CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.86° N · 84.34° W · GEOID 1310944

Brookhaven

DeKalb County, Georgia · part of the Atlanta, GA metro

GeorgiaBrookhaven, GABrookhavenBrookhaven

The short answer

Brookhaven is home to 57,855 people. Median household income is $117,663 a year and median rent is $1,882 a month, 19.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $692,700, about 5.9x annual median household income.

Brookhaven's housing market sets it apart. Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,259 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 94% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 166 Georgia places we track. Also notable: 29% of workers skip the commute by working from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 76% of places.

63OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Brookhaven scores better than 63% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 32nd of 165 in Georgia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%37
Economy 20%83
Safety 20%31
Amenities 15%43
Education 10%95
Commute 10%49
Growth 5%70
Median gross rent
$1,882
38% above the median place
Median household income
$117,663
47% above the median place
Median home value
$692,700
117% above the median place
Unemployment
3.2%
34% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Brookhaven

DeKalb County loses about 13.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in51,159
Moved out58,881
Net−7,722

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Fulton County, GA11,96812,335−367
Gwinnett County, GA7,1629,843−2,681
Cobb County, GA2,4883,337−849
Clayton County, GA2,6553,085−430
Rockdale County, GA1,2611,957−696
Henry County, GA1,2171,955−738
Newton County, GA7151,471−756

Within Georgia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within GeorgiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$69K
Leavers$73K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of DeKalb County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
10.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into DeKalb County report $68,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $72,500, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$75,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,882 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,141 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $692,700.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 29.5% work from home; 3.2% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Short Pump, VA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
10.5%
83% above the median place
Moved from another state1
3.4%
73% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-13.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBrookhavenAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year110.5%83% above
Moved from another state13.4%73% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-13.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$68,6423% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$72,5113% above
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $97,200 a year, more than in 83% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Brookhaven19.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$75,280
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.2%
6% below the median place
Home price to income
5.9x
55% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$97,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Brookhaven, $1,882 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Brookhaven, but easier on the budget

Places that match Brookhaven on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Short Pump, VA9316.0% vs 19.2%$22,400Compare
Bentonville, AR8114.3% vs 19.2%$5,300Compare
Cary, NC8015.5% vs 19.2%$20,300Compare
Creve Coeur, MO7715.3% vs 19.2%$12,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Brookhaven.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Brookhaven? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$692,700
117% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,141
68% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$6,537
100% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureBrookhavenAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,88238% above
Rent to income119.2%6% below
Property tax rate10.9%3% above
Home price to income15.9x55% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure100.11% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,7629% above
HUD area median income4County figure$117,80010% above
Property tax paid (median)1$6,537100% above
Median home value1$692,700117% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure0.7%78% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure41.4%20% below
Homeownership152.6%21% below
Renters paying 30%+146.2%9% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,14168% above
Vacant homes111.8%66% above
Median year built119941% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment averaged 3.2% over the survey period, lower than in 90% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Works from home1
29.5%
137% above the median place
Income per person1
$74,759
87% above the median place
Unemployment1
3.2%
34% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$117,663 +47%
Commutes by transit3.2% 3.8×
Poverty rate10.3% −5%
Mean commute25 min +1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBrookhavenAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$117,66347% above
Income per person1$74,75987% above
Unemployment13.2%34% below
Average annual pay6County figure$79,86821% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.1%38% above
Jobs6County figure312,426107% above
Poverty rate110.3%5% below
Mean commute125 min1% above
Works from home129.5%137% above
Commutes by transit13.2%278% above
04

Who lives here

71% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 96% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Bachelor's or higher1
70.9%
121% above the median place
No health insurance1
13.4%
109% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
96.5%
4% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age34.1 −13%
Born abroad21.1% 2.4×
Household size2.4 −6%
High school or higher91.1% −1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureBrookhavenAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population157,855748th largest
Population change since 202075.1%345% above
Median age134.113% below
Bachelor's or higher170.9%121% above
High school or higher191.1%1% below
Household size12.46% below
Born abroad121.1%140% above
No health insurance113.4%109% above
Homes with broadband196.5%4% above
05

