Where are the most affordable places to buy a home in metro Atlanta?

Credit: AJC

Atlanta home prices keep climbing steadily. But just south of I-20, they have skyrocketed. Prices have more than doubled in the past three years in several south Atlanta neighborhoods.

Homes in the metro Atlanta area sold for a median price of $280,000 in the last year, but there are still some ZIP codes where you can find a bargain, according to the AJC 2020 Metro Atlanta Home Sales Report.

Around the six-county metro Atlanta area made up of DeKalb, Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Forsyth and Clayton counties, 71,307 homes were sold from May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020, according to Smart Real Estate Data of Marietta.

The median price of a home in the metro area rose 4.5 percent from the same 12-month period a year earlier.

Steep changes in year-over-year data may reflect the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the number of homes listed and sold beginning in March 2020. Sales numbers recorded before the pandemic show median home prices for the six-county metro area rose 3.8 percent when compared to the same 12-month period a year earlier.

The median price is considered the best reflection of what consumers will find in the marketplace. Median price indicates that half the homes were priced above and half below the midpoint. An average number can be distorted by a few wildly expensive or very inexpensive home sales.

According to the AJC’s 2020 Home Sales Report, these are the five most affordable ZIP codes in metro Atlanta based on median sales price:

1. 30297 ZIP code - $90,500

In the year that ended April 30, 200 homes sold in 30297 ZIP code, which includes the areas of: Lake, Forest Park and Conley

The median sales price of $90,500 is an increase of 19.9 percent from the previous year.

Of all homes sold in this ZIP code for the year, the median price per square foot was $75.

2. 30274 ZIP code - $120,650

In the year that ended April 30, 351 homes sold in 30274 ZIP code, which includes the area of: Riverdale

The median sales price of $120,650 is an increase of 14.9 percent from the previous year.

Of all homes sold in this ZIP code for the year, the median price per square foot was $78.

3. 30288 ZIP code - $130,000

In the year that ended April 30, 62 homes sold in 30288 ZIP code, which includes the area of: Conley

The median sales price of $130,000 is an increase of 8.4 percent from the previous year.

Of all homes sold in this ZIP code for the year, the median price per square foot was $79.

4. 30260 ZIP code - $135,000

In the year that ended April 30, 313 homes sold in 30260 ZIP code, which includes the areas of: Forest Park, Morrow and Lake

The median sales price of $135,000 is an increase of 8 percent from the previous year.

Of all homes sold in this ZIP code for the year, the median price per square foot was $81.

5. 30273 ZIP code - $145,000

In the year that ended April 30, 270 homes sold in 30273 ZIP code, which includes the area of: Rex

The median sales price of $145,000 is an increase of 10.7 percent from the previous year.

Of all homes sold in this ZIP code for the year, the median price per square foot was $88.

Since 1996, Smart Real Estate Data has been a widely regarded source for residential real estate data in the Southeast. The business provides data to builders, developers, appraisers and bankers. It now covers markets in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas.

This article was generated automatically by AJC Bot, a computer software application that analyzed structured information, such as data, and applied it to text articles based on templates that were created by AJC writers and editors. An AJC editor reviewed the work before publishing. You can report errors or bugs to homesalesreport@coxinc.com. For more: How the AJC Bot was used for articles in the AJC 2020 Metro Atlanta Home Sales Report.

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