Best Cities to Live in Georgia

Ranked on live listing data, the top 10 are Macon ($183,250 median asking), Lithonia ($239,450 median asking), Brunswick ($320,000 median asking), Decatur ($274,995 median asking), Atlanta ($349,200 median asking), Dallas ($375,000 median asking), Lawrenceville ($399,000 median asking), Mcdonough ($365,000 median asking), Douglasville ($349,450 median asking), Marietta ($480,000 median asking). 14 Georgia places qualified with at least 60 homes for sale; the score blends estimated cost to own (including the county's property tax), the share of homes under contract, and inventory depth, all printed in the table.

Georgia's 14 largest markets, ranked

Place	Score	Median asking	Est. cost to own / mo	Median DOM	Pending share	Homes for sale
1. Macon Bibb	59.2	$183,250	$1,239	30	14%	356
2. Lithonia DeKalb	57.7	$239,450	$1,654	27	17%	284
3. Brunswick Glynn	57.2	$320,000	$2,050	98	19%	354
4. Decatur DeKalb	56.7	$274,995	$1,878	34	15%	478
5. Atlanta Fulton	55.4	$349,200	$2,245	34	11%	2,485
6. Dallas Paulding	54.6	$375,000	$2,351	37	18%	264
7. Lawrenceville Gwinnett	54.2	$399,000	$2,560	29	17%	460
8. Mcdonough Henry	54.0	$365,000	$2,375	29	17%	319
9. Douglasville Douglas	53.7	$349,450	$2,311	26	16%	300
10. Marietta Cobb	49.1	$480,000	$3,050	32	14%	392
11. Gainesville Hall	47.1	$490,950	$2,986	32	11%	302
12. Cumming Forsyth	43.3	$619,900	$3,776	35	9%	541
13. St. Simons Island Glynn	39.2	$825,000	$5,049	79	17%	289
14. Alpharetta Fulton	35.9	$799,000	$4,945	32	11%	265

Georgia rows use live listing data only (our feeds do not carry recorded sales or income for most of Georgia yet): median asking price of current listings, an estimated cost to own (principal and interest on 80% of the asking median at 6.65%, county property tax at 40% assessment and the county’s typical millage, $150 a month insurance), median days on market of current listings, and the share of active-plus-pending homes under contract as the demand signal. Score = 50 + 10 × (0.5 affordability + 0.3 demand + 0.2 inventory depth), each as a capped z-score. Inputs are prices, costs and supply only; nothing about the people who live there. Data as of 2026-09-07; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

The top 10, in detail

1. Macon, Bibb County

356 homes for sale at a $183,250 median asking price, 14% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 30 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,239 a month at the county’s 24.2 mills.

2. Lithonia, DeKalb County

284 homes for sale at a $239,450 median asking price, 17% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 27 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,654 a month at the county’s 34.4 mills.

3. Brunswick, Glynn County

354 homes for sale at a $320,000 median asking price, 19% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 98 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,050 a month at the county’s 24.1 mills.

4. Decatur, DeKalb County

478 homes for sale at a $274,995 median asking price, 15% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 33 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,878 a month at the county’s 34.4 mills.

5. Atlanta, Fulton County

2,485 homes for sale at a $349,200 median asking price, 11% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 34 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,245 a month at the county’s 25.9 mills.

6. Dallas, Paulding County

264 homes for sale at a $375,000 median asking price, 18% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 37 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,351 a month at the county’s 22.0 mills.

7. Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County

460 homes for sale at a $399,000 median asking price, 17% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 29 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,560 a month at the county’s 27.1 mills.

8. Mcdonough, Henry County

319 homes for sale at a $365,000 median asking price, 17% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 29 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,375 a month at the county’s 28.8 mills.

9. Douglasville, Douglas County

300 homes for sale at a $349,450 median asking price, 16% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 26 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,311 a month at the county’s 31.4 mills.

10. Marietta, Cobb County

392 homes for sale at a $480,000 median asking price, 14% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 31 days on market; estimated cost to own about $3,050 a month at the county’s 27.2 mills.

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Georgia's big cities by the numbers?

Macon ranks first: $183,250 median asking, about $1,239 a month to own, 14% of homes under contract. Economics only; commute and lifestyle are yours to weigh.

What is the cheapest place to live in Georgia's big cities?

Macon at about $1,239 a month to own the $183,250 median listing, including Bibb County property tax.

Where is demand strongest in Georgia's big cities?

Brunswick: 19% of active-plus-pending homes are under contract, with a median 98 days on market.

How is this ranking calculated?

Score = 50 + 10 times a weighted sum of capped z-scores: estimated cost to own (50%), share of homes under contract (30%) and inventory depth (20%), from live listing data. Inputs are prices, costs and supply only; Georgia sold and income data will be added as our feeds expand.

Every ranking in this series

Homes for sale in Georgia by city and county

Rankings are computed from the published data sources and the formula stated on this page, with no editorial scoring; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply, and the rankings describe housing economics, not the character of any community. Figures are as of 2026-09-07 and change as new sales record. Momentum Realty LLC is a licensed Georgia real estate brokerage. Listing data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.