Decatur and Dunwoody 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
Decatur
Dunwoody
Opportunity
89 · Top 1%
vs89 · Top 1%
Growth
21 · Bottom 8%
vs39 · Bottom 30%
Climate
78 · Top 21%
vs78 · Top 21%
Physical resilience
71 · Top 35%
vs70 · Top 35%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 45%
vs77 · Bottom 45%
Schools
94 · Top 1%
vs78 · Top 17%
Access
89 · Bottom 40%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
66 · Top 37%
vs71 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Decatur | Dunwoody | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,518 | 51,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $139,397 | $121,903 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $73,617 | $72,129 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,323/sq mi | 3,983/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $701,400 | $602,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,655 | $1,859 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 56.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.4% | 1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 76.3% | 72.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.2% | 6.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -79.4% | -7.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.4" | 51.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 37.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.75 | 14.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 60.3% | 45.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 72.0% | 53.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 15.9% | 40.4% | 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: Decatur, GA · Dunwoody, GA · How this is calculated: methodology