To live in Georgia’smost expensive places, you’re going to need a couple of things.
You’ll need a job that pays $74,500/year. To get that heavy piggy bank, you’re going to want to get a job at one of Georgia’s highest-paying companies like Home Depot, Coca-Cola, and Alfac.
To produce the list of places that will break the bank in Georgia, we compared the latest cost of living data from the American Community Survey. We also considered home prices to income and rent to income for the 124 places with at least 5,000 people.
Grab a slice of peach pie, find a sunny spot on the beach in Savannah, and keep reading.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Georgia For 2025
What’s the most expensive place to live in Georgia? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Milton is the most expensive place to live in Georgia.
Waynesboro (the cheapest place to live in Georgia) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Georgia and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Georgia For 2025
/10
Population: 41,305
Cost Of Living Index: 137
Median Income: $151,235
Average Home Price: $712,200
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.7x
More on Milton: Data
The overall cost of living in Milton is 137. The median income in Milton comes in at $151,235 and the average home value is $712,200 for 2025.
/10
Population: 107,198
Cost Of Living Index: 130
Median Income: $101,593
Average Home Price: $583,900
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.7x
More on Sandy Springs: Data
The overall cost of living in Sandy Springs is 130. The median income in Sandy Springs comes in at $101,593 and the average home value is $583,900 for 2025.
/10
Population: 57,224
Cost Of Living Index: 126
Median Income: $117,448
Average Home Price: $660,300
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.6x
More on Brookhaven: Data
The overall cost of living in Brookhaven is 126. The median income in Brookhaven comes in at $117,448 and the average home value is $660,300 for 2025.
/10
Population: 51,563
Cost Of Living Index: 124
Median Income: $109,116
Average Home Price: $579,400
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.3x
More on Dunwoody: Data
The overall cost of living in Dunwoody is 124. The median income in Dunwoody comes in at $109,116 and the average home value is $579,400 for 2025.
/10
Population: 82,115
Cost Of Living Index: 123
Median Income: $160,185
Average Home Price: $583,700
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.6x
More on Johns Creek: Data
The overall cost of living in Johns Creek is 123. The median income in Johns Creek comes in at $160,185 and the average home value is $583,700 for 2025.
/10
Population: 24,470
Cost Of Living Index: 122
Median Income: $140,480
Average Home Price: $655,900
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.7x
More on Decatur: Data
The overall cost of living in Decatur is 122. The median income in Decatur comes in at $140,480 and the average home value is $655,900 for 2025.
/10
Population: 66,355
Cost Of Living Index: 119
Median Income: $146,581
Average Home Price: $605,700
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.1x
More on Alpharetta: Data
The overall cost of living in Alpharetta is 119. The median income in Alpharetta comes in at $146,581 and the average home value is $605,700 for 2025.
/10
Population: 7,194
Cost Of Living Index: 119
Median Income: $74,500
Average Home Price: $409,100
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.5x
More on Dahlonega: Data
The overall cost of living in Dahlonega is 119. The median income in Dahlonega comes in at $74,500 and the average home value is $409,100 for 2025.
/10
Population: 92,577
Cost Of Living Index: 117
Median Income: $124,422
Average Home Price: $520,500
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Roswell: Data
The overall cost of living in Roswell is 117. The median income in Roswell comes in at $124,422 and the average home value is $520,500 for 2025.
/10
Population: 14,139
Cost Of Living Index: 113
Median Income: $113,810
Average Home Price: $425,900
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.7x
More on Braselton: Data
The overall cost of living in Braselton is 113. The median income in Braselton comes in at $113,810 and the average home value is $425,900 for 2025.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Peach State For 2025
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Georgia are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Georgia to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 124 places in Georgia that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Georgia according to the data is Milton. We updated this article for 2025. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Georgia.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Georgia For 2025
Well, there you have it, the places in Georgia that have the highest cost of living, with Milton ranking as the most expensive city in the Peach State.
