RANK #778 / 1001 NAT · #23 / 41 GA · POP 95,281
1YR FORECAST: -2.0%
5YR OUTLOOK: +24%
Just east of Atlanta, Rockdale County, Georgia, offers a blend of suburban living with easy access to big-city amenities. The county seat, Conyers, provides a charming historic district with local shops and restaurants. You'll find a diverse community here, with many residents owning their homes. For outdoor enthusiasts, Rockdale boasts several appealing options, including Panola Mountain State Park, offering hiking and scenic views, and the Georgia International Horse Park, a large multi-purpose facility with trails for various activities. Black Shoals Park and Randy Poynter Lake also provide opportunities for fishing, boating, and picnicking.
While the housing market has seen some price corrections, with median home prices down slightly year-over-year, the local economy is experiencing some positive developments. Rockdale County is actively working to expand its retail options and is proactively recruiting companies in advanced manufacturing, technology, and pharmaceutical industries. Major employers in the area include Pratt Industries, Acuity Brands Lighting, Hill-Phoenix, Golden State Foods, and Rockdale Medical Center. Notably, the T1 Energy project, an $800 million investment, is expected to bring over 1,800 new jobs to the region, and there's a proposed multi-building data center campus by DC BLOX, aiming to strengthen local technology resources and create jobs.
Rockdale County is one of 76 U.S. counties in this market profile — stronger than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of -2.5% runs above the profile's typical -3.7%.
See all 76 Sun Belt Post-Surge Correction counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Prices declining
Moderate climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 12.7x — 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: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
DC BLOX Atlanta East Hyperscale Data Center Campus
DC BLOX
|
$1,000M | Under Construction |
|
Project Rockforge Data Center
MMM Acquisitions
|
$500M | Planned |
|
Rockdale Technology Park 1 Data Center
Strategic Real Estate Partners
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
Panola Grove Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
Treaty Oak Clean Energy (Zurisol LLC)
|
$50M | Proposed |
|
Honey Creek Road Bridge Replacement
Rockdale County (with federal and state funds)
|
$38M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
At 22/100, Rockdale County faces headwinds that place it in the lower third of the 1001 counties we track. Median income of $77,247 combined with job growth of -2.6% suggests the local economy is struggling to keep pace with national trends.
Housing in Rockdale County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $292,900 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.26, with rents averaging $1,525/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Rockdale County is attracting residents (population +1.1% YoY) even as the job market softens with employment at -2.6%. Housing values changed -2.5% over the past 12 months. People may be moving here for affordability or lifestyle reasons rather than job opportunities.
In significant numbers — 7.35% of Rockdale 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.