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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Georgia where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Tyrone, GA
- St. Simons, GA
- Braselton, GA
- Bremen, GA
- Milton, GA
- Decatur, GA
- Evans, GA
- Whitemarsh Island, GA
- Holly Springs, GA
- Pooler, GA
These are the happiest places in Georgia. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Georgia?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 155 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Tyrone
Population: 7,221
Earners Over $75k: 57.2%
Average Commute: 29
Marriage Rate: 23.0%
Tyrone is the happiest city in all of Georgia. What makes Tyrone residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Tyrone resident only drives 29.7 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Tyrone residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. St. Simons
Population: 14,302
Earners Over $75k: 57.8%
Average Commute: 18
Marriage Rate: 24.0%
In 2nd place we have St. Simons. Residents of St. Simons are highly educated, with an impressive 59.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in St. Simons have plenty of them.
3. Braselton
Population: 10,509
Earners Over $75k: 65.1%
Average Commute: 33
Marriage Rate: 19.0%
Braselton is the third happiest city in Georgia. Why so happy? 19.0% of Braselton residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Bremen
Population: 6,311
Earners Over $75k: 39.1%
Average Commute: 23
Marriage Rate: 38.0%
Folks in Bremen have a lot to smile about. An impressive 39.1% of Bremen households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Bremen can afford peace of mind.
5. Milton
Population: 38,171
Earners Over $75k: 69.7%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 9.0%
Milton is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Milton residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Georgia city is only $534,400), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Decatur
Population: 23,054
Earners Over $75k: 58.2%
Average Commute: 26
Marriage Rate: 10.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Decatur a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 58.2% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Decatur home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Evans
Population: 34,379
Earners Over $75k: 67.6%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 18.0%
Evans is the 7th happiest city. Evans residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 28.7 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Whitemarsh Island
Population: 7,058
Earners Over $75k: 46.8%
Average Commute: 20
Marriage Rate: 16.0%
Whitemarsh Island residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Holly Springs
Population: 11,469
Earners Over $75k: 62.7%
Average Commute: 38
Marriage Rate: 20.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Georgia is Holly Springs. The average commute in Holly Springs is only 38.5 minutes. That means they are only 38.5 minutes away from the loving spouse 20.0% of them have.
10. Pooler
Population: 23,102
Earners Over $75k: 52.3%
Average Commute: 22
Marriage Rate: 23.0%
In 10th place is Pooler, Georgia. What makes Pooler so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Georgia
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyrone | 57.2% |
| 2 | St. Simons | 57.8% |
| 3 | Braselton | 65.1% |
| 4 | Bremen | 39.1% |
| 5 | Milton | 69.7% |
| 6 | Decatur | 58.2% |
| 7 | Evans | 67.6% |
| 8 | Whitemarsh Island | 46.8% |
| 9 | Holly Springs | 62.7% |
| 10 | Pooler | 52.3% |
| 11 | Alpharetta | 64.7% |
| 12 | Richmond Hill | 46.2% |
| 13 | Wilmington Island | 51.9% |
| 14 | Jefferson | 35.5% |
| 15 | Port Wentworth | 56.5% |
| 16 | Johns Creek | 68.6% |
| 17 | Peachtree City | 61.0% |
| 18 | Druid Hills | 67.4% |
| 19 | Newnan | 42.9% |
| 20 | Villa Rica | 37.6% |
| 21 | Dunwoody | 61.2% |
| 22 | Skidaway Island | 62.4% |
| 23 | Byron | 36.1% |
| 24 | Sugar Hill | 55.0% |
| 25 | Georgetown | 39.6% |
| 26 | Rincon | 38.4% |
| 27 | Martinez | 45.6% |
| 28 | Grovetown | 37.7% |
| 29 | Suwanee | 58.5% |
| 30 | Centerville | 35.3% |
| 31 | St. Marys | 40.5% |
| 32 | Brookhaven | 54.7% |
| 33 | Roswell | 57.0% |
| 34 | Loganville | 41.3% |
| 35 | Flowery Branch | 42.3% |
| 36 | Mountain Park | 48.4% |
| 37 | Woodstock | 47.6% |
| 38 | Carrollton | 26.1% |
| 39 | Sandy Springs | 49.0% |
| 40 | Calhoun | 23.9% |
| 41 | Waynesboro | 21.8% |
| 42 | Cartersville | 28.5% |
| 43 | Vinings | 54.6% |
| 44 | Fayetteville | 46.6% |
| 45 | Mableton | 43.4% |
| 46 | Dahlonega | 29.2% |
| 47 | Smyrna | 49.2% |
| 48 | Locust Grove | 32.2% |
| 49 | Warner Robins | 30.7% |
| 50 | Buford | 35.6% |
| 51 | Acworth | 39.0% |
| 52 | North Decatur | 50.7% |
| 53 | Glennville | 27.9% |
| 54 | Peachtree Corners | 44.8% |
| 55 | North Druid Hills | 43.8% |
| 56 | Perry | 24.0% |
| 57 | Gainesville | 25.1% |
| 58 | Kingsland | 33.0% |
| 59 | Thomasville | 20.9% |
| 60 | Stockbridge | 37.1% |
| 61 | Cusseta-Chattahoochee County Unified Government | 26.2% |
| 62 | Bainbridge | 18.2% |
| 63 | Rome | 24.5% |
| 64 | Dalton | 22.1% |
| 65 | Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (Balance) | 24.6% |
| 66 | Fairburn | 25.3% |
| 67 | Powder Springs | 39.9% |
| 68 | Duluth | 41.3% |
| 69 | Columbus | 28.1% |
| 70 | Snellville | 47.7% |
| 71 | Marietta | 37.6% |
| 72 | Douglasville | 34.1% |
| 73 | Sandersville | 23.0% |
| 74 | Norcross | 32.6% |
| 75 | Atlanta | 38.7% |
| 76 | Kennesaw | 45.2% |
| 77 | Mcdonough | 32.1% |
| 78 | Lilburn | 32.4% |
| 79 | Tifton | 19.2% |
| 80 | Hawkinsville | 22.7% |
| 81 | Savannah | 25.5% |
| 82 | Commerce | 26.1% |
| 83 | Vidalia | 21.2% |
| 84 | Sylvester | 30.8% |
| 85 | Chamblee | 38.9% |
| 86 | Covington | 23.5% |
| 87 | Auburn | 32.0% |
| 88 | Canton | 33.3% |
| 89 | Lagrange | 20.1% |
| 90 | Country Club Estates | 23.5% |
| 91 | Valdosta | 20.3% |
| 92 | Jesup | 19.4% |
| 93 | Dacula | 43.0% |
| 94 | Cordele | 15.2% |
| 95 | Adel | 20.5% |
| 96 | Americus | 17.8% |
| 97 | Dallas | 21.5% |
| 98 | Austell | 29.6% |
| 99 | Hampton | 32.0% |
| 100 | Albany | 18.6% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
