Rome, GA
Metro Area Profile
99,693 residents. Jobs, income, development, climate and physical risk across the Rome, GA metropolitan area.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 12 sourcesRome ranks in the top 9% of metro and micro areas measured for employment opportunity, with unemployment at 3.1% and median household income of $65,565.
In the public schools here, 45% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 14.4 students for every teacher.
Development activity is both elevated and accelerating — 402 housing units permitted over the past twelve months, up 32% on the prior year. That follows a longer stretch moving the other way, through 2025.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment of 3.1%, lower than in 89% of the 835 measured US metro and micro areas.
Employment grew 3.1% over the past year, to 46,693 employed residents.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income ±$3,3122024 ACS 5-Year | $65,565 | Bottom 46%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$1,5272024 ACS 5-Year | $34,181 | Bottom 41%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 15.3% | Bottom 30%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±0.8 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 25.3 min | Bottom 36%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 25.9% | Top 47%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 78.4% | 59th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentJuly 2026 | 46,693 | Top 45%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)July 2026 | +8.7% | Top 1%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)July 2026 | +3.1% | Top 4%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceJuly 2026 | 48,208 | 54th percentileof 835 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 73.1% | Bottom 28%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wage2025 OEWS | $54,910 | Bottom 19%of 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wage2025 OEWS | $42,670 | Bottom 10%of 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Metro employment2025 OEWS | 44,900 | 12th percentileof 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±0.1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.1% | 17th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)July 2026 | −0.9% | Top 15%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateJuly 2026 | 3.1% | Top 11%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 7.5% | 38th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Unemployment rate
Largest occupations — Rome, GA
| Occupation | People employed | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 1,740 | $83,880 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,600 | $26,890 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,560 | $33,590 |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,520 | $30,590 |
| Cashiers | 990 | $28,280 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 970 | $34,150 |
Searches the 40 largest occupations here that have a published wage.
Occupational employment and wages are published for metropolitan areas rather than for individual cities or ZIP areas, so these describe the wider labor market this location sits in. 2025 OEWS, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
45% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 43% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 14.4 students for every full-time teacher across 24 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rome High School | Rome City | 1,986 | 16.1 | 39% | 36% |
| West End Elementary School | Rome City | 1,005 | 15.2 | 61% | 54% |
| Armuchee High School | Floyd County | 953 | 17.0 | 42% | 57% |
| Rome Middle School | Rome City | 937 | 13.6 | 39% | 28% |
| Model High | Floyd County | 915 | 17.6 | 55% | 57% |
| Pepperell High School | Floyd County | 866 | 16.3 | 33% | 41% |
| Coosa High School | Floyd County | 861 | 15.9 | 33% | 42% |
| West Central Elementary School | Rome City | 595 | 14.2 | 46% | 34% |
| Elm Street Elementary | Rome City | 558 | 13.3 | 30% | 23% |
| Garden Lakes Elementary School | Floyd County | 536 | 13.7 | 56% | 48% |
| Pepperell Elementary | Floyd County | 534 | 14.1 | 45% | 40% |
| Model Middle School | Floyd County | 522 | 13.7 | 57% | 50% |
74.9% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Georgia’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →Prices for everything a household buys run about 10% below the national average — the Bureau of Economic Analysis index reads 90.4, against 100 for the nation. Nationally, housing drives most of the spread between places in this index; other goods vary far less.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for this area is up 47% over five years, but down 1.6% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $1,847 a year in real estate taxes, about 0.85% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $1,192, some 18% above the $1,014 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $1,192 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $47,700 a year, about 73% of the median household income here of $65,565.
The typical renter household here spends 29% of its income on rent, below the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $1,014 a month.
A median home at $217,900 costs 2.5 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $85,956, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
Prices here run about 10% below the national average. The spread between places is driven mostly by housing — goods vary far less — and this excludes taxes.
Price level for all consumption in this metropolitan area against a national average of 100. Housing dominates the spread between places; goods vary far less.
The figures above are measured against Rome’s median household income of $65,565, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living index2023 | 90.4 | Top 29%of 386 | 2023 |
| Home price change (1 year)2026 Q2 | −1.6% | 4th percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)2026 Q2 | +47.2% | 62nd percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)2026 Q2 | +105.7% | 67th percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.22024 ACS 5-Year | 2.5 | Top 45%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 63.6% | 18th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±672024 ACS 5-Year | 40,918 | 54th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $923 | Bottom 46%of 818 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,541 | Bottom 41%of 818 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $1,192 | Bottom 39%of 818 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$362024 ACS 5-Year | $1,014 | Bottom 44%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$7,4762024 ACS 5-Year | $217,900 | 53rd percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$1132024 ACS 5-Year | $1,847 | 45th percentileof 933 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$7,1572024 ACS 5-Year | $85,956 | Top 40%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.06%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.85% | 54th percentileof 932 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 29.1% | Bottom 47%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±1412024 ACS 5-Year | 211 | 16th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.5% | 10th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 9.4% | 68th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±4092024 ACS 5-Year | 4,062 | 45th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures and the cost-of-living index.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
Population has grown 3% since 2020, reaching 101,390 in 2024.
New construction is predominantly single-family: of 402 units permitted over the past twelve months, none were in buildings of five or more homes.
At 4.0 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US metro and micro areas.
Population, annual estimates
Weather & climate
6 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 91°F and January a low of 32°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 50.7 inches.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 50.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 6 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, tornado and cold wave, with inland flooding alone responsible for 47% of it. Inland flooding and cold wave are independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large those hazards are.
Low or minimal exposure: cold wave, inland flooding, wildfire, ice storm, heat wave, hurricane, winter weather, tsunami, volcanic activity, coastal flooding, avalanche.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. This value is the population-weighted mean of all component counties; expected annual loss is their sum. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. City profiles inside this area carry their own figure where their department reported a full year. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Death-certificate rates
- The CDC publishes these rates by county, so a metropolitan area carries none of its own. The county profiles inside it do.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index by county, and only where a monitor sits, so a metropolitan area carries none of its own. The county profiles inside it show it where one exists.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. The cost-of-living index above is a price level for all consumption, not a household budget, and it excludes taxes. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
2 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta Intl at 62 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 87.8% | Bottom 43%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 62 mi | Bottom 23%of 835 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 2 | Bottom 16%of 835 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 8.8% | Bottom 46%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta Intl | ATL | 62 mi | 12,390 ft |
| Huntsville Intl-Carl T Jones Fld | HSV | 93 mi | 10,001 ft |
| Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Intl | BHM | 101 mi | 12,007 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyData & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Housing | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional price parities and county personal income | 2023 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | 2025 OEWS |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.