Macon vs Sandy Springs
The short version
- Macon is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the Sandy Springs area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $174,500 in Macon and $619,800 in Sandy Springs.
- Households earn more in Sandy Springs ($104,340 vs $51,234 median).
- Macon has the warmer winter: January highs of 59°F vs 52°F.
- Macon has more scorching days: 85 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 53.
- Macon is growing faster: +0.1% since 2020 vs -2.9%.
- Commutes are shorter in Macon (22 vs 26 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Macon, GA | Sandy Springs, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 157,556 | 105,013 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.1% | -2.9% |
| People per square mile | 632 | 2,785 |
| Median age | 36.8 | 36.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26% | 69% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $51,234 | $104,340 |
| Median home value | $174,500 | $619,800 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 5.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,066 | $1,870 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 88.5 | 100.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 58.9 | 111.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,400 | $75,000 |
| Homeowners | 51% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 5.19% | 5.19% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.56% | 7.56% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.2 | 25.8 |
| Work from home | 10% | 32% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.1% | 4% |
| Poverty rate | 24.7% | 8.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 36° | 52° / 33° |
| July high / low | 94° / 72° | 89° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 47 in | 51 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 85 | 53 |
| Nights below freezing | 44 | 49 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 78.5 | 95.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 43% | 41% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.7% | +1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53% | +42.7% |
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: Macon: March to May and October to November. Sandy Springs: April to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Macon weather by month and Sandy Springs weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $66,400 in Macon and $75,000 in Sandy Springs. Moving from Macon to Sandy Springs, you would need about $84,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Macon and Sandy Springs
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Macon and Sandy Springs.
Which would you pick?
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