Clarke County · Georgia · South · 127k residents
Athens, GA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Athens: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Georgia median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Athens is $299,200, 5% below the Georgia median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,241/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 91 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $52,974 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Athens is $299,200, 4.5% below the median for ACS-covered places in Georgia.
- Household income: Median household income is $52,974, 32% below the median for ACS-covered places in Georgia.
- Adult education: 47.3% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.3% above the median for ACS-covered places in Georgia.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 5.6 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A college town with a legendary indie music history, Southern food, and a creative downtown.
Known for: University of Georgia, R.E.M., the B-52s, live music, and arts.
Calendar note: AthFest is the city’s defining annual music festival.
Story source: Visit Athens GA
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Athens about 39 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 218 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 28 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Athens side by side
Cost of living index
91
ACS median home value
$299,200
2-bedroom rent
$1,241/mo
Median household income
$52,974
Housing momentum
How fast Athens's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
50/100
Steady
Ranks Athens's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Athens's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $299,200 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $190 |
| Property tax rate | 0.9% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $979/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,241/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.94% |
| Sales tax | 7.4% |
| Cost of living index | 91 |
| Groceries index | 98 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $95/mo |
| Gas price | $3.10/gal |
| Healthcare index | 95 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $52,974 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% |
| Population | 127k |
| Crime index | 50/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 67/100 |
| Avg. commute | 28 min |
| Sunny days / year | 218 days |
| July high | 92°F |
| January low | 34°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +2.0% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +1.8% |
| Rent MoM | -0.2% |
| Ocean coast | 197 mi |
| Big lake | 39 mi |
| Mountains | 67 mi |
| Major airport | 66 mi |
| Ski resort | 117 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Winder, GA · 19k
- Monroe, GA · 16k
- Braselton, GA · 15k
- Loganville, GA · 16k
- Lawrenceville, GA · 31k
Similar size
- South Fulton, GA · 110k
- Sandy Springs, GA · 107k
- Savannah, GA · 148k
- Macon, GA · 157k
- Roswell, GA · 93k
Real listings in Athens
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Athens, GA?
- Athens indexes at 91 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,241/mo and a acs median home value of $299,200.
- How much does a house cost in Athens?
- The acs median home value in Athens is $299,200, 5% below the Georgia median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Athens?
- A two-bedroom in Athens rents for about $1,241/mo.