The cost of housing in Atlanta has gone up significantly over the last few years. That doesn’t mean there are no affordable neighborhoods in Atlanta left. When I published the video this post is built from, in June 2024, I could still point to five areas where a move-in ready home was on the market for under $300,000.
For each one, I describe the area and show a real listing that was live when I filmed. Every price below is an asking price from mid-2024, not a current price. For the bigger picture on moving here, see my guide to relocating to Atlanta.
What to expect under $300,000
None of these five neighborhoods are technically in the city of Atlanta. One of them is inside the perimeter, meaning inside I-285, the highway loop around the city. That’s ITP (inside the perimeter), and areas outside it are OTP. All five are in metro Atlanta, and all are a reasonable commute into town. For more on how ITP and OTP shape the map, see my Atlanta neighborhoods explained guide.
At this price, expect homes on the smaller side without many modern updates. If your budget is a bit higher, your dollar goes even further here.
Like most Atlanta neighborhoods, all five are a mixed bag. Some areas are technically higher crime, and depending on the homes and foot traffic on a street, you may want to avoid them. I also guarantee there are pockets in every one of these neighborhoods that are extremely safe and family-friendly, with kids playing outside and no abandoned houses. Atlanta is very micro. It comes down to street by street, so you need to know the area well or work with a professional who does.
None of this is going to be perfect. The schools in these neighborhoods are not going to be a home run, which is what you should expect at this budget in the Atlanta area. Spend time in any of these before you buy. I’ve had clients on both sides: some loved an area and bought happily, and others found it a miss, because it wasn’t for them or they landed in the wrong part of town.
1. East Point, Hapeville and College Park (the Tri-Cities)
You’re probably tired of hearing me talk about the Tri-Cities. I’ve been talking about them for as long as I’ve had this YouTube channel, mainly because they’re inside the perimeter, so you’re close to the best amenities Atlanta has to offer. Midtown is about 25 to 30 minutes away and Buckhead about 35. This is South Atlanta, so the airport is right there, which is a huge convenience if you travel for work or work in the airline industry.
The homes here also have more character than almost anywhere else around Atlanta. Think high ceilings, broad front porches, brick fireplaces, thick crown molding and heart pine floors. I like that style, though you may not. I’m not saying you’ll find a classic one in good shape under $300,000, but you’re less likely to see the cookie-cutter options you find in some of the suburbs.
The three towns differ. Hapeville is known as an artist-focused neighborhood. East Point has a nice little downtown. College Park is very diverse, with multi-million dollar homes in some parts and some areas you may want to avoid.
The listing: 10006 Glendale Drive in East Point, listed at $274,900 when I filmed. It’s a three-bedroom, one-bath, 1,176-square-foot home. It has real hardwood floors, archways common in this area, an old-school door and picture windows. It also has granite countertops, dated cabinets, wood paneling most people would want to replace, and yellow tile in the bathroom. The home is move-in ready, and the big selling point is an expansive yard that isn’t completely fenced, with a driveway that runs all the way to the back.
It’s also in Jefferson Park, which is the part of East Point best known for families. When you drive through, there are kids playing, and it’s a tight-knit community. I’d have no reservations recommending it. For $274,900 you could be inside the perimeter, in a safe area close to the airport, in a cute home that doesn’t need much work. That’s why East Point is on this list.
2. Mableton
Mableton is one of the best options if you’re on a tighter budget and commuting into town. The commute from the west side is typically better than from the other directions, mostly because there are more rural pockets and less congestion. There’s still a lot of traffic, but the home I show has an easy commute.
Mableton is more of a suburban, rural area just outside the perimeter to the west, not far from Six Flags. It’s in Cobb County, which is desirable for a lot of people, and roughly equidistant to the amenities north and south of the perimeter. From the home I show, I’d estimate 15 to 20 minutes to the airport, 15 to 20 minutes to the Battery (where the Braves play) and 20 to 25 minutes to the heart of the city.
The downside is that there’s not a ton going on in Mableton itself, and it doesn’t have a bustling downtown. It’s very quiet. I have personal friends who live here and haven’t had safety issues. It made the list on value.
The listing: a three-bedroom, two-bath home of about 1,700 square feet, listed at $285,000 when I filmed. The first thing I noticed is a two-car garage, which is harder to get inside the perimeter on a budget and extremely important to a lot of people. It also has no HOA, which is desirable if you don’t want the extra cost or someone telling you what you can and can’t do. The finishes are dated, including the floors, the appliances and the cabinetry. But it looks fairly well maintained and move-in ready, and you could do repairs as you go.
