The South’s low cost of living and mild winters attract people from other regions of the United States. The region has much more to offer, however, and many of its cities stand out as especially good places to live.
The site 24/7 Wall St. used data from the Census Bureau, FBI, and the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the 50 best Southern cities in which to live.
The cities were analyzed using 25 measures across four categories: affordability, economy, quality of life and community. Only cities in the 16 states in the South region, as designated by the U.S. Census Bureau, were considered.
Only nine Southern states had cities on the list, with 16 in Texas, eight in Florida and seven in Virginia.
As for Georgia, we had six cities make the ranking.
Rincon
Rincon, with a population of just 10,027, finished at No. 48. In addition, its …
… five year population change is +8.1%
… median household income is $64,625
… five year unemployment rate is 3.7%
Braselton
About 43 miles northeast of Atlanta, Braselton has a population of 11,452 and ranked No. 35 on the list. In addition, its …
… five year population change is +39.5%
… median household income is $105,096
… five year unemployment rate is 1.3%
Suwanee
Suwanee’s 19,743 residents ranked No. 32 on the 24/7 Wall St. analysis. In addition, its …
… five year population change is +18.6%
… Median household income is $90,436
… five year unemployment rate is 3.4%
Higher in the ranking were Alpharetta, Milton and Sandy Springs.
Alpharetta
With a population of 65,590, Alpharetta finished at No. 18. Also, its …
… five year population change is +7.7%
… median household income is $113,802
… five year unemployment rate is 4.4%
Milton
Adjacent to Alpharetta and just 30 miles from downtown Atlanta, Milton and its 38,759 residents finished No. 12. In addition, its …
… five year population change is +11.1%
… median household income is $128,559
… five year unemployment rate is 3.4%
Sandy Springs
Just one spot higher, at No. 11, was Sandy Springs. The highest ranking Georgia city has a population of 107,072. In addition, its …
… five year population change is +8.7%
… median household income is $78,613
… five year unemployment rate is 3.0%
If you’re curious, the best Southern city, according to the analysis, is Highland Park, Texas. The small city has a population of just 9,168; a five year population change of +4.2%; median household income of $211,136; an five year unemployment rate of 1.5%.
About the Author
