Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cedartown grades D overall, ranked 223rd of 258 in Georgia, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $35K, and 31% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 84% of the country. It also has a long history, with 6 places on the National Register. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Cedartown, where Georgia’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Cedartown's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Hawkes Children's Library and Cedartown Commercial Historic District.
Where Cedartown beats most towns.
Hawkes Children's Library
Sterling Holloway
Census counts: 323 in 1870, 10,190 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Cedartown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cedartown, 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 Cedartown.
Cedartown fares better on crime within Georgia than nationally, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Rome and other neighbors.
Against the 1,205 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cedartown’s, it is healthier than 77%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Georgia it is less healthy than 64% of the 261 graded towns: much of Georgia scores lower on these measures.
21% of Cedartown adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Cedartown beats the Georgia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 39% of Cedartown adults feel lonely.
| Cedartown | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 29% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Cedartown | GA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 21% | 13.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.9% | 17.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.3% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Polk County school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedartown Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 997 | C+ |
| Cedartown High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,448 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
At 37.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 62% of Georgia’s graded towns.
The violent crime rate in Cedartown is 4.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Cedartown | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.5 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Cedartown home is worth about $204,000, up 3.7% in a year, 38% below the Georgia typical home. 43% of households own their home in Cedartown.
| Cedartown | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $896 a month | $1,160 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Rome weather station, 16 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 217 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 85% of Georgia places with climate records. January nights average 31.7°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 87% of Georgia places with climate records; July afternoons average 89.4°.
Cedartown has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Cedartown’s January low is 32°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Cedartown | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 32°F | 33°F | 22°F |
| July high | 89°F | 90°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Cedartown has about as many jobs (4,684) as working residents, but only 755 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Cedartown for work: only 19% work in town. Jobs based in Cedartown grew to 4,684 in 2023, 297 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Rome (10%), Rockmart (8%) and Cartersville (3%).
| Cedartown | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $35,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 61 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cedartown.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cedartown. Close and well known come first.
26 mi Ancient siteEtowah Indian Mounds
39 mi Stadium & arenaFifth Third Stadium
31 mi MuseumTellus Science Museum
30 mi National PreserveLittle River Canyon National Preserve782K visitors a year
37 mi National park siteKennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park1.2M visitors a year
28 mi MuseumBooth Western Art MuseumEtowah Indian Mounds: Kåre Thor Olsen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fifth Third Stadium: Thomson200, CC0 · Tellus Science Museum: Michael Adams, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Little River Canyon National Preserve: Richard A. Weaver, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park: Mikereichold, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Booth Western Art Museum: Thomson200, CC0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Cedartown
About 8 of every 100 Cedartown residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
6 places in Cedartown on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Cedartown.
City in Georgia, United States
Cedartown is a city and the county seat of Polk County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,190 at the 2020 census. It is located northwest of Atlanta near the Alabama-Georgia state line. The Cedartown Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Cedartown Waterworks-Woman's Building-Big Spring Park Historic District is also listed along with the Northwest Cedartown Historic District and South Philpot Street Historic District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cedartown grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #223 of 258 in Georgia. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($58,515 across the Cedartown, GA area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
15 notable people were born here, including Sterling Holloway and Sam Hunt.
