Wrought-iron-fencing, 2012
Sugar Hill’s story
87 years in pictures
Census counts: 599 in 1940, 25,076 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1964 on.
- 1939Sugar Hill is established
Population
29,280
2025 Census estimate · +16.8% since 2020
Typical home
$438K
−3.1% in a year
Household income
$107K
median
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
6,526
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#62 of 258 in GA
Is Sugar Hill a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Sugar Hill grades B overall, 62nd of 258 graded towns in Georgia. It is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $107K. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $438K, 4.9 years of the Atlanta metro’s $90K median household income. 10% of the land in Sugar Hill is conserved, above both Georgia’s towns (2.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 7 of Georgia’s 373 towns score lower on history. Sugar Hill's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns.
A growing town
Sugar Hill has grown 58% since 2010
18,522 counted in 2010 and 25,076 in 2020; an estimated 29,280 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 16.8% since 2020, after 35.4% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Sugar Hill grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Sugar Hill is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →HealthEmory Johns Creek Hospital 8.2 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →SchoolsB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 37% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors8 miles of trailsA−Open →HistoryEstablished 1939; 3 notable people born hereD−Open →Civic life2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 88° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market44 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.6; 48% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 88 attractions →Lake Lanier and 72 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sugar Hill. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi LakeLake Lanier
Big draw21 mi MountainStone Mountain
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaMercedes-Benz Stadium
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Arena
28 mi Stadium & arenaTruist Park
Big draw37 mi Theme parkSix Flags Over GeorgiaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Lanier: http://www.terraprints.com, CC BY 2.5 · Stone Mountain: KyleAndMelissa22, Public domain · Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Atlanta Falcons, CC BY 3.0 · State Farm Arena: Hermann Luyken, CC0 · Truist Park: Thechased at English Wikipedia, CC BY 4.0 · Six Flags Over Georgia: hagerman, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sugar Hill: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sugar Hill, and how to reach them.
PowerGeorgia Power16.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGwinnett Co. Dept. of Water ResourcesNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown’s haulerWaste Management picks up at the curb for every homeTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Georgia you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereGwinnett County Voter Registration and ElectionsGwinnett County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes30518, 3002430518 94% · 30024 6%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sugar Hill.
Sugar Hill has less tooth loss than most of Georgia and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Georgia; it also has property taxes 1.7 times the Georgia norm.
OutdoorsA−
Sugar Hill has set aside 10.4% of its land for conservation
8.1 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. Sugar Hill’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile, above both the Georgia town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). CRNRA - Bowmans Island Unit, at 491 acres with 1.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
#42for trails in GA
10.4%
conserved · 750 of 7,234 acres
8.1 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. CRNRA - Bowmans Island Unit | 1.5 mi | 491 |
| 2. Gary Pirkle Park | 0.3 mi | 34 |
| 3. Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area | — | 491 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB+
Sugar Hill’s public schools outperform 65% of Georgia districts
Its public schools are run by the Gwinnett County school district. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
65%of GA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Gwinnett Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 2,360 | A+ |
| Lanier High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,871 | B− |
| Roberts Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 946 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
For health, Sugar Hill earns an A−
Its widest gap with Georgia is tooth loss: 8.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.5% statewide.
29% of adults have high blood pressure in Sugar Hill. Sugar Hill beats the Georgia average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Sugar Hill.
83%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Sugar Hill | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 20% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Georgia
19 better12 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Sugar Hill | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.6% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.4% | 3.6% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.7% | 77.4% |
Emory Johns Creek Hospital
8.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
88th
percentile among GA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Sugar Hill has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Jobs based here grew from 3,692 in 2013 to 6,526.
Most working residents leave Sugar Hill for work: only 4% work in town. The average trip to work in Sugar Hill is 33 minutes. Since 2013, Sugar Hill has added 2,834 jobs, to 6,526 in 2023.
4%work in town
| Sugar Hill | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 24% | 9.2% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $107,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 15% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Sugar Hill4%
Atlanta7%
Alpharetta6%
Buford5%
Suwanee4%
14 mi
median commute distance
6,526
jobs based in Sugar Hill
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 35% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade D
For cost of living, Sugar Hill earns a D
The median property tax bill is $3,993, against $2,341 across Georgia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Sugar Hill’s median rent is $1,862 a month. The typical Sugar Hill home is worth about $438,000, down 3.1% in a year, 33% above the Georgia typical home. 80% of Sugar Hill households own their home.
$438KZillow home value
| Sugar Hill | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,862 a month | $1,152 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 58% | 73% |
Typical home value
Sugar Hill$438K
Georgia$329K
Market temperature
44
days on market
99%
sale-to-list price
−3.1%
value change, 1 year
29
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Sugar Hill
The Cumming 2n weather station, 11 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 214 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 92% of Georgia places with climate records. July afternoons average 88.1°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 92% of Georgia places with climate records; January nights average 32.3°.
Sugar Hill has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
88°summer high
| Sugar Hill | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 32°F | 33°F | 22°F |
| July high | 88°F | 90°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–54°
Spring48–72°
Summer67–87°
Fall50–72°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
88°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Sugar Hill, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Sugar Hill since 2013.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2013
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sugar Hill
19pages on Sugar Hill
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Sugar Hill
Georgia Gwinnett CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Lawrenceville7.8 mi$4,532 in-state tuitionReformed UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lawrenceville8.5 miGwinnett Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lawrenceville8.9 mi$3,524 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Sugar Hill residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Georgia.
Get outside
8 miles of trails in Sugar Hill
10.4% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
3
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area491 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Famous people from Sugar Hill
3 notable people were born in Sugar Hill.
About Sugar Hill
City in Georgia, United States
Sugar Hill is a city in northern Gwinnett County in the U.S. state of Georgia, included within the Metro Atlanta area. The population was 25,076 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 28,598 in 2024, making it the fourth-largest city in Gwinnett County. It is in close proximity to Lake Lanier and the foothills of the North Georgia mountains.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,148 ft
Sugar Hill’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Sugar Hill.
BufordSuwaneeSugar Hill
How the neighbors grade
| Town | GA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Hill | #62 | B | D | — | B+ | A− |
| Buford | #49 | B | C | — | A+ | B− |
| Suwanee | #97 | C+ | D | C− | B+ | A |
Sugar Hill and Buford report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Sugar Hill with a neighbor →
Questions about Sugar Hill
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sugar Hill, GA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Sugar Hill grades B overall, better than 57% of U.S. towns and #62 of 258 in Georgia. It grades A− for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Sugar Hill, GA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
What is Sugar Hill, GA known for?
Sugar Hill was established in 1939. 3 notable people were born here, including Sion James and Derrick Brown.