Atlanta receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Monroe
Atlanta
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs81 · Top 6%
Growth
77 · Top 8%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
79 · Top 19%
vs74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 37%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
46 · Bottom 8%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Schools
47 · Bottom 44%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 7%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Monroe | Atlanta | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,648 | 505,268 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,656 | $85,652 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $23,810 | $65,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 999/sq mi | 3,734/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $259,300 | $439,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,105 | $1,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 42.3% | 46.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 59.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 33.8% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 90 | 5,975 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.8 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 150.0% | -16.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.7" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.6 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.7 | 34.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.58 | 12.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 31.1% | 24.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.1% | 31.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.7% | 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: Monroe, GA · Atlanta, GA · How this is calculated: methodology