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Place dossier plate
SheetGA-DECATUR-GA · Decatur, GA 24,470 pop · income 92nd pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Decatur
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Decatur on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Griffin · lowest
44,021
Griffin · lowest
44,021 median HH income
31.3% of the leader · rank #1
Decatur · this city
140,480
Decatur · this city
140,480 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #2
Cooper Landing · near
140,500
Cooper Landing · near
140,500 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #3
Crossgate · near
140,500
Crossgate · near
140,500 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #4
Weston · near
140,501
Weston · near
140,501 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #5
Laguna Beach · near
140,508
Laguna Beach · near
140,508 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
Buccaneer Bay · highest
140,517
Buccaneer Bay · highest
140,517 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Decatur on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 24,470.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Decatur - the verdict
Nationally, Decatur sits in the 92nd percentile for household income and the 24th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
92nd
percentile, household income
91st
percentile, home value
51st
percentile, median rent
24th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Decatur, GA
Decatur is a small city in Georgia, home to 24,470 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Decatur households earn a median of $140,480 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.3%. Decatur's housing stock carries a median value of $655,900, and the median resident age is 39.6 years. 77.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 388 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1286% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2401.3 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Georgia run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Georgia at 96.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,203 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Georgia run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Decatur workers runs 17.2 minutes, with 50.8% driving alone and 34.5% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 39.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Decatur's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to schools and households to reported crime to population change to comparison shortlist to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Decatur, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, local building permits, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What does the journey to work look like in Decatur?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 50.8%. The reported mean trip to work is 17.2 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 41 public schools within the city match. 77.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Decatur?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2401.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 5% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Which cities make useful reference points for Decatur?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Georgia, the closest population matches are Sugar Hill (25,285 residents, $99,479 income); Griffin (23,650 residents, $44,021 income); Cartersville (23,617 residents, $78,640 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Saginaw, TX (24,467 residents); Zion, IL (24,466 residents); Soledad, CA (24,476 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Decatur growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +359 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 388 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
24,917
2025 estimate
25,276
Period change
+1.4%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in Decatur?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
4.7×
Home value
$655,900
Household income
$140,480
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Georgia average
B+
City profile score · Decatur, GA
79/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A+
77.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income A+
$140,480
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate A-
2.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime C+
133 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living C
96.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Decatur profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 100/100 (A+) · 77.3%
Household income: 93/100 (A+) · $140,480
Poverty rate: 84/100 (A-) · 2.3%
Violent crime: 63/100 (C+) · 133 /100k
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.3 index
Where Decatur sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Decatur's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Decatur highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Decatur, GA (this city): home $655,900, crime 2,401/100k
Saginaw, TX : home $270,300, crime 1,637/100k
Zion, IL : home $179,100, crime 1,446/100k
Soledad, CA : home $571,600, crime 785/100k
Faribault, MN : home $233,900, crime 1,437/100k
Griffin, GA : home $195,100, crime 4,287/100k
Cartersville, GA : home $298,000, crime 1,950/100k
Acworth, GA : home $309,800, crime 1,230/100k
Perry, GA : home $209,300, crime 1,896/100k
Carrollton, GA : home $283,100, crime 1,927/100k
How does Decatur compare to other US cities?
Here's how Decatur stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income92% higher than other cities
Home value91% pricier than other cities
Median rent51% pricier than other cities
Safety24% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Georgia, Decatur ranks #99 of 166 Georgia cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Decatur against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Georgia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Georgia-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Decatur near the bottom of Georgia's cities
Among the 638 Georgia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Decatur ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Decatur only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#11 of 610
98th percentile in Georgia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 638
0th percentile in Georgia
Median Home Value
#6 of 577
99th percentile in Georgia
Poverty Rate
#566 of 637
11th percentile in Georgia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#6 of 638
99th percentile in Georgia
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Georgia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
92nd percentile nationally for median household income · 24th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Decatur's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Decatur's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Decatur's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$655,9009th percentilemore affordable than 9% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Decatur's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,319 of 15,516
More affordable than 21% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,450 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 4.7×, Decatur sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,319 of 15,516 and #2,450 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$140,480Decatur, GA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Decatur, GA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Decatur, GA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)77.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
24,470
Median Income
$140,480
Median Home Value
$655,900
Median Age
39.6
Poverty Rate
2.3%
Labor force participation
63.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
77.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2401.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
132.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2268.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
41
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Decatur's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
24,917 residents
2021
24,386 residents
2022
24,475 residents
2023
24,623 residents
2024
24,666 residents
2025
25,276 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
388
housing units authorized
Single-Family
18
detached homes
Multifamily
370
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
15.9
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
28
21
7
$9.9M
2020
40
40
0
$9.9M
2021
75
57
18
$21.8M
2022
100
38
62
$28.4M
2023
25
25
0
$13.4M
2024
388
18
370
$20.2M
Permit volume increased 1286% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
17.2 minutes
Drive Alone
50.8%
Carpool
2.9%
Public Transit
4.2%
Walk
5.5%
Work from Home
34.5%
Other
2.1%
Based on 11,321 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Georgia statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Georgia at $225 (electricity about $125 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Georgia statewide averages, not a meter reading for Decatur. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Georgia's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Decatur is $1,203/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Georgia statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.5 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Georgia statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Decatur sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Decatur compares to similar-size Georgia cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.