Georgia Living Report — October 10, 2026

Georgia has quietly become one of the most compelling destinations for Americans looking to relocate, and the numbers help explain why. With a population of 10,722,325 and a median age of 37.2, the state strikes a balance between youthful energy and settled stability. The unemployment rate sat at 3.4% in August 2026, a figure that underscores a job market tight enough to offer opportunity but not so overheated as to create housing panic—at least not yet.

Housing costs remain the biggest draw for many newcomers. The median home value in Georgia stands at $245,900, a figure that looks almost modest compared to the national median hovering near $400,000. Renters fare similarly well: a one-bedroom apartment carries a median cost of $1,221 per month. To put that in context, the median household income in Georgia is $71,355 per year, which works out to roughly $5,946 per month. That means the typical renter spends about 20.5% of gross monthly income on rent—well below the 30% threshold that financial planners consider the ceiling of affordability. For someone earning the median income, finding a decent one-bedroom is not a stretch.

That affordability is a major reason Georgia attracts a broad mix of people. Families are drawn by relatively low home prices and a growing network of suburban school districts. Remote workers and freelancers find the state appealing for its lower cost of living and the ability to stretch a coastal salary further inland. Retirees make up a smaller but notable share, especially in towns like Athens and Savannah, where the pace is slower and the weather mild. Finklick, a data platform that tracks 340 cities across Georgia, reveals just how varied the landscape is—from the dense metro corridor of Atlanta to agricultural hubs and mountain towns in the north. There is no single Georgia experience.

The job market has been remarkably resilient. Sectors like logistics, film production, and technology have expanded rapidly, but the low unemployment rate also reflects a labor force that has tightened

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Browse utility costs, housing data, Census demographics, and climate data for all 340 tracked cities in Georgia.

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Data: US Census Bureau ACS 2022, BLS. Updated October 10, 2026.

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