Atlanta is a Grade A great city! In October 2022, Money magazine declared that Atlanta was the best place to live in the United States. Money commended Atlanta for its steady job growth, diversity, and rich culture. Atlanta is also an affordable and safe place to live. According to RentCafe, the average rent for Atlanta residents is $1,880 a month, $100 below the national median. According to Redfin, the median sale price for Atlanta homes is $390,000, almost $65,000 below the national average.
Yet Atlanta has dozens of neighborhoods, so it can be hard to tell what the best neighborhoods in Atlanta are. Here is your Atlanta neighborhood guide with a focus on affordability and safety.
Atlanta University Center | Affordable and Secure Neighborhood for Students and Young Professionals
- Population: 5,908
- Average rent: $1,131
- Median home price: $165,000
- Crime: Burglary rate is 48% lower than the national average, theft rate is 30% lower than the national average
Atlanta University Center is home to four major historically black colleges and universities, including Morehouse College. The four colleges have agreed to allow students to cross-register at each other’s schools, share resources, and combine their Atlanta neighborhoods.
Each college has its own police department, which helps keep crime in the area down. You can also contact police officers using emergency call boxes that are on each campus and located on surrounding streets.
As you might imagine, most of the neighborhood’s population consists of students. However, Atlanta University Center is one of the best Atlanta neighborhoods for young professionals. You can make connections with diverse students at on-campus events and eateries. You can also start working for a school or in a business that provides for students. Each college has bookstores, restaurants, and stadiums that you can work in.
Most housing opportunities in this Atlanta neighborhood are in apartment buildings. You can buy a one-bedroom apartment at 700 square feet for less than $1,500. Many apartments have modern amenities like central air conditioning systems and in-unit washing machines.
Atlanta University Center is centrally located. You live within walking distance of a Walmart, The Mall West End, and the Metro Mall. You can also visit the Georgia Aquarium and Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Penelope Neighbors | Cozy Atlanta Neighborhood With Great Opportunities for Renters
- Population: 513
- Average rent: $1,131
- Median home price: $175,000
- Crime: Assault rate is 91.9% below the national average, theft rate is 77.6% below the national average
Penelope Neighbors is one of the coziest Atlanta neighborhoods. It borders Interstate 20, helping you cut your commute time down. Streets are compact and houses are close together, giving you opportunities to meet your neighbors.
Yet Penelope Neighbors is within walking distance of several parks, including Anderson Park. The neighborhood has many trees and large yards, giving it a rural and quaint aesthetic you can’t find in some of the cheapest Atlanta neighborhoods.
Most residents in the neighborhood rent their properties. The small size of the neighborhood means that there are fewer options for housing than there are in other affordable Atlanta neighborhoods. However, you can rent two-bedroom homes for less than $1,500. If you’re interested in owning a home, a few three-bedroom properties just below 1,000 square feet are available for purchase for less than $300,000.
West Manor | Best Affordable Neighborhood for Commuters
- Population: 476
- Average rent: $1,143
- Median home price: $235,000
- Crime: Assault rate is 82.2% lower than the national average, theft rate is 95% lower than the average
West Manor is another small neighborhood and among the best neighborhoods in Atlanta for young professionals. It is adjacent to Interstate 285, which runs around the perimeter of Atlanta, making it a good community for people who work in the Atlanta suburbs or outside the city. Several bus stops are within West Manor, so you can also use the bus or connect to trains for your commute.
The neighborhood includes West Manor Park, which includes a kid-friendly playground and two lighted tennis courts. Homes are a short walk away from Cumberlander Park, a nature preserve with walking paths and picnic areas.
West Manor is bordered by several schools, which can make it a convenient place to live for children and teenagers. Benjamin E. Mays High School has championship athletics teams, and Niche ranks in the top 50 high schools for athletes in Georgia.
Homes in West Manor are bigger than in other affordable safe neighborhoods in Atlanta. You can buy a four-bedroom home covering more than 1,600 square feet for less than $400,000. Many homes are one-level properties with attached garages, which you can use as storage space.
Midtown Atlanta | Eclectic Downtown Atlanta Neighborhood With Diverse Housing
- Population: 22,048
- Average rent: $2,328
- Median home price: $368,000
- Crime: Assault rate is 34.1% lower than the national average, murder rate is 27.9% lower than the national average
Niche ranks Midtown as #6 on its list of the best neighborhoods to live in Atlanta. As the name suggests, Midtown is located near the geographic center of Atlanta, and the community borders several major roadways. It is adjacent to the Georgia Institute of Technology, which US News and World Report ranks in the top 50 universities in the country. This makes Midtown popular with college students, but many families have set up their lives in the urban and family-friendly community.
