CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.86° N · 84.51° W · GEOID 1371492

Smyrna

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

GeorgiaSmyrna, GASmyrnaSmyrna

The short answer

Smyrna is home to 56,633 people. Median household income is $100,061 a year and median rent is $1,739 a month, 20.9% 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 $449,500, about 4.5x annual median household income.

Smyrna stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 3.9 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, more than in 97% of places its size. Also notable: 30% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 93% of places its size.

67OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Smyrna scores better than 67% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 25th of 165 in Georgia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%40
Economy 20%73
Safety 20%51
Amenities 15%62
Education 10%88
Commute 10%24
Growth 5%68
Median gross rent
$1,739
27% above the median place
Median household income
$100,061
25% above the median place
Median home value
$449,500
41% above the median place
Unemployment
3.7%
25% 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.

What stands out about Smyrna

  • SchoolsPublic schools here have 13.8 students per teacher, fewer than in 80% of the 471 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Smyrna

Cobb County loses about 4.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in46,761
Moved out49,556
Net−2,795

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Fulton County, GA8,5827,154+1,428
Paulding County, GA2,6194,871−2,252
Cherokee County, GA2,9014,355−1,454
DeKalb County, GA3,3372,488+849
Douglas County, GA1,7872,651−864
Gwinnett County, GA2,1262,025+101
Bartow County, GA7701,406−636

Within Georgia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within GeorgiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$74K
Leavers$80K

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

Who moves here
9.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 4.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Cobb County report $73,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $80,200, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$69,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,739 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,438 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $449,500.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 29.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Lenexa, KS matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
4.5%
128% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
9.9%
72% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$80,233
14% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSmyrnaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year19.9%72% above
Moved from another state14.5%128% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-4.5below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$73,9245% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$80,23314% above
02

What it costs to live here

Owner costs with a mortgage is $2,438, 30% above the median place.

Smyrna20.9%
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
$69,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
20.9%
2% above the median place
Home price to income
4.5x
18% 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
$80,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Smyrna, $1,739 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 Smyrna, but easier on the budget

Places that match Smyrna 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
Lenexa, KS9116.9% vs 20.9%$10,600Compare
Overland Park, KS9017.3% vs 20.9%$11,500Compare
Short Pump, VA8516.0% vs 20.9%$38,600Compare
Blue Ash, OH8416.2% vs 20.9%$18,700Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Smyrna? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,438
30% above the median place
Median year built1
1990
1% above the median place
Median home value1
$449,500
41% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSmyrnaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,73927% above
Rent to income120.9%2% above
Property tax rate10.8%12% below
Home price to income14.5x18% 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$3,60010% above
Median home value1$449,50041% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.1%34% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure60.9%18% above
Homeownership159.4%11% below
Renters paying 30%+151.9%3% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,43830% above
Vacant homes18.3%17% above
Median year built119901% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment averaged 3.7% over the survey period, lower than in 84% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Works from home1
29.6%
137% above the median place
Income per person1
$64,689
61% above the median place
Mean commute1
30 min
20% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Unemployment3.7% −25%
Median household income$100,061 +25%
Poverty rate10.6% −1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSmyrnaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$100,06125% above
Income per person1$64,68961% above
Unemployment13.7%25% below
Average annual pay6County figure$79,37720% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.4%35% below
Jobs6County figure381,663153% above
Poverty rate110.6%1% below
Mean commute130 min20% above
Works from home129.6%137% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.6%35% below
04

Who lives here

59% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 87% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Homes with broadband1
97.2%
5% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
59.4%
85% above the median place
No health insurance1
10.9%
70% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.3 −9%
Median age35.7 −8%
High school or higher95.1% +3%
Born abroad15.0% +70%
All 9 people measures
MeasureSmyrnaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population156,633764th largest
Population change since 202072.4%107% above
Median age135.78% below
Bachelor's or higher159.4%85% above
High school or higher195.1%3% above
Household size12.39% below
Born abroad115.0%70% above
No health insurance110.9%70% above
Homes with broadband197.2%5% above
05

Life in Smyrna

4 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 78% of the 530 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1832. 4 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Carmichael, J. H., Farm and General Store listed 1980
  • Ruff's Mill and Concord Covered Bridge listed 1980
  • Rice, John W., Summer Cottage listed 1983
  • Taylor-Brawner House and Brawner Sanitarium listed 2012

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents10.1 −1%
Playgrounds per 10k10.4 +11%
Grocery stores per 10k3.9 +83%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k19.9 +79%
Libraries per 10k0.3 −60%
Named paths and bike trails14 km 7.2×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.5 12.0×

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

  • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park 9 miles
  • Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park 11 miles
  • Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area 14 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.2 +2%
Shops29.8 −2%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.3 +29%
Doctors' offices and clinics26.5 +31%
Child care centers2.5 +9%

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

Nearest National Park Service site11
9.1
70% below the median place
Students per teacher14
13.8
10% below the median place
Public school students14
12,587
157% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSmyrnaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools141456% above
Public school students1412,587157% above
Students per teacher1413.810% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.22% above
Shops per 10k9County figure29.82% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure5.329% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure26.531% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.59% above
Parks per 10k1010.11% below
Playgrounds per 10k1010.411% above
Grocery stores per 10k103.983% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1019.979% above
Libraries per 10k100.360% below
Named paths and bike trails1014.3above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi102.5above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site119.170% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles114100% above
National Register listings12469% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 237, 23% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
237
23% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
996
18% below 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.

Good air days17
93.5%
36% above the median place
Median air quality index17
35
19% below the median place
Tornado risk16
98.3
21% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSmyrnaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure89°F3% above
January average low15County figure32°F29% above
Average temperature15County figure61°F11% above
Annual precipitation15County figure52.4 in20% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure94.42% above
Hurricane risk16County figure68.14% below
Tornado risk16County figure98.321% above
Wildfire risk16County figure51.716% below
Heat wave risk16County figure89.01% below
Median air quality index17County figure3519% below
Good air days17County figure93.5%36% above
08

Smyrna 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, Smyrna does better than 39% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 63%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,739/mo (2024)$2,250/mo$1,850 to $2,740/mo+4.4%
Median household income$100,061 (2024)$127,500$107,500 to $151,000+4.1%
Median home value$449,500 (2024)$650,000$472,000 to $896,000+6.3%
Population57,513 (2025)58,64056,250 to 61,140+0.4%

The median home would be worth 5.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.5 now.

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

09

Places like Smyrna

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

PlaceRentIncome
Somerville, NJ$1,802$103,760Compare
Charleston, SC$1,722$92,414Compare
Lisle, IL$1,658$107,479Compare
Lionville, PA$1,916$100,582Compare
Lionville, PALisle, ILCharleston, SCSomerville, NJSmyrna, GASmyrnaSomervilleCharlestonLisleLionvilleSmyrnaSomervilleCharlestonLisleLionville

Places built like Smyrna

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 Smyrna performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Smyrna, GA20.9%5.5%/yr2.4%
Brookhaven, GA19.2%4.9%/yr5.1%Compare
Peachtree Corners, GA24.9%2.9%/yr0.6%Compare
Sandy Springs, GA21.5%5.8%/yr-2.9%Compare
Dunwoody, GA18.3%4.9%/yr0.3%Compare
Woodstock, GA21.1%6.3%/yr13.7%Compare
Reston, VA18.0%4.3%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Smyrna a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 67 out of 100, better than 67% of the places we rate and 25th of 165 in Georgia. Public schools here have 13.8 students per teacher, fewer than in 80% of the 471 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 34 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Smyrna expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 20.9% 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 $449,500.

What salary do you need to live in Smyrna?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $69,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Smyrna safe?

There were 237 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Smyrna?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Somerville, NJ, Charleston, SC, Lisle, IL and Lionville, PA.

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. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 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
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. 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 Smyrna with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Smyrna itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/smyrna-georgia

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

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