With an overall Niche.com grade of A+, Decatur is the best place to live in the Atlanta Area.  It is home to 23,054 people and maintains an Urban Suburban Mix.  

• Median home value=$466,800
• Median rent=$927
• Median income=$93,039
• 66% own 34% rent
• C+ crime rate with murder being twice as high as the national average
• 38% Master’s degree or higher
• Decatur High School/New Glennwood Elementary School/4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue/Oakhurst Elementary School

Alpharetta is the #1 place to raise a family in Georgia and places #2 for the best place to live in Atlanta.  It also scores an A+ from Niche.com, is home to 64,000 people, and is a dense suburban.  

• Median Home value=$392,200
• Median rent=$1,375
• Median income=$105,908
• 65% own 35% rent
• B- crime rate with all but theft being below the national average
• 40% bachelor’s degree
• Alpharetta High School/Chattahoochee High School/Johns Creek High School/Cambridge High School/Milton high School

Johns Creek, with a population of 83,637, offers residents in Fulton County a sparse suburban feel.  

• Median home value=$382,400
• Median rent=$1,538
• Median income=$116, 070
• 76% own 24% rent
• B- crime rate with all crimes being below the national average
• 41% bachelor’s degree
• Northview High School/Alpharetta High School/Chattahoochee High School/Johns Creek High School/ Hull Middle School

Milton scores an A+ with niche.com.  Its population stands at 38,171 and offers its residents a sparse suburban feel. It has a small town feel with big city resources.  

• Median home value=$534,400
• Median rent=$1,335
• Median income=$125,096
• 73% own 27% rent
• B for crime with all categories being below the national average
• 43% bachelor’s degree/ 27% master’s degree or higher
• Alpharetta High School/Cambridge High School/Milton High School/Roswell High School…all scoring A+ from Niche.com

Berkeley Lake, a section in Gwinnett County, has a population of just under 2,000.  It is a rural area that has a very active homeowners association responsible for maintaining the private lake.  

• Median home value =$403,200
• Median rent=$1,775
• Median income=$131,339
• 96% own 4% rent
• Crime rate is so low, that it is not even scored by Niche.com
• 63% bachelor’s degree or higher
• Gwinnett  School of Mathematics, Science, & Technology/Duluth High School/Berkeley Lake Elementary School/Duluth Middle School/New Life Academy of Excellence

The city itself is really quite small, but its outskirts are densely populated, giving it a widespread feel. Its metro population totals 5.7 million people with a median age of 36. This younger age bracket gives the city the energy needed to keep up with an ever growing economy and many digital and tech-based vocations. The average unemployment rate is 3.7% and the average annual salary is $51,390. The job market is widespread ranging from Fortune 500 companies all the way down to accommodations and food service.

Delta Air Lines Inc., The Home Depot, and The Coca-Cola Company–all three of these Fortune 500 companies call Atlanta their home. Technology related companies like NCR, EVO Payments, Cotiviti, PGi, and Cardlytics help Atlanta to be among the fastest growing technological sectors. This kind of technology is needed in the booming entertainment industry, as well. Turner Studios, Tyler Perry Studios, Pinewood Atlanta Studios, and EUE/Screen Gems Studios are all located in the Atlanta area, and have plans to record multiple productions. These productions will require dozens of skilled workforce both to man and produce.

Employing roughly 300,000 people, the healthcare and social assistance organizations continue to rate high on the job market list.  Nursing Aid salaries approximate between $23,000 and $32,000 depending on training, certification, position, and tenure. Second in employment volume is accommodation and food services.  This area employs 259,100 people specializing as waiters, waitresses, caterers, and hospitality staff.  Administrative, Support, Waste Management, and Remediation Services secure 226,200 jobs and pay salaries between $20,000 and $32,000 annually.

Top overall companies to work for in the Atlanta area include CNN, The Home Depot, Invesco, SunTrust Banks, First Data, Mercedes-Benz USA, King & Spalding, Cumulus Media, and the American Cancer Society.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution gathered information from 41,000 metro-workers to analyze what large, midsized, and small companies topped the list of “best place to work” in Atlanta.  Of the companies surveyed, 22 large-sized, 63, mid-sized, and 65-small sized Atlanta based companies made the cut.

Top 10 large-sized companies (those having over 500 employees)

• Arrow Exterminators
• Woodward Academy
• Salesforce
• Panda Restaurant Group
• One Trust
• A.G. Rhodes
• Primerica, Inc.
• Resurgens Orthopaedics
•  T-Mobile USA
• Penske Automotive Group

Top 10 mid-sized companies (those having 149-499 employees)

• Dorsey Alston, Realtors
• Integrated Financial Group, inc.
• SalesLoft, Inc.
• Wesleyan School, inc.
• Silverton Mortgage
• BH Management, LLC
• Real Floors, inc.
• Edward Jones
• Preferred Apartment Communities
• Windham Brannon

Top 10 small-sized companies (149 or fewer employees)

• Supreme Lending Southeast Region
• Power Home Remodeling
• CLA
• Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP
• Saint Thomas More Catholic School
• SEI-Atlanta, LLC
• Smith & Howard, P.C.
• Charter Global, Inc
• Orasi Software, Inc
• Veristor Systems

Major healthcare systems provide great job opportunities for medical professionals.  Here is a list of five of the best healthcare service providers in the Atlanta area.

