With a cost of living more than 8 percent lower than the national average, your hard-earned dollars go further in Clayton County. Lower than average costs on groceries and healthcare make it easier to start and support a family, while the abundance of highly affordable housing options make buying a home in Clayton County a smart real estate investment.
Living in Clayton County is convenient, too, with a wonderful mix of residences in friendly neighborhoods plus many cultural and retail centers. Just 12 miles from downtown Atlanta, Clayton County is within a short drive from big city entertainment and attraction opportunities.
| Clayton County | GA | US | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 82.3 | 94.5 | 100 |
| Grocery | 93.1 | 95.5 | 100 |
| Health | 98.2 | 99.8 | 100 |
| Housing | 57.8 | 82.4 | 100 |
*Based on U.S. average of 100
Source: Sperling's Best Places
Housing
Prospective residents can choose from apartments and bungalows, starter homes, traditional family living spaces, and retirement residences.
Most housing in Clayton County consists of single-family homes, many of them mid-century suburban houses that are again rising in popularity with young families. Clayton County is also working to encourage developers to build homes in the $200,000- $300,000 range, to increase the diversity of the county’s housing stock and attract working families. Near term options will include denser, quality-built townhomes or accessible single-family tracts in walkable, mixed-use development neighborhoods.
Housing prices in Clayton County vary from the extremely affordable, less-than-$200,000 brick bungalows to million-dollar homes in the Lake Spivey area. The median list price of a home in Clayton County is $259,900 according to Realtor.com, which is great news for buyers. A county-wide average of $141 per square foot means a vast, 3,800-square-foot home in Jonesboro may be half the price of a similar home in one of Atlanta’s northern suburbs.
Renters will find affordable rental homes and apartments as well. The median gross rent in Clayton County is $1,176.