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These Are The 10 Smartest Cities In Georgia

By John McLean
Feb. 2, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on:

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Top 10 Smartest Cities in Georgia for 2026

When considering a new location or workplace, the intelligence of the surrounding community is a significant factor. A city’s intellectual climate can greatly enhance the professional experience, influencing both company culture and employee satisfaction.

Identifying a city with a highly educated population is advantageous for companies and job seekers alike. To help you with this search, Zippia highlights the top cities in Georgia that exemplify intellectual excellence.

But how do we determine which cities rank as the smartest? We analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau, focusing on educational attainment and dropout rates among young adults.

Our assessment looked at the percentage of adults aged 25 and older who possess at least a high school diploma, along with dropout rates for individuals aged 16 to 20. This analysis covered the 127 largest cities in Georgia, leading us to compile a list of the top contenders for the title of “Smartest City in Georgia.”

  1. Pooler
  2. Alpharetta
  3. Suwanee
  4. Kennesaw
  5. St. Marys
  6. Johns Creek
  7. Decatur
  8. Rincon
  9. Duluth
  10. Dunwoody

Continue reading to discover the factors that contribute to these cities’ success, or scroll to the end for a comprehensive chart of all analyzed locations.

How We Determined the Smartest Places in Georgia

To identify the smartest cities, we analyzed locations with populations exceeding 5,000 and comprehensive data availability. This left us with 127 cities to examine.

Our criteria included:

  • The percentage of adults (25+) with at least a high school diploma.
  • The percentage of high school dropouts (ages 16-20).

Data for this analysis was sourced from the latest American Community Survey conducted by the Census Bureau. We believe these criteria effectively illustrate the educational landscape of each city and its potential for fostering future generations’ educational achievements. Given that around 80% of students currently graduate from high school, we set a realistic benchmark for our analysis.

To rank the cities, we assigned a score from one to 127 for each criterion, with one being the highest in each category. The final ranking reflected the average across all criteria, with the top scorer earning the title of “Smartest City in Georgia.”

If your town isn’t on the list, check the detailed chart at the end of the article for additional insights on Georgia’s cities.

1. Pooler

Population: 20,646
Adults Without High School Diploma: 5.3%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.0%

Pooler leads as the smartest city in Georgia, boasting an impressive 5.3% of adults without a high school diploma and virtually no teenage dropouts.

2. Alpharetta

Population: 60,903
Adults Without High School Diploma: 3.2%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.6%

With a population exceeding 60,000, Alpharetta secures the second spot thanks to its low dropout rates and a strong educational foundation.

3. Suwanee

Population: 16,648
Adults Without High School Diploma: 6.3%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.0%

Suwanee takes third place, boasting nearly no high school dropouts and a commendable adult diploma rate.

4. Kennesaw

Population: 31,358
Adults Without High School Diploma: 5.5%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.9%

Kennesaw ranks fourth with solid educational metrics, including a low high school dropout rate.

5. St. Marys

Population: 17,555
Adults Without High School Diploma: 7.1%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.0%

The residents of St. Marys shine with a low dropout rate and a commendable high school diploma statistic.

6. Johns Creek

Population: 80,979
Adults Without High School Diploma: 4.1%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 1.9%

Johns Creek ranks sixth, demonstrating a strong commitment to education with minimal dropouts.

7. Decatur

Population: 19,888
Adults Without High School Diploma: 4.7%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 1.8%

Decatur’s educational achievements continue to impress, landing them in the seventh spot with low dropout rates.

8. Rincon

Population: 9,273
Adults Without High School Diploma: 9.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.0%

Rincon defies stereotypes with its low dropout rate, securing eighth place on our list.

9. Duluth

Population: 27,821
Adults Without High School Diploma: 8.6%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.4%

Duluth rounds out the top nine with a strong educational foundation and low dropout rates.

10. Dunwoody

Population: 47,182
Adults Without High School Diploma: 6.1%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 1.4%

Dunwoody takes the tenth position, with commendable statistics demonstrating its commitment to education.

Wrapping Up Georgia’s Smartest Cities

These ten cities represent the pinnacle of educational achievement in Georgia. Their impressive statistics reflect a commitment to education that benefits residents and attracts businesses. For further insights into cities across the U.S., visit Zippia.

