GDP / Output
+4.6% YoY
71
$10.8B
Output changed +4.6% in 2024.
Vintage date unknown
State growth5.5%
U.S. growth5.3%
PLACEThriving
Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (Balance), GA
Thriving overall. Jobs is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.
Overall score73out of 100
71
86
61
61
83
Population
127,345
Data freshness
Unknown
Jobs
Unemployment rate
86
2.4%
Unemployment is 2.4% for April 2026.
Vintage date unknown
State avg3.5%
U.S. avg4.3%
Population
+1.9% 5-year
61
127,345
Population moved +1.9% over the latest ACS window.
Vintage date unknown
State population10,940,407
U.S. population334,922,499
Housing
Rent share of income
61
27.6%
Median rent consumes 27.6% of median household income: Affordable.
Vintage date unknown
State rent$1.4K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.
Federal Funds
$6.0K per resident
83
$777.7M
$777.7M in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.
Vintage date unknown
State total$105.8B
U.S. total$5.3T
Population and output
Trend Snapshot
Reported share
Industry Breakdown
FY2025
Federal Money
Federal obligations
$777.7M
$6.0K per resident in reported federal flow.
Top agencies
Dollars1. Social Security Administration$444.2M
2. Department of Health and Human Services$76.6M
3. Department of Education$59.8M
Top recipients
Dollars1. UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.$128.5M
2. UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA$44.7M
3. UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA$32.9M
Affordable
Housing Affordability
27.6%
of median income
1BR estimate$1,000
2BR estimate$1,317
Median income$52,974
Median home value$299,200
ACS context
Quick Facts
Population
127,345
Median age
29.4
Bachelor's degree+
47.3%
Poverty rate
26.5%
Labor force participation
62.5%
Prime rate
6.8%
CPI YoY
+3.9%
U.S. GDP YoY
+5.9%
Sources and warnings
Data Provenance
Census ACS 5-year
2024
BLS LAUS / CPS
April 2026
BEA regional CAGDP1
2024
USAspending
FY2025
FRED
2026-06-10
HUD Fair Market Rent
Latest available
Data notes
- HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.
5-year compound growth
Historical Trends
Population CAGR
+0.4%
GDP CAGR
+5.9%
Federal flow
5 years
Population (5 years)
2020124,962
2021126,118
2022126,672
2023126,987
2024127,345
GDP (5 years)
2020$8.1B
2021$8.8B
2022$9.5B
2023$10.4B
2024$10.8B
2-year linear forecast
Predictive Outlook
Population forecast
2024127,345
2025128,107 *
2026128,671 *
R² = 91.8% · * projected
GDP forecast
2024$10.8B
2025$11.6B *
2026$12.3B *
R² = 99.5% · * projected
Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.
housing affordability breakdown
Cost of Living
Median household income$52,974/yr
Median rent$1,219/mo
Rent share of income27.6%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$18,155/yr
Mortgage share of income34.3%
Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.
employment snapshot
Job Market
Unemployment rate2.4%
State avg3.5%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation62.5%
Poverty rate26.5%
Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.
valuation snapshot
Real Estate
Median home value$299,200
Median monthly rent$1,219
Price-to-rent ratio20.5x
High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.
composite score
Investment Climate
Investment climateStrong
Composite score73/100
Economic growth71/100
Labor market86/100
Population momentum61/100
Overall stability73/100
Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.