41 counties · Boom Town Index

Georgia

Avg BTI Score
31 / 100
Population
8.5M
+1.1% avg growth
National Rank
#43 of 51

State Overview

Georgia's economy is experiencing a period of slower, yet positive, growth in 2025-2026, aligning with national trends. The state's inflation-adjusted GDP is projected to increase by 1.5% in 2026, a moderation from previous years. This slowdown is partly attributed to national economic headwinds, including trade policy uncertainties and a softening labor market. Despite these factors, Georgia remains a destination for movers, ranking among the top states for in-migration in 2025, particularly in southern and Sun Belt regions.

The housing market in Georgia is transitioning towards a more balanced environment. While median sales prices held steady at $360,000 in 2025, new listings increased by 7.8%, and homes for sale climbed by 13.1%. Inventory, though improving, remains tight across the state. Areas like Columbus are seeing continued price growth due to low inventory and high demand, while Atlanta's metro area is shifting from a seller's to a more balanced market. New legislative efforts in 2026 aim to address housing affordability and supply, including incentives for new home construction and measures to limit large institutional investors in single-family homes.

Median Household Income
$68,999
State median across 41 counties
Median Home Value
$221,800
Income-to-home ratio: 0.32
Building Permits
57,324
Total residential permits
Natural Amenity
6.2 / 10
#23 of 49 · USDA scale

Georgia Counties

41 counties
Rank County BTI Score Safety Proj. Growth GDP Pop Growth Income Ratio Home Price Climate P/R
01 Walker County 92 B- +0.5% +5.1% +0.4% +7.5% 5.9x +0.9% -0.4 9x
02 Whitfield County 76 A +0.8% +5.2% -0.0% +13.8% 2.9x +2.5% -0.4 10x
03 Dougherty County 75 F +0.3% +2.2% -2.1% +8.1% 2.1x -5.5% -0.3 11x
04 Gordon County 72 B +2.0% +4.6% +0.9% +13.9% 4.0x +2.7% -0.5 9x
05 Catoosa County 70 B+ +0.9% -2.3% +0.7% +9.9% 7.6x +0.7% -0.5 11x
06 Carroll County 70 B- +0.2% +3.1% +1.4% +7.0% 3.5x -1.2% -0.1 10x
07 Lowndes County 67 D +1.8% +3.3% +0.7% +8.5% 3.9x +2.3% 0.3 11x
08 Muscogee County 60 F +1.3% +0.8% +0.1% +8.0% 3.2x +1.6% 0.1 12x
09 Clarke County 60 C+ +1.1% +1.2% +0.5% +10.5% 3.7x +1.5% -0.7 12x
10 Liberty County 59 D +0.8% +3.9% +1.9% +8.9% 2.5x +1.0% 1.5 8x
11 Houston County 55 C +0.8% +1.4% +1.8% +9.5% 4.0x +2.9% -0.0 10x
12 Floyd County 51 C +1.5% +1.6% +0.3% +10.5% 3.9x +1.7% 0.3 12x
13 Jackson County 44 B+ -1.1% +1.5% +4.3% +11.7% 4.5x +0.3% -1.2 11x
14 Bibb County 43 F +1.4% +0.2% -0.1% +11.5% 2.8x +0.2% 1.8 11x
15 Barrow County 41 C +0.0% +5.5% +2.8% +9.8% 6.7x +0.2% -0.7 9x
16 Bulloch County 38 C+ +0.2% +2.6% +0.2% +6.1% 4.7x +1.0% 0.2 9x
17 Richmond County 26 F +0.3% +1.6% +0.2% +9.4% 2.2x -0.3% 0.0 9x
18 Walton County 26 C+ -0.7% +4.4% +2.4% +10.8% 8.0x +0.4% -0.9 12x
19 Fulton County 24 F -0.8% +2.4% +0.7% +11.1% 2.1x -3.1% -0.2 18x
20 Clayton County 23 F -1.2% -0.3% +0.7% +8.2% 2.3x -6.1% -0.3 9x
21 Glynn County 21 C +0.0% +3.8% +0.2% +8.6% 4.2x -1.8% 2.1 12x
22 Henry County 17 D -2.0% +5.5% +1.8% +8.4% 6.6x -3.9% -0.5 11x
23 Camden County 16 B -1.2% +4.9% +1.6% +10.5% 5.5x +0.5% 1.9 12x
24 Columbia County 14 B +1.9% +3.6% +1.7% +7.7% 8.5x +1.4% 0.8 12x
25 Troup County 14 D -0.0% +4.2% +0.1% +9.3% 2.8x -0.1% 0.9 11x
26 Spalding County 13 D -0.4% +2.1% +1.0% +10.4% 5.1x -2.6% -0.3 11x
27 Cherokee County 13 B+ -1.1% +6.2% +2.5% +11.2% 9.5x -1.0% 1.9 15x
28 Effingham County 12 C+ +0.6% -0.8% +2.9% +9.9% 6.3x -0.3% -0.1 9x
29 Paulding County 12 C+ -0.3% +6.2% +2.5% +11.2% 10.9x -1.5% 0.4 10x
30 Hall County 11 B- +0.0% +2.5% +1.6% +9.7% 4.1x -2.1% 1.0 14x
31 Bartow County 11 B- -1.3% +8.5% +1.4% +14.1% 3.9x -0.0% 1.2 12x
32 Fayette County 10 B- -1.1% +1.3% +1.2% +10.2% 7.1x -0.6% -0.2 14x
33 DeKalb County 8 F -1.4% +1.4% +0.3% +9.5% 4.9x -4.2% -0.3 14x
34 Rockdale County 8 D -2.1% +1.8% +0.7% +7.4% 4.6x -3.2% 0.1 11x
35 Cobb County 7 B- -1.9% +1.0% +0.4% +9.6% 4.1x -2.8% -0.2 16x
36 Gwinnett County 6 C+ -1.9% +2.5% +1.0% +8.5% 5.2x -3.4% -0.3 14x
37 Newton County 6 D -0.3% +5.6% +1.8% +9.2% 6.5x -2.8% 1.4 9x
38 Chatham County 5 D -1.9% +1.9% +0.5% +8.4% 3.4x -3.5% 1.8 12x
39 Forsyth County 4 A -0.7% +5.3% +3.0% +8.8% 9.1x -2.2% 1.0 17x
40 Douglas County 4 C -3.2% +6.1% +0.8% +13.6% 5.4x -4.0% -0.5 11x
41 Coweta County 1 B- -1.7% +3.4% +1.7% +7.8% 7.3x -1.5% -0.3 14x

