The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Georgia For 2025


The best places for families in Georgia are Decatur and Jefferson for 2025 based on Saturday Night Science.

Did you grow up as a Southern child in the U.S. or have you always wanted to have souther children? Well then, you’ve come to the right place, as HomeSnacks has the research to identify which places in Georgia are the best for raising a family in 2025.

If you grew up in Georgia, perhaps some of your favorite childhood memories were sparked while reading this. In Georgia, many people live outside of large towns, so childhood is filled with playing outdoors, with imaginary games, and with riding bikes with your friends. Obviously, you want to raise your children in the best of places. Georgia is a great state for families because it’s super affordable, there are a bunch of family activities available, and vacation options are plentiful and cheap.

From Atlanta to Savannah, you can find a suburb, city, or small town that’s bristling with family fun for all ages. Whether it be a simple trip to the local library or making a day to trip Neptune Park, there’s something for the whole family to enjoy in the Peach State.

So where are the best cities for families in Georgia? Luckily for you, we have figured out which cities are the best of the best and if you had to pick one, we would recommend Decatur.


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


The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In Georgia For 2025

  1. Decatur
  2. Jefferson
  3. Johns Creek
  4. Milton
  5. Holly Springs
  6. Canton
  7. Douglas
  8. Carrollton
  9. Lawrenceville
  10. Roswell

Best Cities For Families In Georgia Map

We analyzed 64 cities in Georgia and ranked them in terms of “family-friendliness,” which was based on factors you would find important when looking for a place for your family, like crime rates.

From this list came one clear winner. Can you guess which city ranks the best place for families in Georgia for 2025? You guessed it– Decatur, Georgia. Decatur is a suburb of Atlanta and is home to top university, Emory. You can find beautiful houses, well-manicured lawns, and amazing schools for your kids in this town.

Other top cities include Jefferson and Marietta. All of our best-ranked cities for families are located in the northern parts of Georgia, near Atlanta. So if you are interested in living near the big city, but have the ability to go home to a quaint and quiet home at night, this state is the place for you and your family.

Curious to see where your favorite cities in Georgia rank? Read on to learn more about our methodology and to see why our top ten are the best of the best for families in Georgia for 2025.

More reading about Georgia and the best places for families in the country:

The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Georgia For 2025

Decatur, GA

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

7.5
/10

Population: 24,470
Median Income: $140,480
Average Home Price: $655,900
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 94
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 36.8%
More on Decatur: Data

Jefferson, GA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 14,249
Median Income: $96,761
Average Home Price: $346,800
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 45
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 43.3%
More on Jefferson: Data

Johns Creek, GA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 82,115
Median Income: $160,185
Average Home Price: $583,700
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 44
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 42.1%
More on Johns Creek: Data

Milton, GA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 41,305
Median Income: $151,235
Average Home Price: $712,200
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 60
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 39.9%
More on Milton: Data

Holly Springs, GA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 17,693
Median Income: $111,224
Average Home Price: $414,700
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 51
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 47.5%
More on Holly Springs: Data

Canton, GA

Source: Wikipedia User Akhenaton06 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 34,587
Median Income: $81,642
Average Home Price: $369,700
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 72
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 35.3%
More on Canton: Data

Douglas, GA

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

5
/10

Population: 11,720
Median Income: $37,979
Average Home Price: $136,100
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 64
Closest Major City: Jacksonville
Households with kids: 40.0%
More on Douglas: Data

Carrollton, GA

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

6
/10

Population: 27,058
Median Income: $51,553
Average Home Price: $283,100
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 62
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 33.7%
More on Carrollton: Data

Lawrenceville, GA

Source: Wikipedia User Open street map | CC BY 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 30,626
Median Income: $58,606
Average Home Price: $335,100
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 69
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 34.6%
More on Lawrenceville: Data

Roswell, GA

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

8.5
/10

Population: 92,577
Median Income: $124,422
Average Home Price: $520,500
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 38
Closest Major City: Atlanta
Households with kids: 33.4%
More on Roswell: Data

Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Georgia anyways?

To give you the places in Georgia that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.

After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Georgia, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:

  • Crime (Both violent and property)
  • Quality of local schools
  • Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
  • % of households with children
  • Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)

We then gave each city a “Family Score.”

The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Georgia, that meant a total of 64 cities.

We updated this article for 2025. This is our tenth time ranking the best cities for families in Georgia.

Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Georgia

If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Georgia ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.

The best places for families in Georgia are Decatur, Jefferson, Johns Creek, Milton, Holly Springs, Canton, Douglas, Carrollton, Lawrenceville, and Roswell.

Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Georgia according to the data:

  1. Cordele
  2. LaGrange
  3. College Park

For more Georgia reading, check out:

Best Places For Families In Georgia

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price Amenities Score
1 Decatur, GA 24,470 $140,480 $655,900 95
2 Jefferson, GA 14,249 $96,761 $346,800 61
3 Johns Creek, GA 82,115 $160,185 $583,700 34
4 Milton, GA 41,305 $151,235 $712,200 39
5 Holly Springs, GA 17,693 $111,224 $414,700 55
6 Canton, GA 34,587 $81,642 $369,700 67
7 Douglas, GA 11,720 $37,979 $136,100 62
8 Carrollton, GA 27,058 $51,553 $283,100 76
9 Lawrenceville, GA 30,626 $58,606 $335,100 81
10 Roswell, GA 92,577 $124,422 $520,500 56
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.