Best Places to Live in North Georgia

Ranked on live listing data, the top 10 are Cedartown ($260,000 median asking), Cleveland ($299,700 median asking), Rome ($315,000 median asking), Toccoa ($325,000 median asking), Calhoun ($286,990 median asking), Commerce ($399,000 median asking), Hartwell ($299,385 median asking), Cartersville ($365,000 median asking), Blairsville ($450,000 median asking), Hiawassee ($430,000 median asking). 29 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.

29 North Georgia cities, ranked

Place	Score	Median asking	Est. cost to own / mo	Median DOM	Pending share	Homes for sale
1. Cedartown Polk	56.6	$260,000	$1,680	43	16%	64
2. Cleveland White	53.5	$299,700	$1,895	25	12%	158
3. Rome Floyd	53.1	$315,000	$2,044	33	12%	271
4. Toccoa Stephens	53.0	$325,000	$2,078	28	13%	97
5. Calhoun Gordon	52.8	$286,990	$1,860	42	12%	75
6. Commerce Jackson	50.0	$399,000	$2,509	21	12%	85
7. Hartwell Hart	49.9	$299,385	$1,820	48	7%	114
8. Cartersville Bartow	49.6	$365,000	$2,317	34	9%	226
9. Blairsville Union	49.3	$450,000	$2,623	42	12%	144
10. Hiawassee Towns	49.3	$430,000	$2,488	90	11%	105
11. Woodstock Cherokee	49.1	$459,900	$2,866	37	12%	265
12. Canton Cherokee	47.3	$549,999	$3,398	40	12%	347
13. Flowery Branch Hall	46.9	$525,000	$3,183	48	12%	169
14. Dahlonega Lumpkin	46.7	$450,000	$2,830	40	10%	109
15. Gainesville Hall	46.5	$529,900	$3,211	42	9%	445
16. Jefferson Jackson	46.2	$519,000	$3,218	48	11%	191
17. Braselton Jackson	45.6	$452,500	$2,825	40	8%	98
18. Morganton Fannin	45.5	$598,500	$3,405	22	12%	70
19. Clayton Rabun	45.0	$455,000	$2,700	62	7%	97
20. Jasper Pickens	44.8	$450,000	$2,733	33	6%	147
21. Hoschton Jackson	44.3	$550,000	$3,402	39	10%	183
22. Ellijay Gilmer	44.1	$500,000	$2,967	34	6%	272
23. Cumming Forsyth	43.6	$622,450	$3,791	35	8%	620
24. Dawsonville Dawson	43.3	$555,000	$3,301	42	8%	162
25. Clarkesville Habersham	42.6	$550,000	$3,349	40	8%	119

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 2026-11-07; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Counties covered: Banks, Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White, Whitfield.

The top 10, in detail

1. Cedartown, Polk County

64 homes for sale at a $260,000 median asking price, 16% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 43 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,680 a month at the county’s 22.5 mills.

2. Cleveland, White County

158 homes for sale at a $299,700 median asking price, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 25 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,895 a month at the county’s 20.6 mills.

3. Rome, Floyd County

271 homes for sale at a $315,000 median asking price, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 33 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,044 a month at the county’s 26.3 mills.

4. Toccoa, Stephens County

97 homes for sale at a $325,000 median asking price, 13% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 28 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,078 a month at the county’s 23.9 mills.

5. Calhoun, Gordon County

75 homes for sale at a $286,990 median asking price, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 42 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,860 a month at the county’s 24.7 mills.

6. Commerce, Jackson County

85 homes for sale at a $399,000 median asking price, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 21 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,509 a month at the county’s 23.3 mills.

7. Hartwell, Hart County

114 homes for sale at a $299,385 median asking price, 7% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 48 days on market; estimated cost to own about $1,820 a month at the county’s 13.3 mills.

8. Cartersville, Bartow County

226 homes for sale at a $365,000 median asking price, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 34 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,317 a month at the county’s 24.1 mills.

9. Blairsville, Union County

144 homes for sale at a $450,000 median asking price, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 41 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,623 a month at the county’s 10.8 mills.

10. Hiawassee, Towns County

105 homes for sale at a $430,000 median asking price, 11% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 90 days on market; estimated cost to own about $2,488 a month at the county’s 9.0 mills.

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in North Georgia by the numbers?

Cedartown ranks first: $260,000 median asking, about $1,680 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 North Georgia?

Cedartown at about $1,680 a month to own the $260,000 median listing, including Polk County property tax.

Where is demand strongest in North Georgia?

Cedartown: 16% of active-plus-pending homes are under contract, with a median 43 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 2026-11-07 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.