Why are People Moving to GA

According to the US Census Bureau, 284,541 people moved into the state of Georgia in 2019. We had the fifth highest increase in residents in the whole country. The six states people left most to move to Georgia were Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, and California. To me, this is very interesting because within the last year, I have helped several clients from three of those top 6 states relocate to Georgia. So, why are people moving to the peach state? Much of Georgia’s influx is concentrated in and around the metro Atlanta area — A 2019 US Census Bureau report ranked the area as the fourth fastest growing in the nation between 2010 and 2018 

For starters, a few of my clients have decided to relocate to Georgia, the north metro Atlanta area to be specific, is because of our great schools. If you have watched any of my other videos about the pros of living around north Georgia, you will know that in practically every one of those videos, I have mentioned our school systems. As a former teacher, I understand the importance of wanting the best possible schools for your kids. I was a teacher in Hall County, and it was a fantastic school system. Buford, Georgia which is right down the road in Gwinnett County, was ranked the #1 school system in Georgia, according to Niche’s annual report- for the sixth straight year in 2020. I had clients looking for homes specifically in Fulton County, or the Alpharetta area, because most of the schools in this area have a rating of an 8 or 9, which is fantastic.

Not only are there great elementary, middle, and high schools, but we also have several top ranked colleges and universities as well. Here in north Georgia we have the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, Lanier Technical School, plus all of the awesome schools in different parts of the state, like the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Emory University, the Art Institute of Atlanta, Savannah College of Art and Design, Morehouse… the list goes on and on. In my opinion, there are plenty of opportunities to get a great education here in Georgia.

The other big reason that my clients relocated here from other states was because they had family here and wanted to be closer to them. Obviously not everyone who chooses to move here already has family here, but a huge part of the appeal is that this is a great state to raise a family in. A professor of early childhood education says “When choosing a home, most families will prioritize places that have a reasonable cost of living, low crime rates, access to affordable high-quality child care, and an effective public school system.”  Georgia ticks off those boxes.

The cost of living here in Georgia is lower than the national average, and I have talked previously a lot here on my channel about the cost of living in Gainesville and other surrounding areas. Obviously the closer you live to Atlanta, the higher the cost of living is, but farther out in the suburbs and in south Georgia, you will find that the cost of living here is very low compared to most states. Next on that list was low crime rates. If you watched my Pros and Cons of Braselton video, you’ll know they had the lowest crime rate in the state in 2020. 

Another big reason people are choosing to move to Georgia, at least north Georgia, is because they want to be on the lake. Lake Lanier is the massive, beautiful body of water that flows through five different counties here in north Georgia. Living on the lake feels like vacation year round, with its beautiful views and all of the fun activities you can do on it no matter the season. Since so many people have the option to work from home now, people have realized that they can live practically anywhere, so why not somewhere as picturesque as Lake Lanier? Another huge bonus of Georgia is that you have a little bit of everything, like the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains up north, the big city of Atlanta, and the beaches of Savannah and Tybee Island.

You could experience any and all of these topographies, if you will, within 5 or 6 hours of driving. Or, you can head to Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest airport found right here in Atlanta, and fly to anywhere in the world. Jumping on I85 south and being able to get into the city in less than an hour is one of the biggest perks I have found with living in the Gainesville Hall County area, and I know my clients who have chosen to live in any of the suburb towns and commute in to the city would definitely agree with me. 

If you are a fan of hot weather and love summer, Georgia is the state for you. We have long, hot summers and pretty short and mild winters. This is great if you are like me and live on the lake and love to spend time out on the boat or paddling around on a kayak, these are all things that you can do for 8 or 9 months out of the year since the weather is so warm. If you like going on hikes, bike rides, taking your kids to the park, we definitely have the weather for it. Another perk of Georgia is that we have a ton of places to do all those fun activities. Aside from Lake Lanier and all that it offers, there are plenty of public parks, hiking trails, play grounds, and skate parks throughout the state that you can really make the most of.

Like I mentioned earlier, you can also take advantage of the fact that Georgia is on the coast and go visit the beaches, or the other beautiful lakes in Georgia like Lake Oconee and Lake Hartwell. There is no shortage of outdoor fun here in Georgia. There is occasional snowfall up in the mountains during the winter months, but if you are big into skiing and snowboarding, you will have to head up to Maggie Valley or Beech Mountain in North Carolina, but luckily they are pretty close as well.

One of the last reasons people are moving to Georgia is because of our strong economy and plentiful job opportunities. There are 17 Fortune 500 companies and 26 Fortune 1000 companies with headquarters in Georgia. Gainesville is the poultry capital of the world, which creates a plethora of jobs, and middle and southern Georgia is full of farms, producing vast amounts of peanuts, pecans, soybeans, and blueberries. The film industry is huge not only in Atlanta but all over the state, because Georgia provides large tax breaks for these companies, so that’s a huge employer.

The Northeast Georgia Medical Center, which is found here in Gainesville, is one of the largest employers in the state. The state has done a terrific job with attracting new businesses such as the recently announced expansion of  SK Batter with plans to invest a total of $5 billion by 2025 to expand the facility, creating a total of 6,000 high-paying job in the Commerce area. Also relocating to the area is Hyundai with $240 million announced with plans on  expanding their operations in Georgia. These ar3e just two of the many ongoing expansion plans and announcements for companies in Georgia

With plenty of job opportunities, a low cost of living, great schools, you can see why so many people have chosen to make the move here. As I mentioned in the beginning of this video, I have helped clients from many different states make the move here. I have loved showing them around town and letting them see exactly why I think Georgia is such a great place to live. If you are interested in making this great state your home, I’d love to help or put you in contact with another agent in the state that I know and trust to help you or help you personally make Georgia home.

Still in need of more convincing facts about living in Georgia? Check my YouTube channel out for more!