Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 20,465, settled in 1822. Public schools that outperform most of Georgia.
Trash day: look up yoursFayetteville grades B− overall, 79th among Georgia's 258 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 93% of Georgia towns on state tests and graduation and natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $432K for a typical one and 4.8 times the Atlanta metro’s $90K median household income. Fayetteville’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, where Georgia’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 28 of Georgia’s 307 towns score higher on civic life. Fayetteville has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Fayette County Courthouse and Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House.
Where Fayetteville beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Hill Elementary School | PK–5 | 661 |
| Fayetteville Elementary School | PK–5 | 507 |
| Cleveland Elementary School | PK–5 | 414 |
15,945 counted in 2010 and 18,957 in 2020; an estimated 20,465 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 8% since 2020, after 18.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Fayetteville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 138 in 1880, 18,957 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2001 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville.
Fayetteville has schools in the top 5% of Georgia, draws workers from Peachtree City and beyond and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
15,572 jobs are based in Fayetteville, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Fayetteville for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2013, Fayetteville has added 3,306 jobs, to 15,572 in 2023. 8.1% of Fayetteville residents live below the poverty line.
| Fayetteville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $82,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 9.2% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its A ranks #7 of the 260 Georgia towns we grade for schools. Its A for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $432K.
Its public schools are run by the Fayette County school district. Two of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennett's Mill Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 876 | B+ |
| Fayette County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,360 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
8.6 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is The Ridge Nature Preserve, 195 acres with 5.5 miles of trail. Fayetteville’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Fayetteville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 2.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Ridge Nature Preserve | 5.5 mi | 195 |
| 2. Trilith Central Park | 0.7 mi | 6 |
| 3. Trilith Lake Park | 0.6 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 2002, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fayetteville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
65.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 52.4% across Georgia.
The median rent in Fayetteville is $1,720 a month. The typical Fayetteville home is worth about $432,000, about the same as a year ago, 31% above the Georgia typical home.
| Fayetteville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,720 a month | $1,152 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 58% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 540 to 425 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Georgia, it does better than 50% of towns.
| Fayetteville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.8 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Fayetteville beats the Georgia average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 17% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Fayetteville.
| Fayetteville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 20% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Fayetteville | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.3% | 14.5% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.9% | 13.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Fayetteville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 33° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 22% of residents (15% statewide). Fayetteville has grown 8% since 2020, to 20,465 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 41% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Georgia.
| Fayetteville | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 25% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 14% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.7 years | 36.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 24% | 22% |
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across Georgia, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Fayetteville | GA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.2% | 11.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.4% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.7% | 13.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 12.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.1% | 12.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.5% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 5.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.9% | 10.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.9% | 26.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 20% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.3% | 21.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.9% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fayetteville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaMercedes-Benz Stadium
Big draw31 mi MountainStone Mountain
Big draw23 mi Theme parkSix Flags Over Georgia
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Arena
22 mi Zoo & aquariumGeorgia Aquarium
31 mi Stadium & arenaTruist ParkMercedes-Benz Stadium: Atlanta Falcons, CC BY 3.0 · Stone Mountain: KyleAndMelissa22, Public domain · Six Flags Over Georgia: hagerman, CC BY 2.0 · State Farm Arena: Hermann Luyken, CC0 · Georgia Aquarium: Diliff, CC BY 2.5 · Truist Park: Thechased at English Wikipedia, CC BY 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fayetteville
About 6 of every 100 Fayetteville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Georgia.
Where Fayetteville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Fayetteville on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Fayetteville.
City in Georgia, United States
Fayetteville ( FAY-ət-vil; locally FAY-ət-vəl) is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,957, up from 15,945 at the 2010 census. Fayetteville is located 22 miles (35 km) south of downtown Atlanta.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fayetteville grades B− overall, better than 48% of U.S. towns and #79 of 258 in Georgia. It grades B+ for health, C for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Georgia, it does better than 50% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
16 notable people were born here, including Christian Taylor and Jabari Smith Jr..