Midtown Blue is a public safety program in Midtown. A team of more than 40 public safety officers patrol the neighborhood and monitor video cameras for crimes. Midtown Blue’s work has helped drive crime down by 26% between 2021 and 2022.
You can find many opportunities for work in Midtown Atlanta. The neighborhood contains popular shopping malls like Colony Square and The Plaza Midtown. You can also work at several museums and tourist attractions, including the High Museum of Art.
Midtown has some unique options for housing. As a compact downtown neighborhood, you can live in many different apartment buildings. You can find a studio apartment in an upscale building with fancy amenities like swimming pools, business centers, and gated entries. Studio apartments are available throughout Midtown, helping it become one of the best places to live in Atlanta for singles. You can also live in an older apartment or a historic home with apartments, which can have a more conservative aesthetic.
If you’re looking to save money while owning a property in Midtown, you can buy a condo. One and two-bedroom condos are available throughout the neighborhood, and you can buy ones with both modern and traditional architectural styles. Most condos cover more than 1,000 square feet, and you can buy them for less than $500,000.
Cabbagetown | Safe and Hip Neighborhood Close to Green Spaces
- Population: 992
- Average rent: $1,892
- Median home price: $495,000
- Crime: Total crime rate is 31% lower than the national average
Cabbagetown is becoming well-known for its street art and hip aesthetic. The Krog Street Tunnel connects Cabbagetown to other neighborhoods, and it contains murals and graffiti from a variety of different artists. Chomp and Stomp is the leading festival in the neighborhood. You can enjoy chili from many local vendors, go on a 5k run, and listen to live bands.
Cabbagetown residents have organized a Cabbagetown neighborhood watch to report crimes and connect with the Atlanta Police Department. Residents communicate with each other on Nextdoor to get safety advice and update each other on community issues.
The neighborhood contains several green spaces. It borders Oakland Cemetery, which is open to the public, and you can go on guided tours of the grounds. Cabbagetown Park contains a playground and public works of art, and it is well-known for being one of the best Atlanta parks. Esther Peachy Lefevre Park is a grassy area for picnics and informal meetings.
The Stacks Lofts is an apartment building and commercial center in Cabbagetown. It is inside of a converted mill, giving each unit a sturdy structure and inspiring design elements like trusses and brick. Each unit has kitchens with 16-foot ceilings, open shelving, and a complete master suite and living room lit with natural lighting. One-bedroom condos covering more than 1,000 square feet are available for purchase for less than $500,000.
If you want a different aesthetic or layout to your apartment, you can find other apartment buildings throughout the neighborhood. You can also buy small homes for less than $500,000, though amenities and costs vary depending on the property.
Underwood Hills | The Best Atlanta Neighborhood for Aspiring Homebuyers
- Population: 3,732
- Average rent: $1,997
- Median home price: $385,000
- Crime: Assault rate is 95.3% lower than the national average, burglary rate is 41.6% lower than the national average
Underwood Hills is in the Upper Westside, which makes the neighborhood quieter and gives it a more rural atmosphere. The neighborhood borders Interstate 75, so you can drive south to downtown Atlanta for work. The Underwood Hills Security Patrol has a staff of off-duty police officers who patrol the neighborhood and report crimes. Officers can make arrests, and they drive marked personal vehicles, which can deter criminals.
Underwood Hills Atlanta has several businesses inside it and on its borders. You can shop at a Walmart, Kroger, and Retrofit Source store. The neighborhood has a few bars and restaurants along Chattahoochee Avenue, making it a good place for a pub crawl.
Niche ranks Underwood Hills as the ninth-best neighborhood to buy a house in Atlanta. Though some houses can be more expensive than the Atlanta average, many homes in the neighborhood are spacious and recently-built properties with modern amenities. Three-bedroom fixer uppers are available for purchase for less than $400,000.
You can also find a few apartment buildings, most of them along Defoor Avenue, which runs adjacent to Interstate 75. Eleven85 is an upscale apartment complex with an in-house fitness center, a community dog park, and an outdoor lounge. One-bedroom apartments in the complex start at $1,500 a month.
Safe and Affordable Atlanta Neighborhoods Map
You can find the best areas to live in Atlanta with this handy map!
The best affordable neighborhoods in Atlanta are also safe, diverse, and vibrant places to live. Whether you choose to live in invigorating Midtown Atlanta or charming Underwood Hills, living in Atlanta can be cheap and comfortable. When you’re ready to start moving to Atlanta, Wirks Moving & Storage’s team of Atlanta movers can take care of you. Get your moving quote by calling 404-635-6683.
