PlainCompare

Metro Life Score

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

43.7
Life Score / 100
C
Grade (curved)
#283
of 387 metros
27%
of metros outranked

Data updated May 2026

Verify: BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · Census

The verdict

Atlanta ranks #283 of 387 US metros, ahead of 27% - carried by its childcare (97/100) and held back most by environment (5/100).

97
strongest: Childcare
77
then: Wages
5
weakest: Environment
7
weighted dimensions

Where Atlanta sits among all US metros

Composite Life Score vs the national field

44 27th percentile higher than 27% of 387 US metros

25–30: 1 US metros (0%). Below this entry. 30–35: 16 US metros (4%). Below this entry. 35–40: 46 US metros (12%). Below this entry. 40–45: 53 US metros (14%). This entry sits in this band. 45–50: 81 US metros (21%). Above this entry. 50–55: 67 US metros (17%). Above this entry. 55–60: 68 US metros (18%). Above this entry. 60–65: 40 US metros (10%). Above this entry. 65–70: 12 US metros (3%). Above this entry. 70–75: 3 US metros (1%). Above this entry. This metro 25 75 every US metro, bucketed by value

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 · May 2026

How the score is built

Reading the Atlanta Life Score

Atlanta's composite score of 43.7 out of 100, a grade of C, places the metro at rank #283 of 387, ahead of 27% of US metros. The strongest inputs are Childcare (97/100) and Wages (77/100), which pull the composite upward, while Environment (5/100) and Rent (13/100) drag it downward. (How the weighting works.)

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: 14.4:1 ratio, 4.2% charter. DOL infant childcare $6,591/yr. EPA: 23 Superfund sites (GA). Ranks #280-#286 below.

Dimension detail

How Atlanta scores, dimension by dimension

Score Breakdown

Cost of Living Wages Rent Safety Schools Childcare Environment

Dimension Scores

Cost of Living 23/100 (20%)
Wages 77/100 (20%)
Rent 13/100 (15%)
Safety 56/100 (15%)
Schools 32/100 (10%)
Childcare 97/100 (10%)
Environment 5/100 (10%)

Key Data Points

100.1
Cost Index (RPP)
$72,107
Avg Median Salary
$1,820
2BR Fair Market Rent
300
Violent Crime/100K (GA)
14.4:1
Student-Teacher Ratio
$6,591
Infant Childcare/yr (GA)
23
Superfund Sites (GA)
2,837,930
Total Employment

Crime, schools, childcare, and environment data shown at state level where metro-specific data is unavailable.

Compare Atlanta With...

Atlanta vs Valdosta Compare → Atlanta vs Dalton Compare → Atlanta vs Warner Robins Compare → Atlanta vs Wildwood Compare → Atlanta vs Waterloo Compare → Atlanta vs Paducah Compare →

Ranking Context

Atlanta outranks 27% of U.S. metros.

Rank Metro Score Grade
#280 Ann Arbor, MI 44.0 C
#281 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 44.2 C
#282 Lebanon, PA 44.2 C
#283 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 43.7 C
#284 Redding, CA 43.7 C
#285 New Haven, CT 43.6 C
#286 Urban Honolulu, HI 43.6 C

GA Metro Scores

Valdosta, GA B+ 57.7 Dalton, GA B+ 56.9 Warner Robins, GA B+ 55.6 Rome, GA B+ 55.5 Columbus, GA-AL B 55.1 Albany, GA B 54.3

Using Atlanta's Life Score

Atlanta is a regional baseline, not a neighborhood reading, use it to shortlist, then dig into the dimensions that matter to you.

  • Its strongest dimension is childcare (97/100) and its weakest is environment (5/100) - weigh those against your own priorities. How the score is built
  • Put Atlanta head-to-head against another metro before you decide, every dimension, side by side. Compare metros
  • See where Atlanta lands on the national rankings for cost, safety, pay and more. Browse rankings

Scores summarize federal data at the metro level; crime, schools and cost vary widely within a single metro.

Explore more

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Atlanta's biggest strengths? ▼
Atlanta's strongest dimensions are Childcare (97/100), Wages (77/100), Safety (56/100). Childcare is top-tier nationally.
What are Atlanta's weakest areas? ▼
Atlanta's lowest-scoring dimensions are Environment (5/100), Rent (13/100), Cost of Living (23/100). Environment weighs heavily on the composite.
How expensive is Atlanta compared to the national average? ▼
Atlanta's Regional Price Parity is 100.1 (0.1% more than national); rent RPP 111.0.
What is the average salary in Atlanta? ▼
Atlanta median salary: $72,107, 2,837,930 jobs. Top: Retail Salespersons, Fast Food and Counter Workers, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
How is the life score calculated? ▼
Atlanta's 43.7/100 blends 7 federal-data dimensions - see our methodology page for the weighting.

Research Guides

Data from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OES, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Not affiliated with the U.S. Government.

Related

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCompare Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - multi-dimension demographic + housing + income aggregates for cross-area comparison. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BEA Regional Economic Accounts - GDP, personal income, employment by state and metro. bea.gov/data/regional
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) - wage estimates for comparable-area indexing. bls.gov/oes
  • FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - crime statistics for safety-score component. fbi.gov/ucr
  • NCES Common Core of Data - public-school quality indicators by area. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • EPA AirNow + Air Quality System (AQS) - air-quality measurements by area. epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county and metro housing-cost indicators. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr

Every figure on PlainCompare is loaded directly from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OEWS, NCES, DOL, EPA, and the Census Bureau, no number is typed in by an editor. This metro's Life Score is computed directly from the 7 federal sources cited above. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.