Population 21,811 (est. 2026: ~23,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 2.47% annual growth projection
Suwanee, Georgia
Gwinnett County, Georgia · Population 20,786
Suwanee sits in the northern arc of Gwinnett County, about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta along the Interstate 85 corridor. It is one of the faster-growing cities in one of the fastest-growing counties in the country — Gwinnett's population tops 957,000 — yet Suwanee has managed to stay recognizable. Town Center Park anchors a walkable downtown core that most Atlanta suburbs never developed. The city draws families who want proximity to Atlanta without living inside it, and the numbers back that up: incomes well above the Georgia median, high educational attainment, and a housing market that reflects sustained demand. This is not a bedroom community that apologizes for itself.
People & Demographics
Suwanee's population of 21,238 carries a median age of 37.9 — a working-age, family-raising community. Of 7,847 occupied households, 5,383 are family households, and nearly 4,900 residents are children under 18. Average household size is 2.70.
The city is genuinely diverse. The white population (11,891) represents a plurality but not an overwhelming majority. The Asian population (5,191) is substantial — roughly one in four residents — reflecting the broader pattern of South Asian and East Asian settlement across northern Gwinnett. The Black population is 2,689, and 1,246 residents identify as Hispanic or Latino. Anyone moving here from a homogeneous small town will notice the difference immediately, in the restaurants, the religious institutions, and the school hallways.
About 2,005 residents fall below the poverty line — roughly 9.4% — which is lower than Georgia's overall poverty rate.
Economy & Employment
Median household income in Suwanee is $100,780. Georgia's statewide median hovers significantly lower, making Suwanee one of the higher-income municipalities in the state. Per capita income is $47,763.
Of 13,093 residents in the labor force, 659 are unemployed — an unemployment rate around 5%. The local economy is not concentrated in a single industry; residents work across technology, healthcare, professional services, and logistics, many of them commuting to employers throughout Gwinnett and into Atlanta.
Housing
Suwanee has 8,093 total housing units, with 7,847 occupied and only 246 vacant — a vacancy rate under 3%, which signals a tight market with consistent demand.
Owner-occupied units number 5,009 (about 64% of occupied housing). Renters occupy 2,838 units. Median home value is $375,500. Median rent is $1,826 per month. Both figures are well above Georgia norms. Anyone entering this market expecting Atlanta-exurban affordability will find the price premium is real and persistent.
Schools
Suwanee falls within the Gwinnett County Public Schools system. Several large high schools serve the area:
- Peachtree Ridge High School — Grades 9–12, 3,300 students
- North Gwinnett High School — Grades 9–12, 3,097 students
- Lambert High School — Grades 9–12, 3,007 students
- Collins Hill High School — Grades 9–12, 2,695 students
Middle schools: - Riverwatch Middle School — Grades 6–8, 1,537 students - Northbrook Middle School — Grades 6–8, 921 students
Elementary schools serving this area: - Level Creek Elementary — 1,080 students - Roberts Elementary — 996 students - Johns Creek Elementary — 968 students - Riverside Elementary — 967 students - Sharon Elementary — 928 students - Settles Bridge Elementary — 888 students - Parsons Elementary — 868 students - Walnut Grove Elementary — 751 students - Burnette Elementary — 721 students
These are large schools by any measure. High schools with enrollment above 3,000 are uncommon nationally. Families new to Gwinnett County sometimes underestimate the scale of the district.
Educational attainment among adults is high. Of 13,481 residents aged 25 and older, 5,509 hold a bachelor's degree, 2,413 a master's degree, and 236 a doctorate.
Getting Around
Suwanee is car country. Of 12,385 workers, 8,703 drive alone. Another 985 carpool. Public transit accounts for just 180 commuters, and only 14 walk to work. About 2,388 — nearly 19% — work from home, a significant share that reshapes daily traffic patterns.
Aggregate commute time is 314,160 minutes across all workers, averaging roughly 25 minutes per worker. I-85 is the main artery south toward Atlanta; congestion during peak hours is a known cost of living here.
Healthcare
Four hospitals serve the Suwanee area within a reasonable drive:
- Northside Hospital Gwinnett — Lawrenceville, the closest major facility for much of Gwinnett
- Piedmont Eastside Medical Center — serving the eastern Gwinnett corridor
- Emory Johns Creek Hospital — just across the Forsyth County line to the northwest
- Northside Hospital Duluth — a closer option for northern Gwinnett residents
- SummitRidge Center — psychiatric and addictive medicine services
For a directory of individual providers in Suwanee, the NPI Registry lists licensed practitioners by city.
Library
The Suwanee Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library system serves the community. Phone: (770) 978-5154.
Parks & Recreation
The Chattahoochee River forms a natural western boundary for this part of Gwinnett, and the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area — a unit of the National Park Service — provides trail access, fishing, and paddling along the river corridor. The Island Ford Visitor Center is approximately 14.8 miles away.
For day trips, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is about 28.9 miles to the west, and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta is roughly 26.9 miles south.
Natural Hazards
Gwinnett County has a long FEMA declaration history. Severe winter storms have triggered emergency declarations in 1993, 2000, 2014, and as recently as January 2026. Flooding has struck twice — in 1998 and again in 2009 with a major disaster declaration. Hurricane remnants reached this far inland: Hurricane Opal in 1995, Hurricane Irma in 2017 (both an emergency and a major disaster declaration), and Hurricane Helene in September 2024. The county also coordinated Hurricane Katrina evacuee support in 2005, and COVID-19 produced both emergency and disaster declarations in March 2020.
The pattern is clear: winter ice storms, tropical remnants bringing heavy rain, and periodic flooding are the recurring hazards. The 2009 flooding event was particularly destructive across the metro area.
Government & Municipal Code
Suwanee's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/suwanee. No separate local building code is listed — the city operates under state and county building standards.
Weather
Current forecasts and alerts for Suwanee are available through the National Weather Service:
The nearest weather observation station is Cumming 5.2 S, approximately 1.9 miles away.
References
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 (Tables B01001, B01002, B02001, B03001, B09001, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25001–B25003, B25010, B25064, B25077, B08006, B08013)
- National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022
- FEMA Disaster Declarations, Gwinnett County
- CMS Hospital Compare / Hospital Registry
- National Park Service, NPS.gov
- NPI Registry, CMS (npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov)
- National Weather Service / NOAA
- Municode, City of Suwanee Municipal Code
The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)