City Profile

Marietta, Georgia

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Marietta, Georgia, located just northwest of Atlanta, is a historic city known for its rich Civil War heritage, charming Victorian town square, and vibrant community spirit. Founded in the 1830s along the Western & Atlantic Railroad, the city quickly grew as a major transportation and manufacturing hub. Today, Marietta balances its deep historical roots with a thriving modern economy, excellent schools, and a bustling downtown square featuring local dining, boutiques, and community festivals. People are drawn to Marietta for its suburban tranquility combined with easy access to the economic engines of the greater Atlanta metropolitan area.

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.

60,987

Population

$72K

Avg Salary

104

Cost Index

60.1

Quality Score

How this 60/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 70 / 100	70.0	30%	21.0
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 104.0	38.8	25%	9.7
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $74,500 Income needed to live here: $60,000 Unemployment rate: 3.4%	68.9	20%	13.8
Growth	Population growth rate: 0.8% Job growth rate: 2.4%	56.5	15%	8.5
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 72 / 100	72.0	10%	7.2
Overall score				60.1

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=52, 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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Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Marietta tends to be slightly higher than the national average, primarily driven by strong demand for housing in the suburban Atlanta market. While utility and transportation costs remain relatively moderate, prospective residents will find that property values and rental rates reflect the area's desirability, good school districts, and proximity to major employment centers. However, everyday expenses such as groceries and healthcare generally align reasonably well with regional southern averages.

Average Rent

$1,650/mo

Groceries

$420/mo

Transport

$115/mo

Utilities

$175/mo

Healthcare

$240/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$45.00

Cinema ticket

$13.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$20.00

Monthly groceries

$380.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$140.00

Income

Salary Insights

Marietta boasts a robust and diversified economy anchored by key sectors such as aerospace, healthcare, education, and professional services. Major employers like Lockheed Martin provide a strong manufacturing and engineering backbone, while Wellstar Health System anchors the thriving healthcare infrastructure. The city's proximity to Atlanta also supports a significant remote work and commuting population, offering strong median incomes and steady job growth in professional and technical fields.

The average salary in Marietta is $72,000 per year. You would need approximately $60,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Education +1.80% Healthcare +3.20% Aerospace & Defense +1.90% Professional Services +2.60% Retail & Hospitality +1.50%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

63°F

Avg Temp

☀️

87°F

Summer High

❄️

35°F

Winter Low

🌧️

42.30"

Annual Rain

💧

68.00%

Humidity

🌤️

232

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Getting around Marietta is heavily car-dependent, with major thoroughfares like I-75 and State Route 120 connecting residents to the broader Atlanta metro region. While public transit options are somewhat limited, Cobb County Transit (CCT) provides bus services linking key local commercial hubs. Walkability is notably high around the historic Marietta Square, though most suburban residential areas require a vehicle for daily commuting and errands.

28 min

Avg Commute

42.00/10

Transit Score

45.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Historic downtown Marietta Square offers vibrant dining, shopping, and community events year-round.

Proximity to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park provides exceptional hiking and outdoor recreation.

Strong local economy anchored by major employers like Lockheed Martin and Wellstar Health System.

Cobb County School District is highly rated, making the area exceptionally popular for families.

Strategic location just northwest of Atlanta provides easy access to big-city amenities while retaining suburban charm.

Drawbacks

Traffic congestion along major corridors like I-75 and Loop 128 can be heavy during peak commuting hours.

Cost of living and housing prices are notably higher than the national average and rural Georgia.

Public transportation options are limited, making car ownership practically essential for daily life.

Summers can be persistently hot and humid, limiting comfortable outdoor activity during peak afternoons.

Rapid regional growth has driven up housing and rental costs, increasing pressure on first-time buyers.

Head to Head

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Community Q&A

Questions about Marietta

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

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Gathering the most common questions about Marietta…

FAQ

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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