Alpharetta vs Gainesville
Alpharetta, Georgia versus Gainesville, Georgia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Alpharetta and Gainesville score about the same overall (48 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Alpharetta | Gainesville |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $141k | $64k |
| Cost of Living | $76k | $54k |
| Home Value | $562k | $296k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.89% | 0.88% |
| Income Tax | 5.50% | 5.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.38% | 7.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.47% | 11.99% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 43°F | 43°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.0 in | 52.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.6 in | 1.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 258 days | 260 days |
| Summer Humidity | 69°F | 69°F |
| Comfortable Days | 84 days | 90 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 20.3 | 51.3 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 52.8 | 78.8 |
| Violent Crime | 461/100k | 1154/100k |
| Property Crime | 1310/100k | 1350/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 65,884 | 42,780 |
| Median Age | 40.6 | 32.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.60 | 0.60 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | R+34 | R+44 |
| White (%) | 54.6% | 41.0% |
| Black (%) | 11.3% | 15.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.6% | 36.4% |
| Asian (%) | 21.9% | 3.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 9.2/20 | 8.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 31 mi | 57 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.1% | 90.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 47.96 | 22.91 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Alpharetta or Gainesville more affordable?
- Gainesville has the lower cost of living: its index is $54k, compared with Alpharetta's $76k and Gainesville's $54k. Median rent is $2k in Alpharetta versus $1k in Gainesville.
- Is Alpharetta or Gainesville safer?
- Alpharetta has the lower violent crime rate. Alpharetta reports 461/100k and Gainesville reports 1154/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Alpharetta or Gainesville?
- The median home value is $562k in Alpharetta and $296k in Gainesville, so homes are more affordable in Gainesville.