Detailed List of Smartest Cities in Georgia

City Rank Population Adults Without High School Diploma Teenage High School Drop Outs
Pooler 1 20,646 5.3% 0.0%
Alpharetta 2 60,903 3.2% 0.6%
Suwanee 3 16,648 6.3% 0.0%
Kennesaw 4 31,358 5.5% 0.9%
St. Marys 5 17,555 7.1% 0.0%
Johns Creek 6 80,979 4.1% 1.9%
Decatur 7 19,888 4.7% 1.8%
Rincon 8 9,273 9.0% 0.0%
Duluth 9 27,821 8.6% 0.4%
Dunwoody 10 47,182 6.1% 1.4%
Braselton 11 8,212 9.3% 0.0%
Port Wentworth 12 6,189 9.7% 0.0%
Centerville 13 7,468 10.5% 0.0%
Dahlonega 14 5,884 10.5% 0.3%
Stone Mountain 15 5,924 11.4% 0.0%
Milton 16 34,874 2.0% 4.6%
Roswell 17 92,364 6.7% 3.1%
Jefferson 18 9,630 12.9% 0.0%
Holly Springs 19 9,678 5.6% 4.6%
Barnesville 20 6,617 14.5% 0.0%
Kingsland 21 16,147 7.1% 3.2%
Douglasville 22 31,573 10.4% 2.0%
Powder Springs 23 14,271 12.3% 1.6%
Tyrone 24 7,028 6.6% 5.2%
Peachtree City 25 34,701 5.2% 5.7%
Flowery Branch 26 6,012 4.5% 5.9%
Acworth 27 21,169 9.9% 3.2%
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) 28 118,514 14.5% 1.1%
Statesboro 29 29,630 14.1% 1.8%
Hinesville 30 34,253 8.8% 4.6%
Woodstock 31 25,672 4.9% 6.7%
Sugar Hill 32 19,688 10.6% 5.0%
Riverdale 33 15,496 18.2% 0.0%
Grovetown 34 12,179 18.5% 0.0%
Peachtree Corners 35 39,381 6.5% 7.3%
Atlanta 36 440,641 11.6% 4.8%
Villa Rica 37 14,266 14.3% 3.7%
Folkston 38 5,233 17.9% 1.1%
McDonough 39 22,560 9.6% 5.8%
LaFayette 40 7,105 18.2% 1.1%
Cumming 41 5,538 17.9% 1.6%
Sandy Springs 42 98,480 5.5% 8.9%
Auburn 43 7,388 17.4% 2.1%
Cusseta-Chattahoochee County unified government 44 11,846 7.0% 8.2%
Brookhaven 45 50,181 12.6% 5.6%
Stockbridge 46 26,992 11.5% 6.0%
McRae 47 5,762 21.2% 0.0%
Columbus 48 198,247 14.5% 5.3%
Newnan 49 34,457 14.4% 5.6%
Warner Robins 50 71,359 12.0% 6.2%
Fitzgerald 51 9,054 19.8% 1.3%
Snellville 52 18,939 7.0% 9.3%
Fort Oglethorpe 53 9,368 17.9% 3.3%
Hampton 54 7,092 17.9% 4.0%
Carrollton 55 25,138 21.9% 0.7%
Lovejoy 56 6,433 12.9% 7.1%
Valdosta 57 56,324 17.2% 5.3%
Sandersville 58 5,839 19.7% 2.8%
Hawkinsville 59 5,588 21.1% 1.5%
Fayetteville 60 16,323 6.9% 11.7%
Union City 61 20,200 15.4% 6.9%
Dallas 62 12,129 15.4% 7.1%
Eatonton 63 6,489 24.1% 0.6%
Smyrna 64 52,922 9.7% 10.8%
Conyers 65 15,456 17.6% 5.7%
Savannah 66 141,298 14.4% 8.5%
Tifton 67 16,589 25.1% 0.2%
Loganville 68 10,711 18.4% 5.4%
East Point 69 35,070 16.5% 7.1%
Waycross 70 14,363 21.0% 3.5%
Richmond Hill 71 10,334 8.3% 12.8%
Perry 72 14,714 13.8% 9.1%
Americus 73 16,557 22.5% 2.8%
Glennville 74 5,166 22.5% 3.0%
Fort Valley 75 9,448 24.4% 1.2%
Milledgeville 76 18,840 20.2% 5.6%
Eastman 77 5,442 20.5% 5.5%
Winder 78 14,495 22.8% 3.3%
Lilburn 79 12,162 19.5% 6.0%
Monroe 80 13,427 24.8% 2.7%
Douglas 81 11,738 24.1% 3.1%
Morrow 82 6,837 23.3% 4.0%
Garden City 83 8,924 20.2% 6.2%
Vidalia 84 10,596 17.2% 9.5%
Lawrenceville 85 29,364 19.3% 7.8%
Marietta 86 58,436 15.0% 12.5%
Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance) 87 196,551 16.4% 11.0%
Dublin 88 16,200 16.5% 11.4%
Hapeville 89 6,611 22.4% 6.6%
Thomasville 90 18,558 19.3% 8.9%
Brunswick 91 15,648 22.5% 6.5%
Austell 92 6,944 16.9% 12.8%
Albany 93 76,946 21.6% 8.0%
Forest Park 94 18,783 33.2% 1.4%
Clarkston 95 7,717 37.0% 1.0%
Toccoa 96 8,327 15.9% 17.0%
Fairburn 97 13,520 17.6% 14.0%
Thomson 98 6,682 31.7% 2.9%
Cartersville 99 19,858 18.0% 14.9%
Jesup 100 10,275 18.7% 13.1%
Thomaston 101 9,068 27.0% 5.9%
Bainbridge 102 12,600 22.3% 10.2%
Waynesboro 103 5,820 24.0% 8.8%
LaGrange 104 30,138 20.5% 12.8%
Bremen 105 6,204 18.2% 19.1%
Camilla 106 5,078 25.0% 8.7%
Cordele 107 11,177 26.3% 8.0%
College Park 108 14,019 21.7% 13.0%
Adel 109 5,294 25.4% 9.5%
Swainsboro 110 7,431 26.4% 8.7%
Buford 111 12,864 23.5% 12.6%
Canton 112 23,841 23.4% 13.0%
Commerce 113 6,535 25.4% 10.8%
Covington 114 13,342 28.4% 8.5%
Moultrie 115 14,467 27.7% 9.9%
Locust Grove 116 5,573 23.5% 16.1%
Gainesville 117 34,938 27.5% 10.0%
Norcross 118 15,799 29.4% 8.9%
Doraville 119 10,513 39.5% 7.0%
Calhoun 120 15,837 33.3% 8.6%
Sylvester 121 6,180 28.3% 10.9%
Rome 122 36,099 27.4% 12.1%
Griffin 123 23,425 26.0% 16.8%
Dalton 124 33,336 36.3% 12.7%
Chamblee 125 15,835 27.1% 41.8%
Cairo 126 9,750 31.3% 22.2%
Cedartown 127 9,760 38.7% 15.2%
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John McLean

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