Competing fairly for the industry and location, Gentiva Health Services rates at the top of the list for best healthcare systems to work for.  The average employee receives an annual salary of $56,000.  Gentivia provides home health, hospice, and community care services.

With a Zippia score of 4.5, Emory Healthcare is the largest health care system in Georgia, employing 17,000 employees, and takes the second place spot for best health care jobs in the Atlanta area.  Average employee salaries are $44,900 annually, based on training, certification, position, and tenure.  Most employees stay for an average of three and a half years.  The system’s annual revenue is $5.5 billion!

Northside Hospital, ranked third on the list of best health care systems, is a network of hospitals and medical facilities in the metropolitan area.  The average employee makes $46,300 annually and stays at this location for 3.2 years.  This system specializes in oncology, gynecology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, and gastroenterology.

Transcend Services, with a Zippia score of 4.4 and a ranking of 4th on the list, provides transcription and clinical documentation services to the healthcare industry nationwide.  Many employees are graduates of Georgia State University and make an average of $61,991 annually.  Headquartered in Atlanta, this company employs 2,783 professionals.

A special service for the seniors living in the Atlanta area, Canterbury Court is a small health care organization of 60 employees and an annual revenue of $30 million.  Canterbury caters to the retirement community.

Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Dream…what do they all have in common? They are Atlanta’s professional sports teams! Playing in the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium from 1966-1996, Turner Field from 1997-2016, and Truist Park from 2017 to the present, the Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team.

Representing Atlanta in the NFL, the Falcons coached by Dan Quinn play in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the NFC South division.

Coached by Lloyd Price and cheered for in the State Farm Arena, the Atlanta Hawks compete in the NBA as a member of the Eastern Conference Southeast Division.

The Atlanta Dream is the Women’s NBA team founded in 2008. They play their home games in the State Farm Arena and are coached by Nicki Collen.

Racing fans gather at the Atlanta Motor Speedway to watch world class NASCAR racers race at top speeds around a 1.54 mile track. It has annually hosted NASCAR Cup Series stock car races since it was founded in 1960.

• Alliance Theatre – musical, dramas, and shows to enjoy 
• Atlanta Beltline – miles of biking, hiking, and running trails to explore
• Centennial Olympic Park – Fountain of Rings splash pad, iconic Olympic Rings, picnic areas
• Chick-Fil-A College Football Hall of Fame – ultimate football fan experience
• Children’s Museum of Atlanta – hands on exhibits, 3,000 sq. ft. of amazing learning
• Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum – Oval Office replica
• Legoland Discovery Center of Atlanta – world’s largest box of LEGO bricks
• Six Flags over Georgia – dozens of roller coasters and heart-pounding rides
• Tiny Doors – tiny 6-inch doors scattered throughout neighborhoods and attractions used for scavenger hunts
• Zoo Atlanta – the nation’s only panda twins, true-to-life habitats for animals

• Murals & Public Art – vibrant displays of street art and community events
• Porsche Experience Center Atlanta – feel the power of these luxury cars both on and off the track
• Skyview Atlanta – gondola ride to experience the city from 20 stories high

• Atlanta Magic Theater – card shows, magic tricks, evening with Peter Morrison’s marvel
• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – awe inspiring sounds of classics or film scores
• Fernbank Museum – close and personal with the dinosaurs
• Historic Oakland Cemetery – a scenic resting place for more than 70,000 residents and Atlanta legends
• World of Coca-Cola – a worldwide taste of the classic cola

Education in Atlanta:

Based on rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with many student and alumni reviews, here is a list of top colleges in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  

• Emory College 
  • $26,804 a year
  • 58% students receive financial aid
  • 6,985 undergrads
  • Evening degree options
  • Popular majors are business, nursing, and biology
• Georgia Institute of Technology
  • $16,950 a year
  • 79% receive financial aid
  • 14,318 undergrads
  • Evening degree options
  • Popular majors-Information Science, Mechanical Engineering, Business
• Spelman College
  • $39,822 a year
  • 100% receive financial aid
  • 2,123 undergrads
  • No evening degree options
  • Popular majors-Psychology, Biology, Political Science and Government
• Georgia State University
  • $14, 501 a year
  • 92% receive financial aid
  • 21,057 undergrads
  • No evening degree options
  • Popular majors-Psychology, Finance, Biology