Metro Life Score
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Below-median composite Life Score — grade B-, 48th percentile of the national corpus.
- 49.3
- Life Score / 100
- B-
- Grade (curved)
- #201
- of 387 metros
- 48%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell is below-median composite Life Score — #201 of 387 (49.3/100, grade B-, 48th percentile). Carried by childcare at 97/100; held back most by rent at 13/100.
- 48th
- composite percentile
- #201
- of 387 peers
- 23rd
- cost dimension percentile
- 82nd
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · signature wages
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell: pay power is the signature
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell stamps MID · RENT-SQUEEZE with wages at the 82nd percentile of the metro corpus (HIGH) — ahead of its cost mark (DEAR, 23rd) and composite #201. Childcare (97/100) amplifies the lead; Rent (13/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ranks #201 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #299 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 100.1 (rent-RPP 111.0). BLS median salary $72,107, 2,837,930 jobs (Retail Salespersons, Fast Food and Counter Workers, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand). HUD 2BR FMR $1,820/mo (studio $1,585).
FBI UCR (GA): 300 violent, 1567 property/100K. NCES: 13.8:1 ratio, 4.0% charter. DOL infant childcare $6,591/yr. EPA: 23 Superfund sites (GA).
Where Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
49 48th percentile higher than 48% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 49.3 is built
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are GA state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell With...
Ranking Context
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell outranks 48% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #198 | York-Hanover, PA | 49.4 | B- |
| #199 | Jonesboro, AR | 49.4 | B- |
| #200 | Springfield, MO | 49.7 | B- |
| #201 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 49.3 | B- |
| #202 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 49.3 | B- |
| #203 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 49.2 | B- |
| #204 | Reno, NV | 49.2 | B- |
Quality vs. Affordability
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA is bottom 48% lowest-quality nationally but only bottom 23% least affordable among its composite-quality peers -- its Life Score is earned mostly outside the cost dimension, not through being a budget option.
GA Metro Scores
Read with Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell (MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
ABS(composite) peer at 49.3 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH.
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
ABS(composite) peer at 49.2 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH.
Reno, NV
ABS(composite) peer at 49.2 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH.
Jonesboro, AR
ABS(composite) peer at 49.4 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH.
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 23/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Kennewick-Richland, WA (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 23/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell's middle-third Life Score
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell scores 49.3/100 overall, but Childcare (97.4) and Rent (13.5) sit 83.9 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Childcare is the strongest of Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell's seven dimensions (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Rent is the weakest (weighted 15% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Dalton is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Dalton
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.