All house hunters have a list of criteria for their new home: garage, big back yard, three bedrooms, etc. Also on many lists are area schools, crime rate and neighbors.
Taking those latter criteria — and more — into account, Niche.com ranked the quality and stability of an area’s real estate market to determine the best places to live in each state.
In Georgia, three of the top five cities are in Gwinnett County, and one is near Athens. Let’s start with No. 5, which is in Fayette County.
No. 5: Tyrone
“Living in Tyrone has been very nice and peaceful. The people are very friendly and polite,” one resident wrote in a five-star review of the area. “The school system in this county is very great. I cant wait for my children to attend.”
Of Niche’s 451 best places to buy a house in Georgia, Tyrone ranked fifth. It is also No. 5 of 164 best suburbs to buy a house in the Peach State, and the ninth best suburb to live in.
Median home value, according to Niche, is $286,500, and median rent is $999. Most people in Tyrone, 85%, own their homes.
Niche gave Tyrone an overall grade of A+. The area received an A+ for “good for families,” as well. Public schools, housing and diversity were given an A, while nightlife and crime and safety scored a B.
No. 4: Grayson
“Living in Grayson, GA is great,” one resident wrote four months ago. “The area is very diverse and there are great schools here. Also, all types of restaurants and places for entertainment are no more than 20 minutes away.”
In addition to being the fourth best place to buy a house, this Gwinnett County area was No. 4 of 164 best suburbs to buy a house in the Peach State, and the sixth best place to raise a family.
Median home value, according to Niche, is $311,700, and median rent is $1,368. Most people in Grayson, 96%, own their homes.
Niche gave Grayson an overall grade of A+. The area received an A+ for “good for families,” as well. Public schools, housing and diversity were given an A, while nightlife scored a C+. No grade was given for crime and safety.
No. 3: Berkeley Lake
“I lived in Berkeley Lake for thirty years it is absolutely one of the finest communities in America,” one former resident wrote of this Gwinnett County city. “Berkeley Lake has a city charter with a Mayor and city council so the city is able to better control its destiny.The Homeowners Association is very involved in keeping the lake itself in wonderful condition for wildlife and the homeowners.Fabulous Memories of the people and the beauty of the Lake.”
In addition to being the No. 3 best place to buy a house, Berkeley Lake was No. 2 of 453 best places to raise a family in Georgia and No. 2 of 164 for best suburbs to raise a family.
Median home value, according to Niche, is $442,000, and median rent is $1,821. Most people in Berkeley Lake, 96%, own their homes.
Niche gave Berkeley Lake an overall grade of A+. The area received an A+ for “good for families,” as well. Public schools and housing were given an A, while nightlife scored a B+ and diversity was given a B. No grade was given for crime and safety.
No. 2: Watkinsville
“An amazing little town where everyone is connected and knows each other well,” a current resident wrote of this Athens suburb. “If anyone ever needs some help, there is always people there to help them out. its a great calm place to live in where nothing bad happens.”
In addition to being the No. 2 best place to buy a house, Watkinsville was No. 2 of 164 for best suburbs to buy a house and No. 7 of 286 for best public schools in Georgia.
Median home value, according to Niche, is $201,100, and median rent is $1,085. The majority of Watkinsville residents, 71%, own their homes.
Niche gave Watkinsville an overall grade of A+. The area received an A+ for “good for families” and for public schools, as well. Housing was given an A, while diversity and crime and safety each received a B. Nightlife was scored a B-.
No. 1: Dacula
“Dacula has a small town feel with friendly people,” one current resident wrote of this Gwinnett County suburb. “It has all the conveniences you need such as grocery stores, retail shops, pharmacies, coffee shops all within the community as well as great parks for exercise and relaxing.”
In addition to being the No. 1 best place to buy a house, Dacula was also No. 1 of 164 for best suburbs to buy a house and No. 18 of 286 for best public schools in Georgia.
Median home value, according to Niche, is $174,700, and median rent is $1,327. The majority of Dacula residents, 74%, own their homes.
Niche gave Dacula an overall grade of A. The area received an A for “good for families,” for public schools, for diversity and for housing, as well. Nightlife was scored a B-, and there was no grade for crime and safety.
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