RANK #400 / 1001 NAT · #16 / 41 GA · POP 178,909
1YR FORECAST: -0.8%
5YR OUTLOOK: +19%
Paulding County, Georgia, is often recognized by locals for the Silver Comet Trail, a 61.5-mile paved path built on a former railway line, offering opportunities for biking, walking, and rollerblading through towns like Hiram and Dallas and into the Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area. Located northwest of Atlanta, Paulding County provides a blend of small-town character with access to a major metropolitan area, typically a 45-60 minute commute to downtown Atlanta. The county features rolling hills and forests, with over 1,000 acres of parkland, including Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site, one of the nation's best-preserved Civil War battlefields.
Life in Paulding County appeals to families and professionals seeking more space and a quieter environment, often accepting a longer commute to Atlanta for work. The Paulding County School District operates 34 schools, which are generally well-regarded. The local economy is experiencing growth, with recent investments in sectors such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and logistics. Paulding County also benefits from a moderate cost of living compared to other metro Atlanta counties.
Paulding County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices -0.4% YoY, population +2.6%, wages +5.9%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Prices declining
Moderate climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 36.7x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Paulding County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties.
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Data Center on Cole Lake Road
Undisclosed
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
WellStar Paulding Hospital Expansion
WellStar Paulding Hospital
|
$300M | Under Construction |
|
Automann Southeastern Headquarters
Automann
|
$60M | Completed |
|
Paulding Northwest Atlanta Regional Airport Access Road
Georgia Department of Transportation
|
$50M | Planned |
|
Seven Hills Boulevard at Nature Walk Roundabout
Paulding County
|
$50M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 60/100, Paulding County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. Employment is expanding at +2.8%, and median household income stands at $98,031 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in GA.
Housing in Paulding County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $326,300 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.30, with rents averaging $1,772/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Paulding County is growing on multiple fronts. Population is up +2.6% year-over-year while employers added jobs at a +2.8% clip. Home values shifted -0.4% in the past year.
In significant numbers — 5.4% of Paulding County's current population relocated from another state, well above the national norm. That level of in-migration usually signals a county where jobs, affordability, or quality of life are pulling people in from elsewhere.