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Dunwoody, Georgia

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

64
Overall Score

Dunwoody, Georgia, located just north of Atlanta in DeKalb County, is a vibrant and affluent edge city known for its historic roots, beautiful parks, and thriving commercial centers. Originally a rural farming community settled in the 1830s around the Dunwoody Farmhouse, the area transformed significantly with the arrival of the railroad and later the development of Interstate 285. Today, Dunwoody operates as an incorporated city with a distinct sense of community, blending quiet, tree-lined residential neighborhoods with bustling commercial hubs like Perimeter Center. People frequently move to Dunwoody for its exceptional school options, proximity to major job markets, and a balanced suburban-urban lifestyle that offers both peace and convenience.

About Georgia

Georgia, a southeastern U.S. state, is characterized by its Southern charm, diverse landscapes ranging from mountains to coastline, and a rich cultural blend of Native American, African American, and European influences. The state boasts a thriving and diverse economy with major industries including technology, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture (leading in pecans and blueberries, significant in peanuts and peaches), and a growing film and television production sector. Living in Georgia generally offers a lower cost of living compared to the national average, with mild winters and long, hot, humid summers, supporting a lifestyle that often includes abundant outdoor activities and a strong sense of community.

51,500
Population
$78K
Avg Salary
118
Cost Index
64.3
Quality Score
How this 64/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them
Component Readings used Points Weight Contributes
Safety Safety score: 82 / 100 82.0 30% 24.6
Affordability Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 118.0 21.3 25% 5.3
Economy & jobs Median household income: $98,500 Income needed to live here: $62,000 Unemployment rate: 3.2% 91.8 20% 18.4
Growth Population growth rate: 0.8% Job growth rate: 2.2% 54.5 15% 8.2
Business climate assessment Business climate assessment: 78 / 100 78.0 10% 7.8
Overall score 64.2

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=54, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 15 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Quality Scores

Business
78
Livability
83
Affordability
85
Growth
76

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Dunwoody is notably higher than the national average, driven largely by housing demand, high-tier educational opportunities, and its desirable location within the Atlanta metropolitan area. While everyday goods, groceries, and utility costs align fairly closely with regional southeastern norms, housing and property costs skew significantly higher due to the desirability of the local neighborhoods. High median household incomes support these elevated costs, making it a sought-after destination for professionals and families willing to invest in premium suburban living.

Average Rent
$1,750/mo
Groceries
$420/mo
Transport
$130/mo
Utilities
$175/mo
Healthcare
$230/mo
Gym membership (monthly)
$55.00
Cinema ticket
$15.00
Restaurant meal (mid-range)
$25.00
Monthly groceries
$420.00
Doctor visit (without insurance)
$145.00

Salary Insights

Dunwoody boasts a robust and dynamic local economy, anchored heavily by the Perimeter Center commercial district, which serves as a major corporate and healthcare hub for Metro Atlanta. Key employment sectors include corporate management, finance, professional services, healthcare, and retail trade, with major employers such as Cox Enterprises and various regional corporate headquarters nearby. The city also features strong entrepreneurial backing and a growing remote work population who take advantage of local co-working spaces and easy access to central Atlanta.

The average salary in Dunwoody is $78,000 per year. You would need approximately $62,000 to live comfortably.

Top Industries

Retail Trade +1.50% Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services +2.40% Educational Services +1.20% Healthcare and Social Assistance +2.80% Finance and Insurance +2.00%

Climate

🌡️
63°F
Avg Temp
☀️
87°F
Summer High
❄️
36°F
Winter Low
🌧️
43.60"
Annual Rain
💧
68.00%
Humidity
🌤️
226
Sunny Days

Transport

Getting around Dunwoody relies heavily on personal vehicles due to its suburban layout, though it offers better transit connectivity than many surrounding areas via multiple MARTA rail stations (Perimeter and Dunwoody). The city's location right along I-285 and GA-400 provides direct highway access, though commuters frequently experience heavy rush hour congestion. Walkability varies widely, with highly walkable commercial cores surrounding the transit stations contrasting with strictly car-dependent residential subdivisions.

27 min
Avg Commute
54.00/10
Transit Score
48.00/10
Walkability
High
Car Dependency

Pros & Cons

Advantages
Consistently low crime rates with a dedicated local police department ensuring high community safety.
Prime location just north of Atlanta with direct access to I-285, GA-400, and multiple MARTA rail stations.
Abundant green spaces and outdoor amenities, including the 100-acre Brook Run Park and Dunwoody Nature Center.
Thriving economic hub at Perimeter Center offering robust local employment and corporate headquarters.
Exceptional local community engagement, highly rated events, and vibrant neighborhood culture.
Drawbacks
Significantly higher cost of living and housing prices compared to the national and state averages.
Heavy traffic congestion during peak commuting hours along major corridors like I-285 and Ashford Dunwoody Road.
High car dependency in residential neighborhoods outside of the immediate Perimeter commercial core.
Competitive real estate market with rising home purchase costs that can price out first-time buyers.
Property tax rates reflective of DeKalb County services and local municipal funding needs.

Questions about Dunwoody

What people ask about living in and moving to Dunwoody, Georgia.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.
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