On the map view, it’s very close to the perimeter on the west side, a breeze into town and an easy commute almost anywhere ITP. It’s extremely close to Vinings, an expensive and popular area with a cute little downtown, and convenient to the airport, Smyrna and Marietta. If you want a quieter atmosphere and need a garage or a bit of land, Mableton belongs on your radar. A lot of development is going on here, and I thought in 2024 that it would grow quite a bit over the next 5 to 10 years.
3. Conyers
You probably don’t watch many YouTube videos about Conyers, Georgia. But if you need to be a certain distance from the city and you’re working with a budget, I think it belongs on your radar. It doesn’t get a lot of love. To me it’s a working-class area on the east side with a larger Hispanic population. It’s popular with middle-class workers who commute into town. Like Mableton, it’s convenient to town, with a bit more traffic.
There may be some rough patches, but I’ve spent quite a bit of time there and wouldn’t have many safety concerns. The tradeoff on things to do: you’ll find a lot of strip malls with the basics, like grocery stores, TJ Maxx and Target. You won’t have an amazing downtown nearby, so the draw is going into the city. Of everything on this list, it has some of the most value.
The listing: 1589 Broad Street Northeast, listed at $264,500 when I filmed. It’s a four-bedroom, two-bath home built in 1990. It looks renovated to some degree and has nice curb appeal and a front porch. It’s move-in ready, with more renovations than any other home on my list. The airport isn’t far, and the north side of town is a little further but not that far.
This one also had a possible better deal than advertised. The description said the sellers were offering a 1% buy down on the rate, and the home had been on the market for 30-plus days. A buy down means the seller pays to lower your mortgage interest rate. That’s a chance to get a better deal than the advertised price. If you want to be outside the city but still near the popular amenities, Conyers should be on your radar.
4. Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain is more of a mixed bag than any other neighborhood on this list. There are high-end areas where safety shouldn’t be a concern at all, and other parts where, let’s just say, that wouldn’t be the case. But there’s good value, and it’s incredibly convenient to the city, just outside the perimeter.
Stone Mountain itself is a popular amenity, mainly for hiking and camping. In winter they do a “snow mountain,” which is pretty funny to someone from the Northeast, and I think there’s a laser show in the summer months.
The listing: 5442 Redwood Court, listed at $300,000 when I filmed. It’s a three-bedroom, two-bath home with a pretty big staircase at the front. That style isn’t for everyone. Some people like it and some don’t. It’s move-in ready, with a good bit of space, a two-car garage and a nice-sized lot with room for kids or dogs.
I’ve had clients both ways here. Some bought and are extremely happy, and others were suggested Stone Mountain on a budget, went, and it was a miss for them. Sometimes they went to the wrong part of Stone Mountain. Go spend time there and see whether you’re comfortable. This listing is a typical starter home, like most on this list.
5. Douglasville
Douglasville is a big area, a bit further out to the west than Mableton. It has really convenient access to I-20, which takes you directly into town, so it’s an easy commute to the airport, Six Flags, Smyrna, Vinings, the Battery and downtown Marietta.
I mention Douglasville fairly often for value plays, because multiple friends of mine live here and have nothing but positive things to say. You can also get a good bit of land here within a reasonable budget. Any time a client wants a larger parcel of land, I may mention Douglasville. The downside is that amenities in Douglasville itself are limited, so the idea is convenience to amenities in nearby neighborhoods.
The listing: 4242 Clear View Drive, listed at $279,999 when I filmed. It’s a three-bedroom, two-bath, one-level ranch of about 1,300 square feet on half an acre. It’s definitely a starter home. It has a carport, a good-sized front yard and a little front porch. Inside there are cheaper laminate floors, some nice exposed brick, a small kitchen with quartz or granite countertops and newer cabinetry, carpet that looks new, and fairly updated bathrooms. There’s also what looks like a sunroom in the back, which is great to have in Georgia.
I like to mention this one when a client has a more limited budget but wants a nice piece of land and doesn’t mind being somewhere rural.
The takeaway
None of these areas is perfect, and the homes aren’t either. But they’re all extremely convenient if you need to be close to Atlanta, all move-in ready, and all have multiple very safe pockets. I also think all five will increase significantly in value over time.
If your budget is closer to $400,000, these neighborhoods are still worth your time, and you can do a good bit better than what I showed. I may keep this series going up in price, to the middle of the road and then to luxury. To keep exploring, read about Atlanta neighborhoods, or see how buying a home in Atlanta works. And if you want to work with a relocation specialist who has helped a lot of people move here from out of state and find the right neighborhood for their family, get in touch with me to set up a Zoom call. I love when my viewers become clients.