Fairburn receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fairburn
South Fulton
Opportunity
81 · Top 7%
vs69 · Top 24%
Growth
61 · Top 31%
vs64 · Top 27%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs75 · Top 29%
Physical resilience
86 · Top 15%
vs84 · Top 18%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs76 · Bottom 42%
Access
90 · Bottom 42%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Fairburn | South Fulton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,831 | 110,471 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,897 | $82,324 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,135 | $38,061 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 998/sq mi | 1,190/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $271,800 | $309,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,479 | $1,702 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.2% | 71.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.5% | 39.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 9.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 69 | 599 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 5.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.6% | -1.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.4" | 50.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.4 min | 34.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.6 | 36.3 | 2024 ACS 5-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.
Your best match
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Fairburn
78
Your Score
80
Area Score
South Fulton
69
Your Score
68
Area Score
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Full profiles: Fairburn, GA · South Fulton, GA · How this is calculated: methodology