Pros and Cons of Living in North Georgia

The pros of living in North Georgia include the scenery and outdoor living, lower cost of living, a slower pace with almost no traffic, real growth with room to pick your lifestyle, and being close to Atlanta and the world's busiest airport. The cons are a thin rural job market, spotty infrastructure, a limited nightlife and dining scene, wildly unpredictable weather, and essentially no public transportation. Here's the honest version of all ten.

So you're thinking about moving to North Georgia? Buckle up, buttercup, because this is where mountain views meet sweet tea moods. You can kayak before lunch, hit a winery by dinner, and still make it home in time to watch the deer cross your driveway. But before you trade city traffic for tractor parades, let's break down the real pros and cons: the good, the bad, the quirky, and the "wait, they're building another Dollar General right down the street."

A little background on me, because it shapes how I see all this. I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, which is far enough north to be more South Georgia than South Florida. We had two seasons there: hot and really hot. I moved to North Georgia in 1999 and immediately fell in love with the nature, the scenery, and the mountains. They aren't as big as what you get out west, but to a kid from flat Florida they were huge. I've been here 26 years now, so this is coming from someone who actually lives it, not a highlight reel.

The Pros

1. Scenic beauty and outdoor living

This is the headliner. You've got the Blue Ridge Mountains, some of the most beautiful mountains I've seen anywhere. There are so many waterfalls in North Georgia I'm not sure I've seen them all. If you like being on the water, there's no shortage of it, rivers everywhere and lakes everywhere. And if you like to hike, you can hike to your heart's content. The southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is right here in North Georgia, along with countless other trails all over the region.

2. Lower cost of living

Let me be careful here, because this is relative, not absolute. I'm comparing North Georgia to metro markets like Atlanta, and to the places a lot of my clients come from: Tampa, Sarasota, Miami, and out west. Objectively cheap? No. Cheaper than a lot of other places you could live? Absolutely. For most people, you get more house for your money here, even though prices are still a little elevated from the COVID run-up.

Property taxes are typically a bit lower than in other areas, and there are some really good homestead exemptions in the North Georgia counties. If you want details on the exemptions available in a specific county, reach out and I'll share what I know.

3. Slower pace and almost no traffic

After years of working with clients who found me through my videos, what I've learned is that the thing most people are really after is the slower pace of life and the small town charm you find here.

Take traffic. I've got clients closing on a home in a few weeks, and we've joked that traffic in North Georgia usually means a couple of white-tailed deer crossing the road. They told me our traffic is "kind of cute." I get it. Atlanta traffic is a completely separate conversation and not included here. But if you're coming from a suburban area like Tampa, which has exploded in recent years, and you move to a place like Lumpkin County and Dahlonega or Dawson County and Dawsonville, where you're talking roughly 30,000 people, the traffic is nothing compared to a big metro.

Picture front porch living: sweet tea in a rocking chair, looking at the woods, waving at neighbors as they drive past. There are local festivals on the town squares just about every weekend the weather's good, and people who are genuinely nice and will actually help you if you need it.

4. Growth, with room to choose your lifestyle

A lot of North Georgia towns are growing, and it's becoming a popular place to land. Some towns are exploding, like Dawsonville. Others are growing at a slower pace, like Ellijay and Dahlonega. A lot of it comes down to the county commissioners and elected officials in each county deciding how they want to grow strategically without blowing up the population.

The good news is you can still find whatever you want. Want to be tucked away in the woods and not see anybody for days? You can find that. Want a mix, small town living but still close to shopping and amenities? That exists. Want a more suburban lifestyle while still surrounded by natural beauty? That's here too.

5. Proximity to Atlanta and the busiest airport in the world

This is one of the most valuable parts of North Georgia. Atlanta is probably a top 10 or 15 city in the country by population, and living within an hour to two hours of it puts nearly every option on the table: concerts, sporting events, the huge conferences that roll through every year. You get all of that, and then you get to leave and drive back to the mountains, which is my favorite part.

You're also no more than about an hour and a half to two hours from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world. From there you can get just about anywhere on the planet. Close enough to use it, far enough to skip the daily Atlanta grind.

The Cons

1. A limited job market

Most of these North Georgia counties are very rural, which means limited job opportunities and a pretty small job market in some areas. If you have a remote job and can work from home, this is a non-issue. Healthcare, education, and small business, you'll probably be fine. But for most jobs outside of that, expect a commute, sometimes a long one.

2. Spotty infrastructure

Some of these small counties don't have great infrastructure. In places, the internet can be spotty at best or nonexistent. Water and sewer are limited too. If you want city water and city sewer, you'll need to live close to the town square. Live even 10 minutes out, and you should expect a well and a septic tank.

3. Limited nightlife and dining

If you want nightlife and a bustling food scene, temper your expectations. There are some really great restaurants, but they lean toward mom-and-pop, meat-and-three places. If you're a serious foodie chasing a high-end dining experience, you can find it here and there, but you'll probably want to head closer to Atlanta. Personally I like down home cooking, so most North Georgia restaurants suit me just fine. When you do want something fancier, you can drive 30 to 45 minutes to somewhere like Alpharetta and its nicer restaurants.

4. Unpredictable weather

I've made this joke a thousand times, but here it is again. The weather in North Georgia can be wildly unpredictable. There's a meme that says Georgia has 12 seasons, and it's pretty much true. If you can hear it in my voice, I'm in the middle of what we affectionately call "the pollening," where pollen coats every car and I can barely breathe.

It's not bad weather, exactly, but we get some nasty storms when winter turns to spring, the occasional tornado, thunderstorms, high humidity in late summer, and maybe an ice storm or two in winter. It keeps you on your toes. Just come prepared for it.

5. No public transportation

I mostly put this one in because it's funny, but there's limited public transportation, and by limited I mean zero. No public transit, and not really any Uber. What we do have is Goober, so if you need a ride down to the local liquor store, Goober can come get you. You are absolutely going to need a car to get around, and possibly four-wheel drive for some of these steep driveways, because contrary to popular belief, North Georgia has mountains and there's nothing flat here.

So, is North Georgia for you?

That's the honest list: five real pros and five real cons after 26 years of living it. What do you think? Drop your own pros and cons in the comments, whether you live in North Georgia or have just visited.

Wonder which town to choose? Check out my best towns to live in North Georgia. If you’re thinking about retiring in North Georgia, check out my best places to retire.

Weighing a Move to North Georgia?

If you want a straight answer on whether North Georgia is right for you, I'm happy to talk it through, the good and the bad. Call or text me at 404-643-6610, or reach out through my contact page, and I can send you current listings whenever you're ready.