Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,472, settled in 1857.
Cleveland grades B− overall, ranked 82nd of 258 in Georgia, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools outperform 76% of the state's and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $314K for a typical one and 4.4 times the county’s $71K median household income. Cleveland is home to Truett McConnell University. On the outdoors, just 34 of Georgia’s 374 towns do worse. Cleveland is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 81% of U.S. towns.
Where Cleveland beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Cleveland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 145 in 1870, 3,514 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cleveland, 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 Cleveland.
Cleveland draws workers from Gainesville and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Georgia.
3,139 jobs are based in Cleveland, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 22.3 minutes, against 28.3 across Georgia.
Most working residents leave Cleveland for work: only 15% work in town. 19% of Cleveland residents live below the poverty line, above both the Georgia town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2013, Cleveland has added 743 jobs, to 3,139 in 2023.
| Cleveland | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the White County school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| White County Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 900 | B+ |
| Jack P Nix Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 409 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 2020, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cleveland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Cleveland’s violent crime rate is 3.6 per 1,000 residents, above both Georgia’s towns (2.2) and U.S. towns (1.6). Within Georgia, it does better than 53% of towns. Cleveland’s property crime rate is 15.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Cleveland | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.3 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Helen weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 197 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 98% of Georgia places with climate records. January nights average 30.3°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 96% of Georgia places with climate records; July afternoons average 86.6°.
Cleveland has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Only 1 of the 264 Georgia towns we compare have a lower July high than Cleveland. The January low in Cleveland is 30°F.
| Cleveland | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 30°F | 33°F | 22°F |
| July high | 87°F | 90°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Cleveland home is worth about $314,000, up 1.8% in a year, close to the Georgia typical home.
| Cleveland | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,099 a month | $1,160 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 9,816 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cleveland’s, it is healthier than 74%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Cleveland beats the Georgia average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 40% of Cleveland adults feel lonely. Among 261 Georgia towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Cleveland.
| Cleveland | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 79% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 12% |
| What stands out | Cleveland | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.4% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.3% | 13.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cleveland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi LakeLake Lanier
19 mi MountainBrasstown Bald
22 mi MountainCurrahee Mountain
23 mi National forestChattahoochee–Oconee National Forest
27 mi WaterfallAmicalola Falls
12 mi WaterfallAnna Ruby FallsLake Lanier: http://www.terraprints.com, CC BY 2.5 · Brasstown Bald: Unknown, Public domain · Currahee Mountain: Wikilackey (talk), Public domain · Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest: Thomson200, CC0 · Amicalola Falls: Jsfouche, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anna Ruby Falls: Jsfouche, CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Cleveland
About 12 of every 100 Cleveland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
Where Cleveland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Cleveland.
City in Georgia, United States
Cleveland is a city in White County, Georgia, located 90 miles (140 km) northeast of Atlanta and 128 miles (206 km) southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its population was 3,514 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of White County. Cleveland is home to the North Georgia Zoo and Petting Farm, Farmhouse Coffee, and Babyland General Hospital, the "birthplace" of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, as well as an adoption center for the dolls.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cleveland grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #82 of 258 in Georgia. It grades B− for health, C for safety and A− for schools.
Within Georgia, it does better than 53% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Xavier Roberts and Billy Lothridge.
