Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Georgia a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in Georgia.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Peach State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Georgia, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 159 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Peach State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Georgia For 2022
Oconee County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Georgia. And you might want to avoid Wheeler County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Georgia, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Georgia and the cheapest places to live in Georgia.
The Best Counties To Live In Georgia For 2022
1. Oconee County
Biggest Place: Watkinsville
Population: 39,194
Median Income: $95,064.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $304,400.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (8th best)
More on Oconee County: Photos | Data
2. Forsyth County
Biggest Place: Cumming
Population: 236,605
Median Income: $112,834.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $362,300.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (12th best)
More on Forsyth County: Photos | Data
3. Cherokee County
Biggest Place: Woodstock
Population: 253,780
Median Income: $84,817.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $271,300.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (2best)
More on Cherokee County: Photos | Data
4. Fayette County
Biggest Place: Peachtree City
Population: 113,544
Median Income: $93,777.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $293,400.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (34th best)
More on Fayette County: Photos | Data
5. Columbia County
Biggest Place: Evans
Population: 154,257
Median Income: $82,251.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $215,200.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (55th best)
More on Columbia County: Photos | Data
6. Morgan County
Biggest Place: Madison
Population: 18,832
Median Income: $68,669.0 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $230,400.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (9th best)
More on Morgan County: Data
7. Jones County
Biggest Place: Gray
Population: 28,622
Median Income: $63,046.0 (26th best)
Median Home Price: $149,700.0 (50th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (27th best)
More on Jones County: Photos | Data
8. Harris County
Biggest Place: West Point
Population: 34,676
Median Income: $79,860.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $230,400.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.3% (97th best)
More on Harris County: Photos | Data
9. Lee County
Biggest Place: Leesburg
Population: 29,735
Median Income: $68,338.0 (17th best)
Median Home Price: $166,900.0 (40th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (50th best)
More on Lee County: Photos | Data
10. Fulton County
Biggest Place: Atlanta
Population: 1,051,550
Median Income: $72,741.0 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $326,700.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.8% (84th best)
More on Fulton County: Photos | Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Georgia county is the best?
To give you the best county in Georgia, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Georgia across each of the criteria from one to 159, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Georgia”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Peach State.
Read on to see why Oconee County is the best county, while Wheeler County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Georgia.
Summary: The Best Counties In Georgia To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Georgia can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Georgia according to the data:
- Wheeler County
- Treutlen County
- Atkinson County
For more Georgia reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Georgia
- Best Counties To Live In Georgia
- Richest Cities In Georgia
- Best Places To Retire In Georgia
