Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,297, settled in 1848. A regional job hub with 3,133 jobs.
The best of Blue Ridge’s subject grades are an A for walkability and civic life and an A− for history; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 16 of Georgia’s 371 towns score higher on walkability. Only 2 of Georgia’s 307 towns score higher on civic life. Blue Ridge has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Fannin County Courthouse and Blue Ridge Depot. Blue Ridge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Blue Ridge beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Blue Ridge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1925.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blue Ridge, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Blue Ridge.
About one in 4 of Blue Ridge’s working residents works in town. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Blue Ridge, above both the Georgia town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Blue Ridge’s average trip to work is 20 minutes.
| Blue Ridge | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 9.1% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Fannin County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Fannin County High School, with 824 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fannin County Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 638 | B+ |
| Fannin County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 824 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
The typical Blue Ridge home is worth about $512,000, up 1.7% in a year, 55% above the Georgia typical home. 34% of households own their home in Blue Ridge, against 58% in Georgia’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The median rent in Blue Ridge is $851 a month.
| Blue Ridge | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 34% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $851 a month | $1,154 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Blue Ridge beats the Georgia average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 18% of Blue Ridge adults report frequent physical distress.
| Blue Ridge | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 29% | 25% |
| What stands out | Blue Ridge | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.5% | 15% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Blue Ridge has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. No town among the 265 in Georgia we compare has a lower July high than Blue Ridge.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Blue Ridge.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blue Ridge City Park | — | 13 |
| 2. Willa Mae Haight Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Fannin County Veterans Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Blue Ridge; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Blue Ridge residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
Where Blue Ridge’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Blue Ridge on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Georgia, United States
Blue Ridge is a city in Fannin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 1,253. The city is the county seat of Fannin County and the largest city in the county.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. That is 9 years of the area's median household income ($57,073 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
