Alpharetta, Georgia – Atlanta’s Best Suburb

Living in Alpharetta, Georgia

Alpharetta’s Location

Alpharetta is just about thirty minutes out of downtown Atlanta. Located to the north of the Atlanta Metro Area, Alpharetta is a great place to live if you enjoy heading up to Tennessee or any of the other great attractions further north, as it gives you a little head start. You can get to most parts of Atlanta in under an hour if you live in Alpharetta, but you will enjoy a quieter, more suburban life. Sometimes the traffic heading into the city might get busy, but it’s never as dense as the traffic in many other big cities.

Walkability of Alpharetta, GA

Alpharetta is one of the most walkable suburbs of Atlanta. More than thirty locally owned restaurants can be found downtown, and almost as many small shops and boutiques. Because of the great walkability, downtown Alpharetta is a fantastic place to spend an afternoon or lazy Sunday just strolling around to see what you can find.

There is almost always something going on downtown like the farmers market in the summer, Taste of Alpharetta in May, and even a couple of beer festivals throughout the warmer months.

Learn More: Pros & Cons of Living in Atlanta

Transportation in Alpharetta

Atlanta is a city that really requires a car, and Alpharetta is the same. There is a bus system in Alpharetta, but it’s even more spotty than the buses in Atlanta. Even though Alpharetta is considered to be very walkable as far as suburbs go, you still probably can’t actually walk from your home to downtown or the Avalon. (Well, if you live there, then you can, but let’s assume you don’t.)

There are so many great things about living in the Atlanta area, but public transportation just isn’t one of them.

The Avalon

The Avalon is a large, family friendly community where residents and visitors can gather, dine, shop, and just enjoy this beautiful part of town. Within its 86 acres you’ll find a movie theater, conference center, hotel, and even luxury homes. This part of town is not only a popular shopping destination but a perfect place to rent office space for personal or business use.

Much like downtown Alpharetta, The Avalon is host to a variety of events and gatherings throughout the year. For many of the festivals and gatherings, the local shops get into the spirit offering themed specials on drinks and food. Luck of Avalon, Mardi Gras, comedy shows…the list goes on. You can check out what is new and upcoming on The Avalon website.

Alpharetta Housing Prices

The average home price in Alpharetta is about $440,000, but you can still absolutely find something nice in this area for less. For about $365,000 you should be able to find a home that is spacious and move in ready. It might not be as large and updated as some of the other homes in the area, but even older and smaller homes in Alpharetta are beautiful.

You likely won’t find anything in the lower $300,000 range if you are looking to buy in Alpharetta. If you do, your options will be more limited, and the competition will be more aggressive. The smaller and older homes in Alpharetta might be listed as-is, needing renovation or upgrades. Most of the homes listed in the area are considered to be move-in ready, though, so even if you want to do upgrades down the road, you can move in right away.

One of the only downsides of Alpharetta is its expensive rent. While it’s actually surprisingly affordable to buy a home in Alpharetta, this isn’t the case for renting. Rent prices are high and you won’t get very much when it comes to the living space. This is an area that supports and builds off of a safe, family friendly environment. It’s clear the idea is to buy and stay, not bounce around and rent space after space. If you know you want to rent, you will probably have better luck in a different Atlanta suburb.

Schools in Alpharetta

Alpharetta is a family friendly place to live, and one of the biggest reasons for this is because of its great public school system. Though private education may be the right fit for some families, attending public school is a great way to be a part of your community and put to use those tax dollars you are paying! Alpharetta has been ranked 12th in the state for best public schools and has one of the highest concentrations of top ranked schools in all of Georgia.

Safety

You can probably already see where this one is going. With beautiful neighborhoods, a family friendly environment, and great schools, the safety rating of Alpharetta is high as well. Violent crimes in Alpharetta are 84% lower than the national average. The city as a whole receives an A ranking in public safety. For the most part, the only crime in the area is vandalism and theft now and then, but absolutely no city is going to experience zero crime.

Looking to move to Alpharetta, Georgia?

If you want to live in a beautiful, walkable suburb where you will never run out of things to do, be close to the city, and have great schools and housing options, Alpharetta just might be the best Atlanta suburb for you. Even if you don’t have a family, this friendly, community-centric town is a safe and rewarding place to call home.

Are you thinking of calling Alpharetta home? If so, reach out to me at Marc Brenner Realty, I would love to help you find your next home in the Atlanta area.