Smyrna and Duluth 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
Smyrna
Duluth
Opportunity
90 · Top 1%
vs89 · Top 1%
Growth
77 · Top 8%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
74 · Top 32%
vs78 · Top 21%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 42%
vs64 · Top 44%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 44%
vs75 · Bottom 41%
Schools
49 · Bottom 46%
vs53 · Top 48%
Access
86 · Bottom 33%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
67 · Top 36%
vs72 · Top 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Smyrna | Duluth | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,633 | 32,426 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $100,061 | $95,331 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,689 | $49,417 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,503/sq mi | 3,192/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $449,500 | $400,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,739 | $1,828 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.4% | 56.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 2.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.4% | 53.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 8.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 382 | 140 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 226.5% | 91.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.1" | 51.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.7 min | 32.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 39.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.76 | 14.07 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.2% | 30.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.2% | 33.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 58.8% | 67.6% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Smyrna
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Duluth
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Smyrna, GA · Duluth, GA · How this is calculated: methodology