A life in DeKalb County, Georgia

Where you are

You live in DeKalb County, Georgia. 761,209 people live here with you. The population held steady at 0.2% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -8,049).

Georgia moved to a flat income tax in 2024 with a rate scheduled to fall each year, and it exempts up to $65,000 of retirement income per person for residents 65 and over. Metro Atlanta holds more than half the state's population and its airport is the busiest in the world by passengers. Property taxes vary widely by county because school districts set most of the rate.

Money

The typical household here brings in $76,044 a year, higher than 83% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $76,011. Unemployment runs 3.1%, lower than 60% of American counties. 17% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 26 minutes each way.

Georgia takes 5.5% of that median income in state income tax, about $4,175 a year.

Home

The median home costs $339K, pricier than 77% of American counties, about 3.1 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $1,468 a month. Property tax is 0.95% of home value, roughly $2,856 a year on that median home, higher than 56% of American counties. 58% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.3 per 1,000 residents, lower than 81% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 20 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 78.9 years, longer than 83% of American counties. There are 5,599 active physicians in the county, about 73.6 per 10,000 people. 14.5% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.67 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 91% of American counties. 91% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Democratic by 67 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 71% of eligible voters turned out. Under Georgia law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is banned with narrow exceptions, and marijuana is medical only.

Weather and risk

The year averages 63°F, highs near 74 and lows near 52, warmer than 77% of American counties. About 47 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 90 out of 100, riskier than 90% of American counties; the county has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 291 Mbps down, faster than 92% of American counties. There are 2 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.7 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 4 breweries, 13 museums.

Sources for this story

• BLS QCEW 2024
• CDC 2024
• CMS 2024
• Census 2023
• Census ACS
• Census ACS 2022
• Census Population Estimates 2023
• Census SAHIE 2024
• County Health Rankings 2024
• DataSpine derived — ACS 2022 home value / household income
• FAA Airport Database
• FEMA Disaster Declarations 1953–2026
• FEMA National Risk Index 2023 (0–100, all hazards)
• HRSA Area Health Resources File 2023
• IMLS
• NOAA Climate Normals
• National Park Service
• Ookla Speedtest Intelligence
• Open Brewery DB
• OpenElections 2024
• SEDA via County Health Rankings 2024 (3.0 = at grade level; not a Z-score)
• Tax Foundation 2023
• USDA Food Environment Atlas
• Zillow ZHVI 2024
• Georgia tax and law data: state revenue department, Tax Foundation, Giffords, Guttmacher (2026)

Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure. Missing figures are left out rather than guessed. Share this page: the address is permanent.