15 Safest Cities in Georgia [2023 Data]

Georgia is home to almost 11 million people, and it’s no surprise if you’re considering joining them in the Peach State. Whether you’re an architecture buff who wants to be closer to Savannah or an aquatics hobbyist who wants to make visiting the third largest aquarium in the world a weekly habit, there’s a place for you in Georgia.

For many people, safety is top of mind in a home search. That’s why we gathered data on 60 cities in Georgia with the highest populations and evaluated them based on:

 

• County violent crime rate

• County property crime rate

• County FEMA National Risk Index

• City USA.com crime rating

• City cost of living

• City median income

• City poverty rate

• City population density

 

These factors helped give us insight into how safe a community is and an idea of the quality of life for its residents. For more information on how we decided which cities are safest in Georgia, check out our methodology section below.

 

 

 

1. Evans, Georgia

 

 

County: Columbia

Population: 34,536

County Violent Crime Rate: 15 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 6.68

 

Evans is a small city on the outskirts of Augusta near the South Carolina border. It was named the Best Place to Live by Money magazine, so it’s not surprising that it tops our list of the safest cities in Georgia.

Evans earned its spot due to having the lowest property crime rate, third lowest violent crime rate, and fourth lowest FEMA risk on our list. On top of this, the poverty rate is less than 5%, making Evans a great choice for your next home.

 

2. Martinez, Georgia

 

 

County: Columbia

Population: 34,535

County Violent Crime Rate: 15 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 6.68

 

Martinez is a city nestled between Evans and Augusta. It has the lowest property crime and third lowest violent crime rate on our list. The population density is quite high compared to the other cities we studied, which brings it to number two on our list.

Martinez is home to the start of the Augusta Canal and the dam that powers numerous industries in Georgia. This fuels Martinez’s employment rate, which is 4.7% higher than the national average.

 

3. St. Marys, Georgia

 

 

County: Camden

Population: 18,256

County Violent Crime Rate: 13 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 6.72

 

St. Marys is a small city on the border of Florida. It has the lowest violent crime and fourth lowest property crime rate on our list. However, the poverty rate is relatively high at 18.4%, which is why it’s the third safest city in Georgia according to our research.

St. Marys is very close to the shores of the East River and Cumberland Island, which make it an ideal home if you dream of living near the beach.

 

4. Kingsland, Georgia

 

 

County: Camden

Population: 18,337

County Violent Crime Rate: 13 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 6.72

 

If you’re looking for a more coastal lifestyle without the flooding risk of living right on the Atlantic, Kingsland is the perfect city for you. Fernandina Beach in Florida is just a half-hour drive away and Cumberland Island is nearby, too.

Kingsland has the lowest violent crime rate, fourth lowest property crime rate, and sixth lowest FEMA rank. The poverty rate is relatively high at 16.9%, which makes Kingsland the fourth safest city in Georgia.

 

5. Peachtree City, Georgia

 

 

County: Fayette

Population: 38,244

County Violent Crime Rate: 78 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 5.83

 

Peachtree City earns its spot as the fifth safest city in Georgia due to its very low natural disaster risk and relatively low violent and property crime rates. In fact, it has the lowest FEMA risk rating on our list.

Peachtree City is a planned community, meaning that quality and ease of daily life is top of mind in its design. Consider moving to this safe city located just south of Atlanta to learn firsthand why almost 40,000 people choose to call it home.

 

6. Hinesville, Georgia

 

 

County: Liberty

Population: 34,891

County Violent Crime Rate: 22 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 6.16

 

Hinesville is a small city located just over an hour outside Savannah. Hinesville is a great place to live in if you’d love to be close to Savannah while returning home to a quieter community.

Hinesville earns the rank of sixth safest city in Georgia due to its low crime rates and a cost of living that’s 21.8% below the national average.

 

7. Fayetteville, Georgia

 

 

County: Fayette

Population: 18,957

County Violent Crime Rate: 78 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 5.83

 

Fayetteville is a small city about 45 minutes south of Atlanta. It’s a hub of media production and the home of Trilith Studios. Here, the studio produces many popular movies and shows, including several Marvel franchises .

Fayetteville earns the title of seventh safest city in Georgia despite its relatively high cost of living because it has the lowest National Risk Index score (tied with Peachtree City). This means Fayetteville is a fantastic place to move if you’re concerned about natural disaster risk.

 

8. Sugar Hill, Georgia

 

 

County: Gwinnett

Population: 25,076

County Violent Crime Rate: 46 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 15.46

 

Sugar Hill is on the border of Buford, Georgia. Its violent crime and property crime rates are the same as the next city on our list, Suwanee, with a slightly lower median income, which brings it to the eighth spot on our list.

The city of Sugar Hill is currently constructing the Sugar Hill Greenway and Western Gwinnett Bikeway, and has close proximity to many parks, making it the ideal choice for city dwellers who enjoy weekend trips in nature.

 

9. Suwanee, Georgia

 

 

County: Gwinnett

Population: 20,786

County Violent Crime Rate: 46 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 15.46

 

Suwanee is a smaller city situated between Duluth and Sugar Hill. In the late 1860s, Suwanee built a depot along the Georgia Air Line Railroad, which facilitated the growth of the city, as there was a direct line to Atlanta.

Today, Suwanee has the seventh lowest violent and property crime rates on our list. It also has the eighth highest median income, which is $99,022. This earns Suwanee the title of ninth safest city in Georgia.