Life in Brookhaven

The nearest National Park Service site is Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, about 8 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 2012. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents5.7 −44%
Playgrounds per 10k2.8 −71%
Grocery stores per 10k1.6 −26%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k10.2 −9%
Libraries per 10k0.3 −60%
Named paths and bike trails12 km 5.8×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.8 3.9×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area 8 miles
  • Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park 8 miles
  • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park 16 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.4 +3%
Shops28.6 −6%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.2 +27%
Doctors' offices and clinics23.1 +14%
Child care centers2.6 +13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
8.0
74% below the median place
Students per teacher13
13.4
13% below the median place
Public schools13
6
33% below the median place
All 17 schools and local life measures
MeasureBrookhavenAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13633% below
Public school students134,8281% below
Students per teacher1313.413% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.43% above
Shops per 10k9County figure28.66% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure5.227% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure23.114% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.613% above
Parks per 10k105.744% below
Playgrounds per 10k102.871% below
Grocery stores per 10k101.626% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1010.29% below
Libraries per 10k100.360% below
Named paths and bike trails1011.7above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.8290% above
Nearest National Park Service site118.074% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles114100% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 257, 34% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
257
34% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,984
64% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Annual precipitation14
52.1 in
19% above the median place
Tornado risk15
96.1
18% above the median place
Average temperature14
62°F
12% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBrookhavenAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure90°F3% above
January average low14County figure33°F31% above
Average temperature14County figure62°F12% above
Annual precipitation14County figure52.1 in19% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure94.32% above
Hurricane risk15County figure72.63% above
Tornado risk15County figure96.118% above
Wildfire risk15County figure43.729% below
Heat wave risk15County figure92.53% above
Median air quality index16County figure479% above
Good air days16County figure58.4%15% below
08

Brookhaven in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 19% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Brookhaven does better than 37% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 35%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,882/mo (2024)$2,420/mo$1,990 to $2,950/mo+4.3%
Median household income$117,663 (2024)$149,000$126,000 to $176,500+4.0%
Median home value$692,700 (2024)$983,000$714,000 to $1,355,000+6.0%
Population59,643 (2025)61,72059,200 to 64,340+0.7%

The median home would be worth 6.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Brookhaven

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Washington, DC$1,954$109,870Compare
Dunwoody, GA$1,859$121,903Compare
Sandy Springs, GA$1,870$104,340Compare
Princeton Meadows, NJ$2,010$131,213Compare
Princeton Meadows, NJSandy Springs, GADunwoody, GAWashington, DCBrookhaven, GABrookhavenWashingtonDunwoodySandy SpringsPrinceton MeadowsBrookhavenWashingtonDunwoodySandy SpringsPrinceton Meadows

Places built like Brookhaven

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Brookhaven performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Brookhaven, GA19.2%4.9%/yr5.1%
Dunwoody, GA18.3%4.9%/yr0.3%Compare
Smyrna, GA20.9%5.5%/yr2.4%Compare
Sandy Springs, GA21.5%5.8%/yr-2.9%Compare
Short Pump, VA16.0%5.3%/yrn/aCompare
Reston, VA18.0%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Peachtree Corners, GA24.9%2.9%/yr0.6%Compare

Common questions

Is Brookhaven a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 63 out of 100, better than 63% of the places we rate and 32nd of 165 in Georgia. On cost, space and class size it scores 34 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Brookhaven expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $692,700.

What salary do you need to live in Brookhaven?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $75,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Brookhaven safe?

There were 257 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Brookhaven?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Washington, DC, Dunwoody, GA, Sandy Springs, GA and Princeton Meadows, NJ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Brookhaven with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Brookhaven itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/brookhaven-georgia

Citytistics. “Brookhaven, Georgia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/brookhaven-georgia/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.