The most expensive cities in Georgia are Milton, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Decatur, Alpharetta, Dahlonega, Roswell, and Braselton.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Georgia according to the data:
- Waynesboro
- Swainsboro
- Camilla
For more Georgia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Georgia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Georgia
- Most Dangerous Places In Georgia
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Georgia
- Safest Places In Georgia
- Worst Places To Live In Georgia
Most Expensive Cities In Georgia
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milton | 137 | 41,305 | $151,235 | $712,200 | 4.7x |
| 2 | Sandy Springs | 130 | 107,198 | $101,593 | $583,900 | 5.7x |
| 3 | Brookhaven | 126 | 57,224 | $117,448 | $660,300 | 5.6x |
| 4 | Dunwoody | 124 | 51,563 | $109,116 | $579,400 | 5.3x |
| 5 | Johns Creek | 123 | 82,115 | $160,185 | $583,700 | 3.6x |
| 6 | Decatur | 122 | 24,470 | $140,480 | $655,900 | 4.7x |
| 7 | Alpharetta | 119 | 66,355 | $146,581 | $605,700 | 4.1x |
| 8 | Dahlonega | 119 | 7,194 | $74,500 | $409,100 | 5.5x |
| 9 | Roswell | 117 | 92,577 | $124,422 | $520,500 | 4.2x |
| 10 | Braselton | 113 | 14,139 | $113,810 | $425,900 | 3.7x |
| 11 | Peachtree City | 112 | 38,977 | $111,421 | $461,000 | 4.1x |
| 12 | Suwanee | 111 | 21,811 | $105,878 | $439,700 | 4.2x |
| 13 | Peachtree Corners | 110 | 42,184 | $81,413 | $467,300 | 5.7x |
| 14 | Atlanta | 106 | 499,287 | $81,938 | $420,600 | 5.1x |
| 15 | Smyrna | 106 | 56,285 | $96,780 | $409,000 | 4.2x |
| 16 | Chamblee | 106 | 30,369 | $81,774 | $407,900 | 5.0x |
| 17 | Marietta | 105 | 61,773 | $70,086 | $401,100 | 5.7x |
| 18 | Woodstock | 104 | 36,297 | $105,396 | $387,300 | 3.7x |
| 19 | Holly Springs | 104 | 17,693 | $111,224 | $414,700 | 3.7x |
| 20 | Duluth | 103 | 31,958 | $95,580 | $366,000 | 3.8x |
| 21 | Fayetteville | 101 | 19,364 | $82,144 | $331,700 | 4.0x |
| 22 | Richmond Hill | 101 | 17,408 | $89,910 | $272,100 | 3.0x |
| 23 | Flowery Branch | 100 | 10,286 | $88,185 | $422,900 | 4.8x |
| 24 | Cumming | 100 | 7,869 | $79,073 | $366,800 | 4.6x |
| 25 | Tyrone | 100 | 7,803 | $133,773 | $436,600 | 3.3x |
| 26 | Pooler | 99 | 27,235 | $91,497 | $289,000 | 3.2x |
| 27 | Sugar Hill | 99 | 25,285 | $99,479 | $375,900 | 3.8x |
| 28 | Loganville | 99 | 14,878 | $77,011 | $321,800 | 4.2x |
| 29 | Dacula | 99 | 7,135 | $74,900 | $336,500 | 4.5x |
| 30 | Canton | 97 | 34,587 | $81,642 | $369,700 | 4.5x |
| 31 | Snellville | 97 | 21,203 | $88,378 | $293,400 | 3.3x |
| 32 | Lilburn | 97 | 14,939 | $57,266 | $278,600 | 4.9x |
| 33 | Stockbridge | 96 | 35,475 | $70,579 | $248,000 | 3.5x |
| 34 | Norcross | 96 | 17,669 | $75,068 | $375,900 | 5.0x |
| 35 | Doraville | 96 | 10,738 | $60,618 | $297,700 | 4.9x |
| 36 | McDonough | 95 | 30,056 | $77,734 | $285,800 | 3.7x |
| 37 | Jefferson | 95 | 14,249 | $96,761 | $346,800 | 3.6x |
| 38 | Kennesaw | 94 | 33,627 | $79,759 | $291,300 | 3.7x |
| 39 | Lawrenceville | 94 | 30,626 | $58,606 | $335,100 | 5.7x |
| 40 | St. Marys | 94 | 18,805 | $67,271 | $259,300 | 3.9x |
| 41 | Buford | 94 | 17,611 | $71,598 | $346,400 | 4.8x |
| 42 | Port Wentworth | 94 | 11,997 | $78,861 | $204,900 | 2.6x |
| 43 | Byron | 94 | 5,839 | $86,265 | $230,100 | 2.7x |
| 44 | Columbus | 93 | 204,383 | $56,622 | $182,300 | 3.2x |
