Henry W. Grady House · National Register of Historic Places
Athens’s story
Athens in pictures
The archive holds 4 maps from 1964 on.
62 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →AthensGA
A city of 129,921.
1 bordering townMap →
Henry W. Grady House · Photo: Fred D. Nichols, Photographer · Public domain
Population
129,921
2025 Census estimate · +1% since 2020
Typical home
$339K
+1.6% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
29.6
years
Jobs based here
66,202
Balanced
Is Athens a good place to live?
Athens’ best subject grade is an A− for walkability; its weakest is a D for cost of living. 46% of working residents work locally in Athens, above both Georgia’s towns (9%) and U.S. towns (8%). On cost of living, just 12 of Georgia’s 371 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Henry W. Grady House and Lucy Cobb Institute Campus. Athens has no overall grade: it has no figures for schools and health, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
What makes Athens stand out
Where Athens beats most towns.
How Athens grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Athens is from typical.
Athens has no overall grade: it has no figures for schools and health, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Cost of livingDOpen →SafetyC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 6.3% of households have no carA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA National Risk IndexBOpen →Jobs & income$54K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6% conserved landB+Open →HistoryB+Open →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 29.6; 47% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Athens: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Athens, and how to reach them.
PowerGeorgia Power16.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAthens-Clarke Co Water System2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpCenter for Hard to Recycle MaterialsTue 7 am–1 pm; Wed 12 pm–6 pm; Fri–Sat 7 am–1 pmOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn Georgia you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAthens-Clarke County Board of ElectionsThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes30605, 30606, 30601, 3060730605 33% · 30606 33% · 30601 19% · 30607 7%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Athens.
Schools
The schools Athens’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Clarke County school district. Three of its 28 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 718 | B− |
| Clarke Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,907 | C |
| Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 492 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
SafetyC−
Crime per resident in Athens is higher than in 82% of U.S. towns
At 19.8 per 1,000 residents, Athens’ property crime rate is above both the Georgia town median (14.5) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). Athens’ violent crime rate is 3.5 per 1,000 residents.
18%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| Athens | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.8 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Athens3.5
Georgia3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Athens19.8
Georgia14.1
U.S.15.5
18th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
37th
percentile among GA towns
451
violent crimes reported in 2025
2,564
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Athens has mild winters and hot summers
Athens has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Athens is 90°F.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–56°
Spring49–73°
Summer68–89°
Fall51–74°
Nov 10
typical first frost
Mar 23
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Athens has 1.5 jobs for every working resident, and 45,017 people commute in
26% of Athens residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Athens grew to 66,202 in 2023, 5,426 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Atlanta (4%), Jefferson (2%) and Gainesville (1%).
46%work in town
| Athens | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 26% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 9.2% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Athens46%
Atlanta4%
Jefferson2%
Gainesville1%
Commerce1%
8 mi
median commute distance
66,202
jobs based in Athens
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers 6.2% of Athens
101 miles of trail in 34 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Sandy Creek Park, 509 acres with 4.3 miles of trail.
6.2%conserved
| Athens | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.2% | 2.2% | 4.3% |
6.2%
conserved · 4,766 of 77,213 acres
101 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia | 5.9 mi | 359 |
| 2. Virginia Callaway-Cofer Walker Park | 4.9 mi | 119 |
| 3. Sandy Creek Nature Center | 4.7 mi | 223 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D
A typical Athens home is worth about $339K
The typical Athens home is worth about $339,000, up 1.6% in a year, close to the Georgia typical home. 41% of households own their home in Athens.
$339KZillow home value
| Athens | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 58% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 60% | 52% | 48% |
Typical home value
Athens$339K
Georgia$329K
+1.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 60 attractions →Sanford Stadium and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Athens. Close and well known come first.
in town Stadium & arenaSanford Stadium
Big draw39 mi LakeLake Lanier
40 mi MountainCurrahee Mountainin town MuseumGeorgia Museum of Art
37 mi Ancient siteRock Eagle Effigy Mound
in town GardenThe State Botanical Garden of GeorgiaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Sanford Stadium: The original uploader was Clio64 at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Lanier: http://www.terraprints.com, CC BY 2.5 · Currahee Mountain: Wikilackey (talk), Public domain · Rock Eagle Effigy Mound: Brian McInturff, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The State Botanical Garden of Georgia: Pendragon98 (Talk / contribs), Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Athens
17pages on Athens
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Athens
Athens Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · AthensIn town$3,390 in-state tuitionUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity or college · Public · AthensIn town$11,450 in-state tuitionCollege of AthensUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Watkinsville7.7 mi$9,050 tuition
College town 26 of every 100 Athens residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
College town
26% of Athens is in college
2 colleges in town.
University of Georgia40,273 students on campus
- Admission
- 38%
- Net price
- $13,936
- Graduate
- 90%
- Admission
- Open
- Net price
- $6,949
- Graduate
- 51%
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Landmarks
62 places in Athens on the National Register of Historic Places.
Athens’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Athens.
WintervilleAthens
How the neighbors grade
| Town | GA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | — | — | D | C− | — | — |
| Winterville | — | — | C+ | — | C− | B |
Winterville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Winterville reports no FBI crime data of its own. Athens isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Athens with a neighbor →
Questions about Athens
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Athens, GA a good place to live?
Athens has no overall grade: it has no figures for schools and health, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Is Athens, GA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.