This probably isn’t news to people who live there, but Alpharetta is officially a friendly town.

The city in North Fulton County has just been named to Forbes.com’s and Nextdoor.com’s list of the 25 Friendliest Towns of 2012 in the United States.

Dubbed the “City of Celebration,” Alpharetta ranked No. 7 on the list “because it loves to throw events throughout the year.” Among the most popular: the Alpharetta Arts StreetFest, Taste of Alpharetta, an annual parade for war veterans, a “Scarecrow Harvest” in which residents craft and display scarecrows for Fall, and a holiday tree-lighting ceremony. According to Nextdoor, a private social network for neighborhoods, holiday parties, yoga groups, and movie nights are commonly organized in neighborhoods around the town.

Alpharetta is the only Georgia town to make the list. (Eat your heart out, Savannah.)

No 1. is Sammamish, Wash., followed by Orinda, Calif.; and in third place, Fishers, Ind.

To view the full list, visit here.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Fans celebrate in the stands after Cape Verde defeated Eswatini in a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Estádio Nacional in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, to clinch their qualification for the 2026 World Cup. (Cristiano Barbosa/AP)

Credit: AP