Capital Investment in Georgia

Tracked Projects · Public Records
$247.3B
Total tracked investment
46,543
Jobs announced
173
Projects across 38 counties

Where the money is going

Data Centers $179.6B 73%
Energy $24.3B 10%
Manufacturing $19.7B 8%
Infrastructure $13.0B 5%
Commercial/Residential $8.5B 3%
Industrial/Logistics $1.3B 1%

Top counties by investment

  1. 01 Walton County $47.8B
    6 projects · 7,740 jobs
  2. 02 Bartow County $34.9B
    6 projects · 5,500 jobs
  3. 03 Forsyth County $21.1B
    3 projects · 500 jobs
  4. 04 Coweta County $18.8B
    3 projects · 600 jobs
  5. 05 Columbia County $15.1B
    5 projects · 5,000 jobs
  6. 06 Richmond County $12.0B
    3 projects · 660 jobs

Largest projects in Georgia

Project County Amount Status
Meta Data Center
Meta (formerly Facebook) · Data Centers · 200 jobs
 Walton County $42.0B Operating
Forsyth Technology Campus
Trammell Crow Company · Data Centers · 500 jobs
 Forsyth County $21.0B Proposed
Project Bunkhouse Data Center Campus
Undisclosed Developer (working with Kimley-Horn) · Data Centers
 Bartow County $19.0B Proposed
Project Sail Data Center Campus
Atlas Development (with Prologis) · Data Centers
 Coweta County $17.0B Proposed
Plant Vogtle Expansion (Units 3 & 4)
Georgia Power · Energy · 5,000 jobs
 Columbia County $14.0B Completed
Avemore Data Center Campus (Project Bus)
Atlas Development · Data Centers · 275 jobs
 Carroll County $11.0B Proposed
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Data Center Campus
Amazon · Data Centers · 500 jobs
 Richmond County $10.0B Under Construction
Project West Data Center Campus
Project West WHP - GA LLC · Data Centers · 600 jobs
 Troup County $9.7B Planned
→ Methodology · How We Tracked $4T Across 858 Counties

Source: public records, corporate announcements, state EDC filings. Tracking projects with $25M+ in announced investment or 500+ jobs. Some figures are estimates where exact totals weren't disclosed.

Georgia shaded relief terrain map
SRTM 30m shaded relief
State Spotlight · 2026-04-29

Georgia's growth moderates as housing market seeks balance

Economic drivers

Georgia's manufacturing sector, particularly food processing, is expected to outperform national trends in 2026. Ongoing infrastructure investments and strong remittance inflows also contribute to resilient domestic demand. Major employers like Delta Air Lines and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta continue to be significant job providers.

Housing market right now

The median sales price for homes in Georgia held steady at $360,000 in 2025, with average sales prices seeing a modest 2.0% increase. Inventory levels increased by 13.1% in 2025, and homes took longer to sell, averaging 56 days on the market. Mortgage rates have eased, with the average 30-year fixed rate dropping to around 6.2% by late 2025.

Migration patterns

Georgia ranked among the top 10 states for in-migration in 2025, according to U-Haul's Growth Index. This trend aligns with a broader movement towards southern and Sun Belt destinations. People are relocating to Georgia for economic opportunities, landscapes, recreational options, and mild weather.

Headwinds

A slowdown in population growth, a decline in the labor force, and uncertainties in trade policies are weakening Georgia's economic momentum. The risk of a recession remains elevated in 2026 due to slower growth and national economic pressures. Housing costs are expected to remain challenging due to an abiding shortage, tariffs on construction materials, and a pinched labor supply in the construction industry.

Key facts

  • Georgia's inflation-adjusted GDP is projected to increase by 1.5% in 2026. (University of Georgia Terry College of Business, January 2026)
  • The median sales price for homes in Georgia remained at $360,000 in 2025. (Georgia REALTORS®, February 2026)
  • New listings in the Georgia housing market rose by 7.8% in 2025. (Georgia REALTORS®, February 2026)
  • Georgia ranked 10th nationally for in-migration in 2025. (U-Haul, January 2026)
  • Governor Kemp's 2026 budget proposal includes an additional $1.8 billion for new express lanes on I-75 in Henry County. (Governor Brian P. Kemp Office of the Governor, January 2026)
Updated 2026-04-29 · grounded research
16 sources
  1. uga.edu
  2. uga.edu
  3. capitol-beat.org
  4. gpb.org
  5. garealtor.com
  6. realwealth.com
  7. gacities.com
  8. 13wmaz.com
  9. georgiatoday.ge
  10. macon.com
  11. wsbtv.com
  12. hankbailey.com
  13. wsbradio.com
  14. cbsnews.com
  15. capitol-beat.org
  16. georgia.gov