CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.81° N · 84.29° W · GEOID 1356112

North Decatur

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

GeorgiaNorth Decatur, GANorth DecaturNorth Decatur

The short answer

North Decatur is home to 18,442 people. Median household income is $110,871 a year and median rent is $1,913 a month, 20.7% 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 $474,600, about 4.3x annual median household income.

North Decatur stands out on how people work. Unemployment is 6.1%, against 4% in its closest peers. Also notable: Home value growth is 9.9% a year, against 7.1% a year in its closest peers.

74OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

North Decatur scores better than 74% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 18th of 165 in Georgia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%43
Economy 20%53
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%69
Education 10%97
Commute 10%50
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,913
40% above the median place
Median household income
$110,871
38% above the median place
Median home value
$474,600
49% above the median place
Unemployment
6.1%
24% above 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 North Decatur

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
11.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 4.2% 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
$76,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,913 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,507 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $474,600.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 25.4% work from home; 4.1% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Creve Coeur, MO matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
11.4%
99% above the median place
Moved from another state1
4.2%
114% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-13.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureNorth DecaturAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year111.4%99% above
Moved from another state14.2%114% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-13.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$68,6423% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$72,5113% above
02

What it costs to live here

Home values are about 21% lower than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. That can mean good value, or drawbacks these figures do not capture, such as crime, schools or location.

North Decatur20.7%
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
$76,520
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
20.7%
1% above the median place
Home price to income
4.3x
13% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$90,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in North Decatur, $1,913 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 North Decatur, but easier on the budget

Places that match North Decatur 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
Creve Coeur, MO9615.3% vs 20.7%$19,600Compare
Blue Ash, OH9216.2% vs 20.7%$9,800Compare
Rochester, MI8614.5% vs 20.7%$4,300Compare
Ridgefield, CT8215.4% vs 20.7%$38,200Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to North Decatur? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
15.3%
117% above the median place
Homeownership1
54.9%
17% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,507
34% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureNorth DecaturAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,91340% above
Rent to income120.7%1% above
Property tax rate11.0%10% above
Home price to income14.3x13% 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$4,76346% above
Median home value1$474,60049% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure0.7%78% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure41.4%20% below
Homeownership154.9%17% below
Renters paying 30%+156.5%12% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,50734% above
Vacant homes115.3%117% above
Median year built119770% below
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 25.4%, 104% above the median place.

Works from home1
25.4%
104% above the median place
Income per person1
$63,793
59% above the median place
Commutes by transit1
4.1%
384% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$110,871 +38%
Unemployment6.1% +24%
Poverty rate9.7% −10%
Mean commute25 min +0%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureNorth DecaturAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$110,87138% above
Income per person1$63,79359% above
Unemployment16.1%24% above
Average annual pay6County figure$79,86821% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.1%38% above
Jobs6County figure312,426107% above
Poverty rate19.7%10% below
Mean commute125 min0% above
Works from home125.4%104% above
Commutes by transit14.1%384% above
04

Who lives here

74% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 96% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Bachelor's or higher1
74.0%
131% above the median place
Household size1
2.2
12% below the median place
High school or higher1
96.7%
5% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband95.7% +4%
Born abroad13.7% +56%
No health insurance5.9% −8%
Median age39.5 +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureNorth DecaturAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population118,4422497th largest
Median age139.51% above
Bachelor's or higher174.0%131% above
High school or higher196.7%5% above
Household size12.212% below
Born abroad113.7%56% above
No health insurance15.9%8% below
Homes with broadband195.7%4% above
05

Life in North Decatur

OpenStreetMap shows 6.5 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, more than in 95% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents6.5 −36%
Playgrounds per 10k8.7 −8%
Grocery stores per 10k6.5 3.1×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k24.4 2.2×
Libraries per 10k1.1 +24%
Named paths and bike trails9 km 4.6×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi3.0 14.5×

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

  • Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park 6 miles
  • Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area 13 miles
  • Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area 14 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 site10
6.0
81% below the median place
Public school students11
102,624
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools11
152
above the median place (median 9)
All 17 schools and local life measures
MeasureNorth DecaturAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure152above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure102,624above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure13.711% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure21.43% above
Shops per 10k8County figure28.66% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure5.227% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure23.114% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.613% above
Parks per 10k96.536% below
Playgrounds per 10k98.78% below
Grocery stores per 10k96.5207% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k924.4119% above
Libraries per 10k91.124% above
Named paths and bike trails99.2360% above
Transit stops per sq mi93.0above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site106.081% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles104100% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 52.1 in, 19% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached North Decatur. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation12
52.1 in
19% above the median place
Tornado risk13
96.1
18% above the median place
Average temperature12
62°F
12% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureNorth DecaturAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure90°F3% above
January average low12County figure33°F31% above
Average temperature12County figure62°F12% above
Annual precipitation12County figure52.1 in19% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure94.32% above
Hurricane risk13County figure72.63% above
Tornado risk13County figure96.118% above
Wildfire risk13County figure43.729% below
Heat wave risk13County figure92.53% above
Median air quality index14County figure479% above
Good air days14County figure58.4%15% below
08

North Decatur in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 21% 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, North Decatur does better than 41% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 70%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,913/mo (2024)$2,510/mo$2,060 to $3,060/mo+4.6%
Median household income$110,871 (2024)$142,000$120,000 to $168,000+4.2%
Median home value$474,600 (2024)$690,000$501,000 to $951,000+6.4%

The median home would be worth 4.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.3 now.

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

09

Places like North Decatur

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

PlaceRentIncome
Ardmore, PA$1,763$119,111Compare
Prairie Village, KS$1,794$113,530Compare
South Burlington, VT$1,787$106,667Compare
Evanston, IL$1,762$96,434Compare
Evanston, ILSouth Burlington, VTPrairie Village, KSArdmore, PANorth Decatur, GANorth DecaturArdmorePrairie VillageSouth BurlingtonEvanstonNorth DecaturArdmorePrairie VillageSouth BurlingtonEvanston

Places built like North Decatur

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 North Decatur performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
North Decatur, GA20.7%6.9%/yrn/a
Falls Church, VA18.3%2.3%/yr3.4%Compare
Winter Park, FL19.7%6.3%/yr2.1%Compare
Creve Coeur, MO15.3%5.7%/yr-1.9%Compare
Druid Hills, GA18.6%0.1%/yrn/aCompare
Carrboro, NC20.6%7.9%/yr-1.6%Compare
Pikesville, MD20.8%2.6%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is North Decatur a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 74 out of 100, better than 74% of the places we rate and 18th of 165 in Georgia. On cost, space and class size it scores 21 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is North Decatur expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 20.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $474,600.

What salary do you need to live in North Decatur?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $76,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to North Decatur?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Ardmore, PA, Prairie Village, KS, South Burlington, VT and Evanston, IL.

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. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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 North Decatur with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for North Decatur itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/north-decatur-georgia

Citytistics. “North Decatur, Georgia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/north-decatur-georgia/

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