Best Cities to Live in Georgia

Ranked on live listing data, the top 10 are Macon ($179,444 median asking), Decatur ($275,900 median asking), Mcdonough ($365,000 median asking), Brunswick ($321,722 median asking), Atlanta ($339,000 median asking), Douglasville ($349,000 median asking), Lawrenceville ($394,950 median asking), Marietta ($480,000 median asking), Gainesville ($502,000 median asking), Cumming ($625,000 median asking). 11 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 11 largest markets, ranked

Place	Score	Median asking	Est. cost to own / mo	Median DOM	Pending share	Homes for sale
1. Macon Bibb	59.4	$179,444	$1,217	48	16%	314
2. Decatur DeKalb	57.0	$275,900	$1,883	47	16%	405
3. Mcdonough Henry	56.7	$365,000	$2,375	39	22%	264
4. Brunswick Glynn	56.3	$321,722	$2,060	94	17%	372
5. Atlanta Fulton	55.3	$339,000	$2,184	50	11%	2,174
6. Douglasville Douglas	54.1	$349,000	$2,308	38	17%	266
7. Lawrenceville Gwinnett	51.7	$394,950	$2,535	40	14%	390
8. Marietta Cobb	49.7	$480,000	$3,050	42	16%	323
9. Gainesville Hall	47.5	$502,000	$3,050	47	13%	258
10. Cumming Forsyth	43.8	$625,000	$3,806	44	12%	438
11. St. Simons Island Glynn	37.6	$849,995	$5,197	84	14%	302

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 2026-09-28; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

The top 10, in detail

1. Macon, Bibb County

314 homes for sale at a $179,444 median asking price, 16% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 48 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,217 a month at the county’s 24.2 mills.

2. Decatur, DeKalb County

405 homes for sale at a $275,900 median asking price, 16% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 47 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,883 a month at the county’s 34.4 mills.

3. Mcdonough, Henry County

264 homes for sale at a $365,000 median asking price, 22% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 39 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,375 a month at the county’s 28.8 mills.

4. Brunswick, Glynn County

372 homes for sale at a $321,722 median asking price, 17% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 93 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,060 a month at the county’s 24.1 mills.

5. Atlanta, Fulton County

2,174 homes for sale at a $339,000 median asking price, 11% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 50 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,184 a month at the county’s 25.9 mills.

6. Douglasville, Douglas County

266 homes for sale at a $349,000 median asking price, 17% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 37 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,308 a month at the county’s 31.4 mills.

7. Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County

390 homes for sale at a $394,950 median asking price, 14% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 40 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,535 a month at the county’s 27.1 mills.

8. Marietta, Cobb County

323 homes for sale at a $480,000 median asking price, 16% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 42 days on market; estimated cost to own about $3,050 a month at the county’s 27.2 mills.

9. Gainesville, Hall County

258 homes for sale at a $502,000 median asking price, 13% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 47 days on market; estimated cost to own about $3,050 a month at the county’s 19.2 mills.

10. Cumming, Forsyth County

438 homes for sale at a $625,000 median asking price, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 43 days on market; estimated cost to own about $3,806 a month at the county’s 21.4 mills.

Questions people ask

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

Macon ranks first: $179,444 median asking, about $1,217 a month to own, 16% 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 $1,217 a month to own the $179,444 median listing, including Bibb County property tax.

Where is demand strongest in Georgia's big cities?

Mcdonough: 22% of active-plus-pending homes are under contract, with a median 39 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 2026-09-28 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.