Cline Home, 2009
Waleska’s story
170 years in pictures
Census counts: 170 in 1900, 921 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 4 maps from 1947 on.
- 1856Waleska is settled
WaleskaGA
A town of 1,042, settled in 1856.
Population
1,042
2025 Census estimate · +12% since 2020
Typical home
$481K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
21.4
years
Jobs based here
327
A commuter town
Is Waleska a good place to live?
The best of Waleska’s subject grades are an A for health, schools, and the outdoors. Waleska’s median age is 21.4 years, below both Georgia’s towns (36.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 30 of Georgia’s 371 towns score higher on health. 29% of the land in Waleska is conserved, against 2.3% in Georgia’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Only 3 of Georgia’s 374 towns score higher on the outdoors. Waleska is home to Reinhardt University. Waleska has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Waleska stand out
Where Waleska beats most towns.
OutdoorsA
29.2% conserved land
1.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves
Biggest place to walk: Cline Park, 0.4 mi of trail.
32 measures vs. Georgia
17 better10 too close to call5 worse
| Widest gap | Waleska | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 4.6% | 13.3% |
HealthA
Healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Beats GA on 17 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 5
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
The college
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Reinhardt University | 1,021 |
College town
1,021 college students
at Reinhardt University
Students are part of everyday life here.
College town
61% of Waleska is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Waleska grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Waleska is from typical.
HealthNorthside Hospital Cherokee 7.8 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsBeat 86% of Georgia districts on tests and graduationAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 31% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Jobs & income$56K median household incomeC+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.3 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 21.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailAOpen →History1 notable person born hereCOpen →Civic life3.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Waleska: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waleska, and how to reach them.
PowerGeorgia Power16.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWaleska water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Waleska’s trash rules yet
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 hereCherokee County Elections & RegistrationCherokee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code3018330183 100%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 Waleska.
Who lives here
A college town: 61% of residents are 18 to 24
Adults 18 to 34 are 65% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 17% of residents (39% statewide). Waleska has grown 12% since 2020, to 1,042 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Georgia.
21.4median age · GA 37.6
WaleskaGeorgiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
61%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school23%
Some college23%
Associate’s20%
Bachelor’s13%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across Georgia, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 21.2, men 21.6.
| Waleska | GA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.6% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.2% | 11.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 61% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.3% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.2% | 13.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 12.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 3.1% | 12.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 1.9% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.4% | 5.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.1% | 10.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.9% | 26.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20.3% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.7% | 21.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.1% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
HealthA
Waleska stands out in Georgia and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have diabetes
4.6% of Waleska adults have diabetes. Among 262 Georgia towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Waleska. 25% of Waleska adults have obesity.
88%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Waleska | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 4.6% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Georgia
17 better10 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Waleska | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 4.6% | 13.3% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 1.3% | 3.6% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.4% | 14.5% |
Northside Hospital Cherokee
7.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B
A typical Waleska home is worth about $481K
The typical Waleska home is worth about $481,000, up 2.1% in a year, 46% above the Georgia typical home. Waleska’s median rent is $879 a month.
$481KZillow home value
| Waleska | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $879 a month | $1,154 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Waleska$481K
Georgia$329K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsA
Waleska has set aside nearly a quarter of its land for conservation
1.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Waleska is 0.6 miles per square mile.
29.2%conserved
29.2%
conserved · 319 of 1,094 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cline Park | 0.4 mi | 12 |
| 2. Waleska Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Waleska has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Waleska for work: only 2% work in town. 6.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Waleska. Jobs based in Waleska grew to 327 in 2023, 24 more than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Waleska | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 9.1% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Waleska2%
Canton13%
Atlanta8%
Marietta4%
Sandy Springs3%
24 mi
median commute distance
327
jobs based in Waleska
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 58% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Waleska faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Waleska
Waleska has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 31° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–53°
Spring48–71°
Summer66–87°
Fall50–72°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Mar 31
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 87 attractions →Mercedes-Benz Stadium and 68 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waleska. Close and well known come first.
Big draw40 mi Stadium & arenaMercedes-Benz Stadium
Big draw34 mi LakeLake Lanier
30 mi Stadium & arenaTruist Park
Big draw38 mi Theme parkSix Flags Over Georgia
Big draw40 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Arena
23 mi MuseumChattahoochee Nature CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Atlanta Falcons, CC BY 3.0 · Lake Lanier: http://www.terraprints.com, CC BY 2.5 · Truist Park: Thechased at English Wikipedia, CC BY 4.0 · Six Flags Over Georgia: hagerman, CC BY 2.0 · State Farm Arena: Hermann Luyken, CC0 · Chattahoochee Nature Center: muffinn from Worcester, UK, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Waleska
19pages on Waleska
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Waleska
College town 61 of every 100 Waleska residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
Small town
1,042 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Waleska
City in Georgia, United States
Waleska ( waw-LES-kə) is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Waleska had a population of 921.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,113 ft
- ZIP code
- 30183
Questions about Waleska
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Waleska, GA expensive?
That is 5.4 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.