| 45 | College Park | 93 | 13,969 | $48,505 | $314,500 | 6.5x |
| 46 | Gainesville | 92 | 44,051 | $64,636 | $337,000 | 5.2x |
| 47 | Newnan | 92 | 43,510 | $80,299 | $327,800 | 4.1x |
| 48 | Douglasville | 92 | 36,284 | $76,591 | $313,500 | 4.1x |
| 49 | Acworth | 92 | 22,370 | $80,703 | $309,800 | 3.8x |
| 50 | Kingsland | 92 | 19,101 | $80,395 | $226,800 | 2.8x |
| 51 | Conyers | 92 | 17,916 | $58,141 | $218,000 | 3.7x |
| 52 | Powder Springs | 92 | 17,414 | $96,961 | $283,700 | 2.9x |
| 53 | Hampton | 92 | 8,491 | $77,973 | $265,100 | 3.4x |
| 54 | Savannah | 91 | 147,546 | $56,782 | $225,200 | 4.0x |
| 55 | Hinesville | 91 | 35,282 | $59,216 | $174,300 | 2.9x |
| 56 | Winder | 91 | 18,847 | $59,944 | $251,700 | 4.2x |
| 57 | Covington | 91 | 14,334 | $47,797 | $242,700 | 5.1x |
| 58 | Locust Grove | 91 | 9,931 | $72,563 | $261,500 | 3.6x |
| 59 | Centerville | 91 | 8,323 | $81,233 | $204,300 | 2.5x |
| 60 | Auburn | 91 | 8,222 | $78,317 | $232,000 | 3.0x |
| 61 | Valdosta | 90 | 55,222 | $45,849 | $165,300 | 3.6x |
| 62 | East Point | 90 | 38,233 | $58,983 | $247,500 | 4.2x |
| 63 | LaGrange | 90 | 31,479 | $41,491 | $175,600 | 4.2x |
| 64 | Fairburn | 90 | 16,609 | $89,276 | $249,200 | 2.8x |
| 65 | Griffin | 89 | 23,650 | $44,021 | $195,100 | 4.4x |
| 66 | Cartersville | 89 | 23,617 | $78,640 | $298,000 | 3.8x |
| 67 | Commerce | 89 | 7,684 | $61,286 | $233,900 | 3.8x |
| 68 | Bremen | 89 | 7,364 | $86,014 | $264,000 | 3.1x |
| 69 | Hapeville | 89 | 6,590 | $63,673 | $283,600 | 4.5x |
| 70 | Morrow | 89 | 6,519 | $61,215 | $221,900 | 3.6x |
| 71 | Warner Robins | 88 | 81,438 | $65,715 | $171,600 | 2.6x |
| 72 | Union City | 88 | 27,300 | $47,635 | $223,100 | 4.7x |
| 73 | Carrollton | 88 | 27,058 | $51,553 | $283,100 | 5.5x |
| 74 | Thomasville | 88 | 18,720 | $48,464 | $196,500 | 4.1x |
| 75 | Monroe | 88 | 15,336 | $43,991 | $222,000 | 5.0x |
| 76 | Dallas | 88 | 14,440 | $73,387 | $234,700 | 3.2x |
| 77 | Lovejoy | 88 | 10,967 | $67,872 | $228,500 | 3.4x |
| 78 | Rome | 87 | 37,754 | $51,106 | $214,700 | 4.2x |
| 79 | Perry | 87 | 22,243 | $81,648 | $209,300 | 2.6x |
| 80 | Calhoun | 87 | 17,611 | $51,439 | $240,700 | 4.7x |
| 81 | Tifton | 87 | 17,140 | $44,324 | $161,700 | 3.6x |
| 82 | Grovetown | 87 | 16,516 | $72,612 | $226,000 | 3.1x |
| 83 | Clarkston | 87 | 14,560 | $46,495 | $279,500 | 6.0x |
| 84 | Bainbridge | 87 | 14,353 | $41,531 | $150,600 | 3.6x |
| 85 | Jackson | 87 | 5,648 | $44,508 | $163,300 | 3.7x |
| 86 | Villa Rica | 86 | 17,798 | $86,052 | $250,700 | 2.9x |
| 87 | Douglas | 86 | 11,720 | $37,979 | $136,100 | 3.6x |
| 88 | Garden City | 86 | 10,375 | $41,735 | $160,700 | 3.9x |
| 89 | Fort Oglethorpe | 86 | 10,332 | $50,902 | $186,500 | 3.7x |
| 90 | Cairo | 86 | 10,067 | $40,496 | $114,300 | 2.8x |
| 91 | Toccoa | 86 | 9,173 | $48,706 | $155,200 | 3.2x |
| 92 | Stone Mountain | 86 | 6,639 | $49,661 | $190,700 | 3.8x |
| 93 | Forest Park | 85 | 19,619 | $42,286 | $119,000 | 2.8x |
| 94 | Riverdale | 85 | 14,866 | $62,627 | $160,000 | 2.6x |
| 95 | Jesup | 85 | 9,863 | $48,306 | $152,100 | 3.1x |
| 96 | Thomaston | 85 | 9,798 | $36,571 | $146,100 | 4.0x |
| 97 | Barnesville | 85 | 6,070 | $58,317 | $172,700 | 3.0x |
| 98 | Dalton | 84 | 34,402 | $61,236 | $203,100 | 3.3x |
| 99 | Dublin | 84 | 16,023 | $40,417 | $173,500 | 4.3x |
| 100 | Austell | 84 | 8,351 | $67,500 | $255,700 | 3.8x |