Sugar Hill receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sugar Hill
Atlanta
Opportunity
91 · Top 1%
vs81 · Top 6%
Growth
74 · Top 11%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
80 · Top 17%
vs74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 47%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
75 · Top 18%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Sugar Hill | Atlanta | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,128 | 505,268 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $107,389 | $85,652 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,359 | $65,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,315/sq mi | 3,734/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $413,400 | $439,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,862 | $1,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.9% | 46.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.5% | 59.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 221 | 5,975 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.5 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 29.2% | -16.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.4" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.6 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.6 | 34.2 | 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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Sugar Hill
77
Your Score
78
Area Score
Atlanta
69
Your Score
71
Area Score
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Full profiles: Sugar Hill, GA · Atlanta, GA · How this is calculated: methodology