Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety51#457/924
Economy50#465/925
Housing6#872/925
Health72#261/925
Healthcare50#458/923
Environment39#557/917
Education81#175/925
Infrastructure71#270/925
Community19#753/925
Leisure & amenities87#124/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Gyms and fitness centers · high2.1 /10k
97/100Georgia 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · high43.2%
94/100Georgia 35.0%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Suicide rate · low12.1 /100k
91/100Georgia 14.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Job growth · high1.9%
89/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Some college · high72.1%
88/100Georgia 65.6%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · low3.1%
88/100Georgia 3.4%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.503
4/100Georgia 0.477United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Rent as share of income · high34.2%
6/100Georgia 31.3%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · high57.0%
7/100Georgia 52.4%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Severe housing problems · high18.3%
12/100Georgia 15.2%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Poverty rate · high19.6%
12/100Georgia 12.8%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Cost of buying a home today · high41.8%
13/100Georgia 31.1%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 61% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+61 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
29.0% (Dec 2021) → 41.8% (Aug 2026)
+13 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.2% (2015-2019) → 91.7% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedWorsening
8.5 /1k (2021) → 4.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−52%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Homicide rateImproving
7.7 /100k (2021) → 3.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−50%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Firearm deathsImproving
17.9 /100k (2021) → 10.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−40%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area improved on 16 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 4 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Household income+39%$47,214 → $65,608
Child poverty−6.3 points25.1% → 18.8%
Grocery stores+13%1.6 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Gyms+29%1.6 /10k → 2.1 /10k
Poverty−2.4 points22.0% → 19.6%

Declined8

Transit use−1.6 points2.8% → 1.2%
Overdose deaths+38%15.1 /100k → 20.9 /100k
Homicides+28%3.0 /100k → 3.8 /100k
Price / income+0.9×3.8× → 4.7×
Commute+1.8 min21.8 min → 23.5 min

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.7 /10k2020	5.2 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	55%
Average commute time	21.8 min2015-2019	23.5 min2020-2024	+1.8 min	Declined	15%
Average weekly wage	$9392020	$1,1102025	+18%	Improved	12%
Bachelor's degree or higher	39.4%2015-2019	43.2%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Improved	74%
Broadband subscriptions	81.2%2015-2019	91.7%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	67%
Child poverty rate	25.1%2015-2019	18.8%2020-2024	−6.3 points	Improved	85%
Distance to an airport	65 mi2020	65 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	10%
Drug overdose deaths	15.1 /100k2020	20.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+38%	Declined	11%
Effective property tax rate	0.88%2015-2019	0.77%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	45%
Firearm deaths	10.4 /100k2020	10.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+3.9%	Little change	43%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	82%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.6 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+29%	Improved	79%
High school diploma or higher	87.8%2015-2019	90.0%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	4.7×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	14%
Homicide rate	3.0 /100k2020	3.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+28%	Declined	9%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,9132019	$60,6382024	+32%	Improved	54%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5092015-2019	0.5032020-2024	−0.006	Within the margin of error	73%
Median household income	$47,2142015-2019	$65,6082020-2024	+39%	Improved	94%
New business applications	13.1 /1k2020	14.5 /1k2025	+11%	Improved	8%
Pharmacies	2.3 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	36%
Poverty rate	22.0%2015-2019	19.6%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Improved	80%
Property crime rate	2,327 /100k2020	1,639 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	41%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−4.7%	Little change	25%
Public transit commuters	2.8%2015-2019	1.2%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Declined	8%
Rent as share of income	33.6%2015-2019	34.2%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Rent-burdened households	55.3%2015-2019	57.0%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Restaurants and bars	9.1 /10k2020	9.6 /10k2025	+6.1%	Improved	69%
Suicide rate	10.3 /100k2020	12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+18%	Declined	28%
Traffic deaths	11.6 /100k2015-2019	14.2 /100k2020-2024	+22%	Declined	26%
Unemployment rate	5.4%2020	3.1%2025	−2.3 points	Improved	31%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.1%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Improved	78%
Violent crime rate	389 /100k2020	268 /100k2025	−31%	Improved	77%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area itself moved −0.2 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

220,197 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

86,101 households (±752)

Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area
United States share

Under $25k20%17,309
$25k–50k20%17,370
$50k–75k15%12,638

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

86,101 households (±752)

Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area
United States share

Own56%47,934
Rent44%38,167

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.5 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

105,994 workers (±1,625)

Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area
United States share

Drive alone74%78,193
Carpool7.2%7,622
Public transit1.2%1,257

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Athens-Clarke County, GA employ 21,760 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Athens-Clarke County, GA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers3,490 jobs	3,490	$24,220US $31,200	−22%	1.47×
Retail Salespersons2,810 jobs	2,810	$29,240US $35,410	−17%	1.17×
Registered Nurses2,400 jobs	2,400	$82,200US $97,550	−16%	1.15×
Cashiers2,120 jobs	2,120	$28,130US $32,880	−14%	1.11×
Waiters and Waitresses2,030 jobs	2,030	$21,090US $35,230	−40%	1.45×
Office Clerks, General1,880 jobs	1,880	$41,220US $45,010	−8%	1.24×
General and Operations Managers1,830 jobs	1,830	$81,830US $105,770	−23%	0.85×
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General1,830 jobs	1,830	$39,150US $49,590	−21%	1.94×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand1,800 jobs	1,800	$38,210US $40,240	−5%	0.99×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,570 jobs	1,570	$34,600US $37,330	−7%	0.9×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Athens-Clarke County, GA has 5,372 employer establishments, 241 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248), with 73,654 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,717. The Census Bureau also counts 20,514 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 5,372; 20,514 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 241; US 248
Paid employees: 73,654
Average annual pay: $49,717; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Athens-Clarke County, GA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	612	27.5	1.32×More than typical	6,434	$77,838	1,047
Restaurants and other eating places	409	18.4	1.00×About typical	9,752	$18,961	90
Lessors of real estate	334	15	1.22×About typical	2,138	$56,230	1,860
Specialty trade contractors	282	12.7	0.82×About typical	2,212	$65,175	1,361
Offices of physicians	230	10.3	1.60×More than typical	3,288	$103,399	173
Limited-service restaurants	187	8.4	1.05×About typical	4,555	$18,342	38
Services to buildings and dwellings	182	8.2	1.21×About typical	1,385	$36,453	1,619
Offices of other health practitioners	175	7.9	1.29×More than typical	729	$44,534	478
Construction of buildings	163	7.3	0.97×About typical	1,170	$87,641	715
Full-service restaurants	159	7.1	0.93×About typical	4,290	$20,424	35
Religious organizations	158	7.1	1.28×More than typical	1,316	$22,164	—
Real estate agents and brokers	145	6.5	1.34×More than typical	248	$50,214	498

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 222,651 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $106.5M on contracts performed in Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area: $475 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $106.5M; −4.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $475; US $1,995
Sole-source: 22%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.1%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$27.1M25%
Environmental Protection Agency$23.3M22%
Federal Acquisition Service$19.8M19%
Agricultural Research Service$9.2M8.6%
Public Buildings Service$7M6.6%
National Institutes of Health$5.1M4.8%
Food Safety and Inspection Service$4.1M3.8%
Department of the Army$3M2.9%

Top recipients

AMERICAN MATERIAL HANDLING, INC.$53.4M50%
PUYENPA CONSTRUCTION, LLC$18.6M17%
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.$7M6.6%
SOUTH DADE AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION INC$7M6.6%
CAS FSE JV II LLC$5.5M5.1%

Spending by fiscal year

198.7MFY2017
47.3MFY2018
51MFY2019
61.1MFY2020
66.7MFY2021
80.3MFY2022
92.7MFY2023
99.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$41M39%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$18.9M18%
Facilities support services · 5612$13.8M13%
Motor vehicle manufacturing · 3361$12.1M11%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$7.1M6.7%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345

Largest awards

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.4B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area: $6,037 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.4B; +1.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,037; US $12,975
Loan face value: $50.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$701.5M52%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$86.7M6.4%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$86M6.4%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$68.2M5.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$54.3M4.0%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$51.1M3.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$34.9M2.6%
93.859 · Biomedical Research and Research Training$19.2M1.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.$156.2M12%
ATHENS, GA
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$86.2M6.4%
ATLANTA, GA
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA$43.5M3.2%
ATHENS, GA
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA$25.9M1.9%
ATHENS, GA
ATHENS TECH COLLEGE$9.4M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$877.4M65%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$101.9M7.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$86.5M6.4%
Department of Transportation
National Institutes of Health$73.6M5.4%
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

1.2BFY2021
994.5MFY2022
1.2BFY2023
1.3BFY2024
1.3BFY2025
1.4BFY2026

County aggregates

73%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Athens-Clarke County, GA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Athens-Clarke CountyPrincipal city127,345

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Georgia

Areas based in Georgia, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M12020

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Athens-Clarke County, GA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Georgia

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined8

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought