Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance): Housing & Real Estate
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance)'s median home value is $299,200 (estimated market value runs 7% higher at $320,256), with median rent $1,219 (about the same as Clarke County median $1,219; 1.1× below Georgia median $1,393). Homeownership rate: 40.7%. That's about the same as the Clarke County median ($298,900); about the same as the Georgia median ($303,300). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 4.9%. New construction makes up 11.2% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 5.6× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Georgia 4.2×).
- 20.5 years to break even renting at the median (vs Georgia 18y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.6× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 8% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $299,200 — 1.0× the Georgia median ($296,600). Median rent $1,219/month. homeownership rate 40.7% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Price To Income Ratio | 5.6× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Rent To Income Pct | 27.6% |
| Affordability · Interpretation | expensive |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $1,159 (vs Georgia $1,585) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $1,183 (vs Georgia $1,660) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,331 (vs Georgia $1,820) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,734 (vs Georgia $2,182) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,831 (vs Georgia $2,605) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Athens-Clarke County, GA MSA |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $320,256 |
| Median Home Value | $299,200 (at Georgia median) |
| Median Rent | $1,219 (vs Georgia $1,382) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 4.9% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 11.2% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 10.1% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (1)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Georgia median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Georgia median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Georgia median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 37.0% (vs Georgia 82.3%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 64,588 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.08¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 4815501 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $8,740 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Georgia median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 0.956188040 (vs Georgia 100.0%) |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 2 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 40.7% (vs Georgia 52.4%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1987 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12