The 10 Best Atlanta Suburbs To Live In For 2022


We analyzed over 51 places around Atlanta to identify the most in demand places to live.

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Editor’s Note: Data has been updated for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best Atlanta suburbs.

Big city living isn't for everyone--but at the same time, urban areas certainly have their perks.

There's the culture, the food, the arts, the food, the energy, and you know, the food. But there are drawbacks. There's traffic, expensive parking, expensive housing--pretty much, expensive everything, depending on which big city you're looking at.

But that's where the suburbs come in--they have all of the benefits of being near big cities, without actually having to be big cities.

Of course, not all suburbs of Atlanta are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado...

Here are the 10 best suburbs to live around Atlanta for 2022:

  1. Avondale Estates
  2. Berkeley Lake
  3. Dunwoody
  4. Johns Creek
  5. Decatur
  6. Alpharetta
  7. Milton
  8. Sandy Springs
  9. Woodstock
  10. Roswell

What's the best suburb of Atlanta? Avondale Estates ranks as the best suburb of Atlanta for 2022 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Avondale Estates, you're probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 Atlanta 'burbs better than the rest--but first, a bit about our methodology.

Note: 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 larger selection of suburbs.

Feel free to check out some more reading about Georgia:

The 10 Best Atlanta Suburbs To Live For 2022

Avondale Estates is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Atlanta area. We'll tell you the good about "Awesome Avondale Estates."

Everyone here is rich; families average $112,050 a year, which is the 6th highest in the Atlanta region. And only 2.66% are out of work. Homes average more than $424,800 each.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 3,142
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $112,050
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Poverty Rate: 3.5%
More on Avondale Estates: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Avondale Estates, GA

Berkeley Lake is the second best 'burb we looked at near Atlanta for 2022.

It ranks 1st for incomes in the area and only 1.76% of residents lack insurance, good for best.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,324
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 3)
Median Income: $135,579
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 1.6%
More on Berkeley Lake: Real Estate | Data

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.

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 49,466
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Income: $96,470
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 6.9%
More on Dunwoody: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Dunwoody, GA

Johns Creek ranks as the 4th best suburb of Atlanta for 2022.

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.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 84,551
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Income: $125,862
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
Poverty Rate: 4.2%
More on Johns Creek: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Johns Creek, GA

Source: Public domain

Coming in as the fifth best is Decatur.

Decatur gets kudos for having the most expensive homes in the Atlanta area, where houses sell for an average of $547,300. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 24,814
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 3)
Median Income: $114,615
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Poverty Rate: 8.3%
More on Decatur: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Decatur, GA

Alpharetta 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 5.56% which is 36th best in the area.

According to online reports, Alpharetta is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Atlanta area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 66,566
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Income: $119,568
Unemployment Rate: 5.6%
Poverty Rate: 5.1%
More on Alpharetta: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Alpharetta, GA

Source: Public domain

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Milton.

Milton 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 27.1 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 39,252
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Median Income: $127,487
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.5%
More on Milton: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Milton, GA

Source: Public domain

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 9.29% of people lack insurance, good for 17th in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 108,180
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Median Income: $80,998
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 7.0%
More on Sandy Springs: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Sandy Springs, GA

Is 'Everything Better In Woodstock?'

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.

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 32,310
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 3)
Median Income: $81,268
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Woodstock: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Woodstock, GA

Source: Public domain

And rounding out the top ten for 2022 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.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 94,884
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 3)
Median Income: $105,913
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
Poverty Rate: 6.2%
More on Roswell: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Roswell, GA

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Atlanta for 2022

Figuring out the best suburbs around Atlanta was pretty simple; we just needed to list several things that people like, and then find out which cities have the most of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible:

  • 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

Then we used the newest American Community Survey data for 2016-2020 to research each suburb.

FYI: 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 53 suburbs to evaluate around Atlanta.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 53 in each category, where 1 was the "best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index the "Best Suburb near Atlanta." We're lookin' at you, Avondale Estates. You can download the data here.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best of the best. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Atlanta 'Burbs of 2022

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.

So if you're hankering for some of the amenities of a larger city like Atlanta, but don't want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.

For more Georgia reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Atlanta Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 Avondale Estates, GA 3,142 $112,050
2 Berkeley Lake, GA 2,324 $135,579
3 Dunwoody, GA 49,466 $96,470
4 Johns Creek, GA 84,551 $125,862
5 Decatur, GA 24,814 $114,615
6 Alpharetta, GA 66,566 $119,568
7 Milton, GA 39,252 $127,487
8 Sandy Springs, GA 108,180 $80,998
9 Woodstock, GA 32,310 $81,268
10 Roswell, GA 94,884 $105,913
11 Grayson, GA 4,303 $107,685
12 Smyrna, GA 56,333 $77,713
13 Tyrone, GA 7,427 $106,422
14 Brookhaven, GA 54,727 $101,607
15 Suwanee, GA 20,444 $90,372
16 Peachtree Corners, GA 43,516 $65,328
17 Snellville, GA 19,923 $79,706
18 Holly Springs, GA 13,682 $94,824
19 Duluth, GA 29,538 $74,377
20 Kennesaw, GA 34,232 $72,972
21 Fayetteville, GA 17,902 $74,501
22 Powder Springs, GA 15,390 $72,810
23 Acworth, GA 22,683 $66,003
24 Hiram, GA 4,021 $76,051
25 Marietta, GA 60,687 $59,594
26 Mcdonough, GA 25,572 $69,916
27 Chamblee, GA 29,874 $66,607
28 Stockbridge, GA 29,446 $58,401
29 Dallas, GA 13,680 $49,589
30 Doraville, GA 10,244 $61,007
31 Douglasville, GA 33,035 $63,858
32 Stone Mountain, GA 6,376 $42,894
33 Villa Rica, GA 15,803 $70,767
34 Hapeville, GA 6,576 $64,235
35 Riverdale, GA 15,455 $55,972
36 Hampton, GA 7,887 $54,148
37 Lovejoy, GA 6,511 $51,557
38 Chattahoochee Hills, GA 2,780 $57,313
39 Norcross, GA 16,876 $65,409
40 Union City, GA 21,976 $39,768
41 East Point, GA 35,031 $45,411
42 Lawrenceville, GA 30,125 $52,312
43 Lilburn, GA 12,755 $56,625
44 Austell, GA 7,783 $47,123
45 College Park, GA 14,479 $39,164
46 Palmetto, GA 4,802 $50,417
47 Fairburn, GA 15,956 $55,198
48 Morrow, GA 7,061 $51,991
49 Jonesboro, GA 5,428 $29,375
50 Clarkston, GA 12,747 $40,105
51 Conyers, GA 15,705 $42,919
52 Forest Park, GA 19,884 $35,585
53 Lithonia, GA 2,488 $29,537

How Is Your Town In ?

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends. .

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.