City profile · Georgia · Census ACS 2023

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

126,987
Residents
$51,655
Median income
$271,800
Median home
$1,331
Median rent (state)

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) - the verdict

Nationally, Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) sits in the 22nd percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

22nd
percentile, household income
60th
percentile, home value
48th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA

126,987 people live in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), Georgia - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $51,655 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 12.7%. Home values in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) run a median of $271,800, and the median resident age is 29.2 years. Educational attainment runs 48.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Georgia run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Georgia scores 96.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,331 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Georgia's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Workers in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) report an average commute of 18.3 minutes, with 72.0% driving alone and 11.9% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 67.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).

Population

126,987 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Georgia

Median Household Income

$51,655 /yr

Poverty 12.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Georgia average

How does Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) compare to other US cities?

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 22% higher than other cities
Home value 60% pricier than other cities
Median rent 48% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance)'s value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Georgia, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

22ndIncome percentile

22nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance)'s home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$271,800 40th percentile more affordable than 40% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA median $51,655/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 48.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
126,987
Median Income
$51,655
Median Home Value
$271,800
Median Age
29.2
Poverty Rate
12.7%
Labor force participation
59.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
48.7%

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
127,000 residents128,000 residents129,000 residents130,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 127,283 residents 128,612 residents ▲ +1.0%
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance)'s Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
18.3 minutes
Drive Alone
72.0%
Carpool
7.8%
Public Transit
2.1%
Walk
4.5%
Work from Home
11.9%
Other
1.7%

Based on 62,216 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Georgia - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$125
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Georgia state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Georgia state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) sits in

Cost of Living Index
96.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,331/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
67.0 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Georgia

South Fulton
109,157 people
Sandy Springs
107,198 people
Savannah
147,546 people
Macon-Bibb County
156,543 people
Roswell
92,577 people
Johns Creek
82,115 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance)'s 126,987 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Abilene, TX
127,130 people
Columbia, MO
127,200 people
Lehigh Acres, FL
127,391 people
Topeka, KS
126,103 people
Pearland, TX
125,983 people
Simi Valley, CA
125,769 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance)'s $51,655 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Fowler, IN
$51,654 median income
Pine City, MN
$51,654 median income
Malott, WA
$51,658 median income
La Croft, OH
$51,650 median income
Drayton, SC
$51,650 median income
Gold Beach, OR
$51,662 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 57.6% 26.2% 8.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 11.5% White 57.6% Black or African American 26.2% Asian 4.3% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.5% Two or more races 8.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) compares to nearby Georgia cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) (this city) 126,987 $51,655
South Fulton 109,157 $81,798
Sandy Springs 107,198 $101,593
Savannah 147,546 $56,782
Census ACS 5-year FIPS GA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA?

What is the population of Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA? +

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA counts 126,987 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA? +

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) households earn a median of $51,655 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance)? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance); the closest available measure is the Georgia state average, a cost of living index of 96.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Georgia vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA? +

Homes in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) carry a median value of $271,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.