Atlanta has plenty to offer, but the price of admission usually comes with traffic, sky-high rent, and a calendar that fills itself.
If you want the upside of Atlanta without the daily grind, the answer is almost always a good suburb. The catch: not every suburb is worth the move.
So we ranked them. Using Saturday Night Science, we pulled the numbers on every place within commuting distance of Atlanta: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.
$165,909 median income · $779,411 median home price
Berkeley Lake is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Atlanta area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Berkeley Lake.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $165,909 a year, which is the 2nd highest in the Atlanta region. And only 1.6% are out of work. Homes average more than $779,411 each.
$123,795 median income · $527,410 median home price
Avondale Estates is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Atlanta for 2026.
It ranks 9th for incomes in the area and only 6.1% of residents lack insurance, good for 10th best.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$121,903 median income · $675,944 median home price
Located in
DeKalb County, Georgia
Here in Dunwoody, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Atlanta metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Dunwoody.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$160,093 median income · $703,497 median home price
Located in
Fulton County, Georgia
Johns Creek ranks as the 4th best suburb of Atlanta for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Johns Creek and the schools are some of the best around.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$147,612 median income · $726,349 median home price
Located in
Fulton County, Georgia
Coming in as the fifth best is Alpharetta.
Alpharetta gets kudos for having the 4th most expensive homes in the Atlanta area, where houses sell for an average of $726,349. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$171,295 median income · $941,274 median home price
Located in
Fulton County, Georgia
Milton is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 2.8%.
According to online reports, Milton is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Atlanta area, meaning you need to get in soon.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$135,691 median income · $526,789 median home price
Located in
Fayette County, Georgia
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Tyrone.
Tyrone schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 22.1 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$104,340 median income · $691,063 median home price
Located in
Fulton County, Georgia
Sandy Springs is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 8.5% of people lack insurance, good for 15th in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$139,397 median income · $279,470 median home price
Located in
DeKalb County, Georgia
Is ‘Everything Better In Decatur?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$128,654 median income · $658,156 median home price
Located in
Fulton County, Georgia
And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Roswell.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
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
Georgia statewide median: 5.1%
Georgia statewide median: 13.4%
On the map
Where the best Atlanta suburbs are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best suburbs around Atlanta for 2026
Figuring out the best suburbs around Atlanta was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Atlanta.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 52 suburbs to evaluate around Atlanta.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 52 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Atlanta.” We’re lookin’ at you, Berkeley Lake.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Atlanta suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
The full plate
Table: Best Atlanta Suburbs
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Suburb Score | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley Lake | 7.36 | 2,597 | $165,909 | $779,411 |
| 2 | Avondale Estates | 8.07 | 3,530 | $123,795 | $527,410 |
| 3 | Dunwoody | 9.50 | 51,758 | $121,903 | $675,944 |
