Canton 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
Canton
Atlanta
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs81 · Top 6%
Growth
76 · Top 9%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
59 · Top 49%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 21%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Schools
68 · Top 30%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 47%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Canton | Atlanta | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,741 | 505,268 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $80,091 | $85,652 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,479 | $65,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,921/sq mi | 3,734/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $407,800 | $439,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,680 | $1,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.6% | 46.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.3% | 59.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.9% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 455 | 5,975 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.7 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -20.7% | -16.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.1" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 34.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.34 | 12.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.1% | 24.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 39.7% | 31.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 48.2% | 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: Canton, GA · Atlanta, GA · How this is calculated: methodology