 $67,245 $331,795 4.9x
65 Griffin 89 23,485 $42,047 $236,940 5.6x
66 Cartersville 89 23,103 $75,407 $304,822 4.0x
67 Commerce 89 7,391 $58,763 $296,250 5.0x
68 Bremen 89 7,209 $88,545 $263,114 3.0x
69 Hapeville 89 6,566 $62,117 $273,382 4.4x
70 Morrow 89 6,563 $64,890 $227,622 3.5x
71 Warner Robins 88 80,374 $63,678 $194,094 3.0x
72 Union City 88 26,869 $46,696 $247,142 5.3x
73 Carrollton 88 26,622 $46,722 $269,476 5.8x
74 Thomasville 88 18,744 $45,789 $203,661 4.4x
75 Monroe 88 15,036 $45,307 $342,225 7.6x
76 Dallas 88 14,126 $60,032 $346,508 5.8x
77 Lovejoy 88 10,429 $59,184 $287,995 4.9x
78 Rome 87 37,621 $48,512 $208,496 4.3x
79 Perry 87 21,279 $68,507 $242,812 3.5x
80 Calhoun 87 17,184 $54,927 $252,141 4.6x
81 Tifton 87 17,059 $42,200 $183,657 4.4x
82 Grovetown 87 16,049 $67,222 $287,518 4.3x
83 Clarkston 87 14,553 $51,122 $273,169 5.3x
84 Bainbridge 87 14,234 $42,093 $158,360 3.8x
85 Jackson 87 5,497 $43,824 $279,727 6.4x
86 Villa Rica 86 17,354 $82,373 $312,462 3.8x
87 Douglas 86 11,694 $39,716 $152,646 3.8x
88 Garden City 86 10,352 $46,063 $212,631 4.6x
89 Fort Oglethorpe 86 10,203 $49,789 $226,881 4.6x
90 Cairo 86 10,091 $39,784 $158,232 4.0x
91 Toccoa 86 9,055 $49,860 $200,804 4.0x
92 Stone Mountain 86 6,638 $44,950 $281,949 6.3x
93 Forest Park 85 19,619 $41,837 $177,768 4.2x
94 Riverdale 85 14,933 $61,622 $236,180 3.8x
95 Jesup 85 9,820 $53,096 $176,163 3.3x
96 Thomaston 85 9,720 $30,298 $160,205 5.3x
97 Barnesville 85 6,200 $46,116 $189,049 4.1x
98 Dalton 84 34,358 $57,163 $220,313 3.9x
99 Dublin 84 15,985 $37,734 $172,018 4.6x
100 Austell 84 8,109 $64,071 $295,883 4.6x
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.