Smyrna receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Winder
Smyrna
Opportunity
77 · Top 11%
vs90 · Top 1%
Growth
81 · Top 5%
vs77 · Top 8%
Climate
80 · Top 17%
vs74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
64 · Top 44%
vs66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 36%
vs77 · Bottom 44%
Schools
54 · Top 47%
vs49 · Bottom 46%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs86 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 47%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Winder | Smyrna | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,437 | 56,633 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,779 | $100,061 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,546 | $64,689 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,302/sq mi | 3,503/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $288,500 | $449,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,209 | $1,739 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.8% | 59.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.3% | 59.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 10.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 242 | 382 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.5 | 6.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -18.5% | 226.5% | 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 | 47 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.9 min | 31.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.9 | 35.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.75 | 13.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 30.2% | 27.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.3% | 34.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.0% | 58.8% | 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
Winder
Elevated or high exposure: lightning.
Smyrna
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Winder, GA · Smyrna, GA · How this is calculated: methodology