Are you looking at your watch, wondering when 5 PM will finally come? Sometimes, work can be fun, fulfilling, and precisely what you hoped for when you were a kid, but other times, retirement is the best option. And if you’re looking to retire in Georgia, we have you covered.
Georgia has a town for everyone. You can live a more active retirement somewhere like Alpharetta. Or you can start taking classes at Emory, get another degree, or even learn a new language. What about going on long hikes with your dogs on the Appalachian Trail.
If you envision a retirement like that, going to Georgia is the perfect place. You’ll find beautiful beaches, mountains, iced tea, and sunshine. Georgia also has Atlanta for the city people and miles upon miles of small towns for everyone else.
To help you feel secure in your decision of where to retire in Georgia, we looked at the most recent Census and FBI data, among others, to find affordable places with plenty to do that are also safe — a retirement paradise.
$1,655 median rent · $139,397 median income · #45 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
DeKalb County, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 20,148 in the 2013 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name. The city is served by three MARTA rail stations. The city is located approximately 5 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta and shares its western border with Atlanta.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,382 median rent · $57,137 median income · #35 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Chatham County, Georgia
Savannah is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. A strategic port city in the American Revolution and during the American Civil War, Savannah is today an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport. It is Georgia’s fifth-largest city and third-largest metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,074 median rent · $109,828 median income · #16 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Jackson County, Georgia
Jefferson is a city in Jackson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,432 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Jackson County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$794 median rent · $49,370 median income · #5 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Toombs County, Georgia
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,229 median rent · $84,437 median income · #30 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Bartow County, Georgia
Cartersville is a city in Bartow County in the U.S. state of Georgia; it is located within the northwest edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,731. Cartersville is the county seat of Bartow County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,671 median rent · $91,766 median income · #47 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Chatham County, Georgia
Pooler is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. According to 2010 US Census, the population was 19,140, a threefold increase over the 2000 count of 6,239. The 2013 population estimate was 21,187. Pooler is located northwest of Savannah along I-95 and Interstate 16.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,479 median rent · $91,897 median income · #37 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Fulton County, Georgia
Fairburn is a city and former county seat in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 12,950 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,586 median rent · $72,725 median income · #43 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Cobb County, Georgia
Marietta is located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is the county’s seat and largest city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,318 median rent · $63,140 median income · #33 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Rockdale County, Georgia
Conyers is the only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, United States. The city is twenty-four miles east of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,195. The city is the county seat of Rockdale County. The formerly separate town of Milstead is now part of Conyers.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$791 median rent · $45,422 median income · #4 cheapest rent in Georgia
Located in
Decatur County, Georgia
Bainbridge is a city in Decatur County, Georgia, United States. The city is the county seat of Decatur County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 12,697.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Georgia’s statewide median.
Georgia statewide median: $77,353
Georgia statewide median: $332,063
On the map
Where to retire in Georgia
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Peach State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Georgia to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Peach State — 620 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 72 places from across the state.
