Atlanta vs Lovejoy

Which is the better fit for you?

Atlanta, GA
70
Area Score
Top 13% nationally
Lovejoy, GA
60
Area Score
Top 45% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Atlanta receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Atlanta to Lovejoy

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 100.5 against 100.5 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$149 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,820 in Lovejoy against $1,671 in Atlanta.
The median home
40% less
$265,100 in Lovejoy against $439,600 in Atlanta.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F milder
Normal January lows are 36°F in Lovejoy against 34°F in Atlanta; July highs are 90°F against 90°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Atlanta
Lovejoy
Opportunity: Atlanta is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
80 · Top 7%
vs
61 · Top 39%
Growth: Atlanta is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
63 · Top 25%
vs
57 · Top 36%
Climate: Lovejoy is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
74 · Top 32%
vs
75 · Top 29%
Physical resilience: Atlanta is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs
66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability: Lovejoy is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
67 · Top 48%
vs
69 · Top 44%
Schools: Atlanta is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
44 · Bottom 43%
vs
22 · Bottom 15%
Access: Atlanta is the more favorable of the two.
Access
90 · Bottom 42%
vs
87 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability: Lovejoy is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
45 · Bottom 28%
vs
56 · Bottom 46%

Measured values

MetricAtlantaLovejoySource period
Population505,26811,5082024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$85,652 — more favorable$71,6122024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$65,718 — more favorable$28,1082024 ACS 5-Year
Population density3,734/sq mi3,959/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$439,600$265,1002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,711$1,481 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,671 — more favorable$1,820FY2026
Cost of living index100.5100.52023
Homeownership rate46.4%50.9%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.5% — more favorable4.2%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)+0.9%+1.0% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher59.2% — more favorable28.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate15.5%9.6% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)5,9759812 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents11.8 — more favorable8.512 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−16.9%−59.0%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high90°F90°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low34°F36°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation48.1"50.4"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport9 mi — more favorable15 miNASR current cycle
Average commute28.3 min — more favorable37.9 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age34.230.42024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher12.6 — more favorable15.32024-25 school year
Math proficiency35.4% — more favorable24.5%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency39.6% — more favorable29.9%2018-19 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Atlanta

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Lovejoy

Elevated or high exposure: tornado.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Atlanta
—
Atlanta: Your Score
70
Area Score
Lovejoy
—
Lovejoy: Your Score
60
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Atlanta, GA · Lovejoy, GA · How this is calculated: methodology