| 4 | Johns Creek | 9.64 | 81,988 | $160,093 | $703,497 |
| 5 | Alpharetta | 11.21 | 66,855 | $147,612 | $726,349 |
| 6 | Milton | 11.57 | 41,546 | $171,295 | $941,274 |
| 7 | Tyrone | 12.50 | 7,896 | $135,691 | $526,789 |
| 8 | Sandy Springs | 12.71 | 107,087 | $104,340 | $691,063 |
| 9 | Decatur | 13.57 | 24,518 | $139,397 | $279,470 |
| 10 | Roswell | 13.71 | 92,621 | $128,654 | $658,156 |
| 11 | Woodstock | 14.36 | 37,381 | $103,496 | $460,207 |
| 12 | Holly Springs | 14.64 | 18,627 | $113,992 | $433,920 |
| 13 | Smyrna | 16.43 | 56,633 | $100,061 | $447,948 |
| 14 | Grayson | 17.50 | 4,858 | $131,293 | $430,346 |
| 15 | Brookhaven | 18.33 | 57,855 | $117,663 | $741,429 |
| 16 | Chattahoochee Hills | 19.29 | 3,782 | $111,792 | $535,145 |
| 17 | Peachtree Corners | 19.83 | 42,373 | $82,139 | $556,225 |
| 18 | Suwanee | 19.86 | 22,349 | $103,260 | $607,322 |
| 19 | Duluth | 20.07 | 32,426 | $95,331 | $448,806 |
| 20 | Kennesaw | 24.00 | 34,605 | $83,356 | $403,299 |
| 21 | Acworth | 25.50 | 22,473 | $83,539 | $409,265 |
| 22 | Powder Springs | 25.86 | 18,009 | $105,070 | $363,229 |
| 23 | Fayetteville | 25.93 | 19,719 | $82,188 | $455,206 |
| 24 | Villa Rica | 26.64 | 18,551 | $87,803 | $311,754 |
| 25 | McDonough | 27.43 | 30,947 | $75,343 | $334,349 |
| 26 | Snellville | 27.71 | 21,620 | $89,896 | $355,608 |
| 27 | Marietta | 27.86 | 62,263 | $72,725 | $471,588 |
| 28 | Chamblee | 27.86 | 30,895 | $84,452 | $479,015 |
| 29 | Fairburn | 28.00 | 16,831 | $91,897 | $321,971 |
| 30 | Lovejoy | 28.14 | 11,508 | $71,612 | $279,096 |
| 31 | Hampton | 28.36 | 8,687 | $75,052 | $307,291 |
| 32 | Douglasville | 30.43 | 37,536 | $79,107 | $301,700 |
| 33 | Hapeville | 30.43 | 6,630 | $95,714 | $265,299 |
| 34 | Hiram | 30.57 | 5,231 | $85,119 | $312,225 |
| 35 | Palmetto | 31.57 | 4,797 | $80,982 | $242,098 |
| 36 | Norcross | 33.00 | 18,007 | $75,266 | $327,599 |
| 37 | Riverdale | 33.50 | 14,792 | $63,455 | $214,168 |
| 38 | Stockbridge | 33.71 | 35,737 | $70,136 | $289,839 |
| 39 | Doraville | 33.71 | 11,134 | $67,235 | $366,889 |
| 40 | Dallas | 34.86 | 14,714 | $75,545 | $354,268 |
| 41 | Lawrenceville | 36.00 | 30,954 | $61,561 | $382,152 |
| 42 | Austell | 36.86 | 8,447 | $72,938 | $292,181 |
| 43 | Conyers | 37.50 | 18,512 | $63,140 | $297,597 |
| 44 | Stone Mountain | 38.29 | 6,623 | $46,973 | $268,439 |
| 45 | East Point | 38.86 | 38,335 | $68,598 | $231,600 |
| 46 | Lilburn | 39.00 | 15,390 | $63,581 | $397,448 |
| 47 | Clarkston | 39.14 | 14,557 | $48,564 | $267,836 |
| 48 | Lithonia | 41.93 | 2,622 | $61,713 | $249,164 |
| 49 | Jonesboro | 43.71 | 6,143 | $50,843 | $241,617 |
| 50 | College Park | 43.79 | 14,712 | $51,635 | $277,094 |
| 51 | Morrow | 43.86 | 6,364 | $73,693 | $216,943 |
| 52 | Forest Park | 44.57 | 19,504 | $41,211 | $165,626 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 52 suburbs within 30 miles of Atlanta.
Summary
Summary: Welcome to the Best Atlanta ‘Burbs of 2026
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Atlanta are Berkeley Lake, Avondale Estates, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton, Tyrone, Sandy Springs, Decatur, and Roswell.
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Atlanta but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you. Not sold on Georgia? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Suburbs Of Atlanta FAQs
What is the best suburb of Atlanta?
Berkeley Lake is the best suburb of Atlanta for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Avondale Estates and Dunwoody are next.
What are the best suburbs of Atlanta?
The best suburbs of Atlanta are Berkeley Lake, Avondale Estates, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton, Tyrone, Sandy Springs, Decatur, and Roswell. We ranked all 52 places within commuting range.
How expensive is Berkeley Lake?
The median household income in Berkeley Lake is $165,909 and the median home costs $779,411. Top suburbs rarely come cheap; that is part of how they got there.
What counts as a suburb of Atlanta?
Any place within 30 miles of Atlanta qualifies. 52 towns fit that circle, and every one of them got scored.
How do you rank Atlanta suburbs?
Each suburb is scored on income, home values, density, unemployment, education, insurance coverage, and poverty, using Census American Community Survey data. The best combined score, Berkeley Lake, takes the crown.