For these 72, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 72, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Decatur, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Georgia.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Georgia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decatur | 19.60 | 24,518 | $139,397 | $279,470 | $1,655 |
| 2 | Savannah | 20.70 | 147,898 | $57,137 | $326,509 | $1,382 |
| 3 | Jefferson | 23.40 | 14,990 | $109,828 | $416,353 | $1,074 |
| 4 | Vidalia | 27.60 | 10,752 | $49,370 | $184,385 | $794 |
| 5 | Cartersville | 28.40 | 24,074 | $84,437 | $323,100 | $1,229 |
| 6 | Pooler | 28.70 | 28,466 | $91,766 | $351,155 | $1,671 |
| 7 | Fairburn | 29.40 | 16,831 | $91,897 | $321,971 | $1,479 |
| 8 | Marietta | 29.60 | 62,263 | $72,725 | $471,588 | $1,586 |
| 9 | Conyers | 30.10 | 18,512 | $63,140 | $297,597 | $1,318 |
| 10 | Bainbridge | 30.20 | 14,404 | $45,422 | $172,159 | $791 |
| 11 | Newnan | 30.70 | 44,235 | $82,292 | $363,872 | $1,542 |
| 12 | Roswell | 31.10 | 92,621 | $128,654 | $658,156 | $1,810 |
| 13 | Waycross | 31.40 | 13,756 | $38,301 | $146,386 | $768 |
| 14 | Acworth | 31.80 | 22,473 | $83,539 | $409,265 | $1,664 |
| 15 | Fayetteville | 31.80 | 19,719 | $82,188 | $455,206 | $1,720 |
| 16 | Stockbridge | 32.00 | 35,737 | $70,136 | $289,839 | $1,494 |
| 17 | Carrollton | 32.40 | 27,392 | $54,379 | $285,669 | $1,089 |
| 18 | Johns Creek | 32.70 | 81,988 | $160,093 | $703,497 | $2,257 |
| 19 | St. Marys | 32.90 | 19,166 | $74,288 | $309,204 | $1,183 |
| 20 | Canton | 33.00 | 35,741 | $80,091 | $514,412 | $1,680 |
| 21 | Rome | 33.20 | 38,189 | $54,435 | $229,355 | $1,032 |
| 22 | Covington | 33.20 | 14,584 | $58,810 | $292,187 | $1,191 |
| 23 | Perry | 33.60 | 23,001 | $76,909 | $273,009 | $1,132 |
| 24 | Thomasville | 33.60 | 18,666 | $49,673 | $232,158 | $1,077 |
| 25 | Kennesaw | 34.10 | 34,605 | $83,356 | $403,299 | $1,845 |
| 26 | Port Wentworth | 34.10 | 12,892 | $79,731 | $290,499 | $1,812 |
| 27 | Holly Springs | 34.30 | 18,627 | $113,992 | $433,920 | $1,850 |
| 28 | Smyrna | 34.50 | 56,633 | $100,061 | $447,948 | $1,739 |
| 29 | Duluth | 34.60 | 32,426 | $95,331 | $448,806 | $1,828 |
| 30 | Griffin | 34.90 | 23,761 | $43,632 | $240,028 | $1,110 |
| 31 | Norcross | 34.90 | 18,007 | $75,266 | $327,599 | $1,715 |
| 32 | Kingsland | 35.00 | 19,627 | $77,944 | $297,403 | $1,275 |
| 33 | Milton | 35.10 | 41,546 | $171,295 | $941,274 | $2,065 |
| 34 | Dallas | 35.60 | 14,714 | $75,545 | $354,268 | $1,492 |
| 35 | Alpharetta | 35.80 | 66,855 | $147,612 | $726,349 | $1,948 |
| 36 | Winder | 36.10 | 19,437 | $63,779 | $338,264 | $1,209 |
| 37 | Flowery Branch | 36.40 | 10,925 | $103,942 | $425,109 | $1,814 |
| 38 | Fort Oglethorpe | 36.40 | 10,416 | $51,867 | $245,691 | $937 |
| 39 | Sandy Springs | 36.70 | 107,087 | $104,340 | $691,063 | $1,870 |
| 40 | Albany | 36.80 | 67,224 | $47,240 | $129,374 | $931 |
| 41 | Dalton | 36.90 | 34,538 | $63,577 | $242,582 | $996 |
| 42 | Snellville | 37.10 | 21,620 | $89,896 | $355,608 | $1,818 |
| 43 | East Point | 37.30 | 38,335 | $68,598 | $231,600 | $1,364 |
| 44 | Lawrenceville | 37.30 | 30,954 | $61,561 | $382,152 | $1,613 |
| 45 | Braselton | 37.30 | 15,178 | $120,984 | $447,114 | $2,082 |
| 46 | Woodstock | 37.40 | 37,381 | $103,496 | $460,207 | $1,821 |
| 47 | Statesboro | 37.40 | 34,149 | $44,737 | $276,367 | $944 |
| 48 | Cairo | 38.30 | 10,055 | $40,920 | $178,784 | $778 |
| 49 | Columbus | 38.50 | 203,711 | $58,073 | $173,152 | $1,106 |
| 50 | Forest Park | 38.60 | 19,504 | $41,211 | $165,626 | $1,189 |
| 51 | Richmond Hill | 39.40 | 18,181 | $92,824 | $420,904 | $1,781 |
| 52 | Milledgeville | 39.80 | 16,748 | $41,616 | $244,327 | $913 |
| 53 | Lilburn | 40.20 | 15,390 | $63,581 | $397,448 | $1,778 |
| 54 | Gainesville | 40.60 | 45,032 | $66,974 | $373,267 | $1,299 |
| 55 | Douglasville | 40.70 | 37,536 | $79,107 | $301,700 | $1,582 |
| 56 | Grovetown | 40.90 | 17,014 | $85,660 | $304,550 | $1,407 |
| 57 | Moultrie | 41.80 | 14,588 | $43,670 | $170,768 | $790 |
| 58 | Monroe | 42.20 | 15,648 | $44,656 | $371,278 | $1,105 |
| 59 | College Park | 42.60 | 14,712 | $51,635 | $277,094 | $1,207 |
| 60 | Cedartown | 42.60 | 10,227 | $34,754 | $205,346 | $896 |
| 61 | Americus | 43.50 | 15,813 | $39,176 | $128,313 | $834 |
| 62 | Brookhaven | 43.70 | 57,855 | $117,663 | $741,429 | $1,882 |
| 63 | Loganville | 44.30 | 15,527 | $83,605 | $392,226 | $2,018 |
| 64 | LaGrange | 45.20 | 32,078 | $43,708 | $236,813 | $1,073 |
| 65 | McDonough | 45.90 | 30,947 | $75,343 | $334,349 | $1,792 |
| 66 | Valdosta | 46.10 | 55,252 | $45,925 | $210,105 | $1,054 |
| 67 | Suwanee | 46.50 | 22,349 | $103,260 | $607,322 | $1,885 |
| 68 | Locust Grove | 46.50 | 10,532 | $75,083 | $324,432 | $1,573 |
| 69 | Hinesville | 46.80 | 35,679 | $60,028 | $237,454 | $1,212 |
| 70 | Warner Robins | 48.20 | 82,990 | $66,970 | $212,129 | $1,212 |
| 71 | Doraville | 48.80 | 11,134 | $67,235 | $366,889 | $1,868 |
| 72 | Chamblee | 49.20 | 30,895 | $84,452 | $479,015 | $1,859 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 72 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Georgia Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Georgia goes to Decatur.
The best places to retire in Georgia are Decatur, Savannah, Jefferson, Vidalia, Cartersville, Pooler, Fairburn, Marietta, Conyers, and Bainbridge.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley.
