Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Riverdale grades C− overall, 152nd among Georgia's 258 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 94% of U.S. towns. On the other side, residents are less healthy than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Riverdale's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 87% of U.S. towns. Riverdale's schools rank behind 90% of the state's. 50% of households own their home in Riverdale, against 58% in Georgia’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
Where Riverdale beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Riverdale is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 139 in 1910, 15,129 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 5 maps from 1954 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Riverdale. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaMercedes-Benz Stadium
Big draw23 mi MountainStone Mountain
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Arena
Big draw16 mi Theme parkSix Flags Over Georgia
14 mi Zoo & aquariumGeorgia Aquarium
23 mi Stadium & arenaTruist ParkMercedes-Benz Stadium: Atlanta Falcons, CC BY 3.0 · Stone Mountain: KyleAndMelissa22, Public domain · State Farm Arena: Hermann Luyken, CC0 · Six Flags Over Georgia: hagerman, CC BY 2.0 · Georgia Aquarium: Diliff, CC BY 2.5 · Truist Park: Thechased at English Wikipedia, CC BY 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Riverdale, 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 Riverdale.
Riverdale has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Atlanta and other neighbors, but it has little public open land.
44% of Riverdale adults feel lonely. Riverdale beats the Georgia average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 27% of Riverdale adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Riverdale | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 22% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 40% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 12% |
| What stands out | Riverdale | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.6% | 7% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.1% | 14.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 19.7% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Clayton County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Riverdale High School, with 1,359 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubois Integrity AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 1,341 | C− |
| Riverdale High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,359 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
At 2.4 years of the Atlanta metro’s $90K median household income, the typical home (about $214K) costs less against local pay than in 90% of Georgia towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. The typical value, about $214K, is 13% below its June 2024 peak.
The typical Riverdale home is worth about $214,000, down 3.9% in a year, 35% below the Georgia typical home. The median rent in Riverdale is $1,360 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Riverdale has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Riverdale’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 19 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Riverdale.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Riverdale has about as many jobs (5,219) as working residents, but only 116 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Riverdale for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Atlanta (19%), College Park (7%) and South Fulton (3%). Half commute less than 15 miles.
| Riverdale | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 9.2% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 12% | 9.2% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Just 44 of its 2,803 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Riverdale itself; its outdoors grade is D.
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverdale Regional Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
14 within 15 miles of the center of Riverdale
About 7 of every 100 Riverdale residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Georgia.
10 notable people were born in Riverdale.
City in Georgia, United States
Riverdale is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,129 in 2020. Riverdale is an Atlanta suburb just south of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The city is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Riverdale grades C− overall, better than 21% of U.S. towns and #152 of 258 in Georgia. It grades D for health and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 2.4 years of the area's median household income ($89,724 across the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro 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.
10 notable people were born here, including Barry Loudermilk and Chris Hanson.
