Buford and Atlanta receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Buford
Atlanta
Opportunity
77 · Top 10%
vs81 · Top 6%
Growth
57 · Top 39%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
80 · Top 17%
vs74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 47%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 25%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Schools
82 · Top 11%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Access
70 · Bottom 13%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Buford | Atlanta | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,997 | 505,268 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,471 | $85,652 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,216 | $65,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 946/sq mi | 3,734/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $368,700 | $439,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,357 | $1,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.2% | 46.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.3% | 59.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 52 | 5,975 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -22.4% | -16.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.4" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.4 | 34.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.30 | 12.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 57.6% | 24.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 58.4% | 31.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.1% | 72.5% | 2024-25 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.
Full profiles: Buford, GA · Atlanta, GA · How this is calculated: methodology