 

10. Snellville, Georgia

 

 

County: Gwinnett

Population: 20,573

County Violent Crime Rate: 46 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 15.46

 

Snellville has relatively low poverty, violent crime, and property crime rates, which earn it the 10th spot on our list.

This city is just 25 miles from Atlanta. It’s also the home of the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, which makes Snellville ideal for anyone who wants to be in close proximity to the arts.

 

11. Duluth, Georgia

 

 

County: Gwinnett

Population: 31,873

County Violent Crime Rate: 46 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 15.46

 

Duluth is a great city in Georgia for nature lovers and city slickers alike. It’s seated right between Atlanta and Lake Lanier, which makes it ideal for anyone who wants the best of both worlds.

In 1989, Duluth was named the Tree City, signifying its dedication to protecting and growing green space for its residents. Duluth has the seventh lowest property and violent crime rates on our list despite a high population density, which brings it to 11th on our list.

 

12. Woodstock, Georgia

 

 

County: Cherokee

Population: 35,065

County Violent Crime Rate: 108 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 10.33

 

Woodstock is a city in the Atlanta metropolitan area with lots of potential for your next home. Woodstock features the Greenprints Trail System, which has over 14 miles of multiuse trails that connect major areas such as shopping outlets, schools, and the public library, making it a perfect community for active families.

The violent crime rate in Woodstock is 114% lower than the national rate and it has the sixth lowest poverty rate on our list, which earns it 12th place.

 

13. Canton, Georgia

 

 

County: Cherokee

Population: 32,973

County Violent Crime Rate: 108 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 10.33

 

Canton is less than an hour north of Atlanta. Originally, settlers wanted Canton to become a center for silk manufacturing but quickly pivoted to cotton, creating the famous Canton denim.

Today, Canton earns the title of 13th safest city in Georgia based on its low city crime USA.com rating despite its high population density.

 

14. Lawrenceville, Georgia

 

 

County: Gwinnett

Population: 30,629

County Violent Crime Rate: 46 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 15.46

 

Lawrenceville is located northeast of Atlanta — a smaller community that’s still close to the state capital. Art enthusiasts will feel at home here, as the city has many public projects in the works for new murals and other updates to the downtown area.

Lawrenceville’s cost of living is just below the national average and boasts low crime rates despite a high population density, which makes it the 14th safest city in Georgia.

 

15. Norcross, Georgia

 

 

County: Gwinnett

Population: 17,209

County Violent Crime Rate: 46 per 100,000

FEMA Rating: 15.46

 

Norcross is a small city also northeast of Atlanta and the smallest city featured on our list. This city is great to consider for education quality. There are two specialized public high schools in Norcross for families with children who have an interest in STEM: McClure Health Science High School and Paul Duke STEM High School.

Norcross comes in seventh for its violent and property crime rates but carries a higher poverty and population density rate, which brings it to spot 15.

 

Other Safest Cities in Georgia 

16. Pooler

17. Winder

18. Augusta

19. Columbus

20. Stockbridge

21. McDonough

22. Perry

23. Gainesville

24. Cartersville

25. Acworth

26. Kennesaw

27. Statesboro

28. Savannah

29. Mableton

30. Warner Robins

 

FAQs

We know safety is top of mind when you’re booking for a place to call your own. Here are some answers to your top concerns about safety in Georgia.

 

What is the safest city in Georgia to live in?

Evans is the safest city in Georgia based on crime rates and several quality of life-related factors.

 

Is Georgia a safe state to live in?

As a state, Georgia’s crime rates are slightly higher than nationwide rates. However, each city in our top 15 have much lower crime rates compared to the state of Georgia and the United States.

For context, violent crime rates in Georgia are about 400 per 100,000, and 399 per 100,000 in the United States. The highest violent crime rate in our top 15 is almost 115% less than those rates, at 108 per 100,000.

 

Which part of Atlanta is safest?

Several locations in the Atlanta metropolitan area made it on our list of the safest cities in Georgia, including Peachtree City and Woodstock.

 

Where in Georgia has the lowest crime rate?

According to our research, Columbia County has the lowest property crime rate and second lowest violent crime rate. Camden County has the lowest violent crime rate.

 

Methodology

We used a weighted ranking of the top 60 cities by population in Georgia to determine which cities are safest. We used data from the U.S. Census, state-reported crime, FEMA, and USA.com, ranking them as follows:

 

City:

• USA.com safety rank — 10%

• Median income — 5%

• Poverty rate — 5%

• Cost of living — 5%

• Population density — 5%

 

County

• Violent crime rate — 30%

• Property crime rate  — 20%

• FEMA National Risk Index — 20%

 

For the USA.com city data, some areas didn’t have sufficient information. For these areas, we took data from the nearest city as follows: 

 

• Augusta's USA.com score comes from Grovetown

• Savannah's USA.com score comes from Garden City

• Evans’ USA.com score comes from Grovetown

• Stockbridge's USA.com score comes from McDonough

• Sugar Hill's USA.com score comes from Suwanee

Find Your Peach State Place With UpHomes

Whether you’re moving across the street or across the country, you’re probably wondering how safe you’ll feel in your new home. After all, a safe home is a comfortable home. When you’re ready to explore your options — in one of the safest cities in Georgia or not — trust UpHomes to help you close on your new home.