Atlanta vs Macon
The short version
- Macon is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the Atlanta area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $174,500 in Macon and $439,600 in Atlanta.
- Households earn more in Atlanta ($85,652 vs $51,234 median).
- Macon has the warmer winter: January highs of 59°F vs 54°F.
- Macon has more scorching days: 85 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 47.
- Atlanta is growing faster: +6.1% since 2020 vs +0.1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Macon (22 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Macon, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 529,110 | 157,556 |
| Growth since 2020 | +6.1% | +0.1% |
| People per square mile | 3,911 | 632 |
| Median age | 34.2 | 36.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59% | 26% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $85,652 | $51,234 |
| Median home value | $439,600 | $174,500 |
| Home value to income | 5.1× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,711 | $1,066 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 88.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 111.0 | 58.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,000 | $66,400 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 51% |
| Top state income tax | 5.19% | 5.19% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.56% | 7.56% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.5 | 22.2 |
| Work from home | 30% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 6% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.9% | 8.1% |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 24.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 54° / 36° | 59° / 36° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 94° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 47 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 47 | 85 |
| Nights below freezing | 36 | 44 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.8 | 78.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 41% | 43% |
| Home prices, past year | +1% | +2.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +42.7% | +53% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Atlanta: April to May and September to November. Macon: March to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Atlanta weather by month and Macon weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,000 in Atlanta and $66,400 in Macon. Moving from Atlanta to Macon, you would need about $66,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Atlanta and Macon
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Atlanta and Macon.
Which would you pick?
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