41 counties · Boom Town Index

Georgia

Avg BTI Score
38 / 100
Population
8.7M
+1.3% avg growth
National Rank
#40 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
$77,179
State median across 41 counties
Median Home Value
$289,000
Income-to-home ratio: 0.27
Building Permits
49,904
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 Clayton County 92 F -2.1% — +0.1% +2.2% 6.4x -5.0% -0.3 12x
02 Walker County 92 B- +0.5% — +0.5% +6.4% 19.2x +1.9% -0.4 12x
03 Whitfield County 88 A +0.1% — +0.5% +4.4% 7.1x +2.4% -0.4 13x
04 Catoosa County 83 B+ +0.4% — +0.4% +3.1% 21.4x +1.2% -0.5 14x
05 Camden County 82 B -0.8% — +1.7% +2.7% 16.0x +0.5% 1.9 14x
06 Carroll County 74 B- -0.6% — +1.9% +1.9% 11.4x +0.1% -0.1 12x
07 Liberty County 74 D +0.1% — +0.8% +2.5% 12.7x +0.2% 1.5 10x
08 Dougherty County 74 F -1.5% — -1.0% +4.8% 4.4x -4.0% -0.3 12x
09 Clarke County 73 C+ +0.6% — +0.3% +2.6% 8.8x +2.0% -0.7 15x
10 Floyd County 63 C +0.6% — +0.7% +4.8% 9.4x +2.2% 0.3 15x
11 Gordon County 63 B +0.9% — +1.3% +2.7% 8.8x +3.7% -0.5 11x
12 Lowndes County 55 D +1.1% — +0.8% +4.8% 10.5x +2.9% 0.3 13x
13 Hall County 51 B- -1.0% — +2.1% +4.5% 10.9x -2.2% 1.0 17x
14 Bulloch County 49 C+ +0.2% — +1.6% +3.5% 13.0x +1.3% 0.2 12x
15 Houston County 47 C +1.1% — +1.6% -0.1% 9.6x +3.2% -0.0 12x
16 Bartow County 47 B- -1.0% — +1.8% +3.5% 11.2x +0.7% 1.2 14x
17 Barrow County 46 C -1.0% — +3.3% +4.1% 19.0x -0.6% -0.7 12x
18 DeKalb County 42 F -1.6% — +0.4% +3.8% 11.0x -3.4% -0.3 17x
19 Spalding County 36 D -1.6% — +1.0% +3.1% 12.9x -2.1% -0.3 14x
20 Walton County 30 C+ -1.0% — +2.9% +3.1% 23.6x +0.5% -0.9 14x
21 Coweta County 27 B- -1.2% — +1.9% +1.5% 19.5x -1.5% -0.3 16x
22 Fulton County 26 F -1.7% — +0.8% +4.2% 5.0x -2.8% -0.2 20x
23 Rockdale County 22 D -2.0% — +1.1% +6.8% 12.7x -2.5% 0.1 14x
24 Henry County 20 D -2.2% — +1.9% +1.9% 19.6x -3.1% -0.5 14x
25 Jackson County 20 B+ -0.8% — +5.1% +5.3% 12.5x +0.2% -1.2 14x
26 Cherokee County 16 B+ -1.8% — +2.4% +2.5% 29.3x -1.1% 1.9 18x
27 Glynn County 16 C -2.2% — +0.5% +1.8% 10.5x -1.1% 2.1 15x
28 Muscogee County 15 F +0.1% — -0.3% +2.6% 7.8x +1.9% 0.1 13x
29 Cobb County 15 B- -1.9% — +0.8% +4.1% 10.4x -2.7% -0.2 19x
30 Columbia County 13 B -0.2% — +1.8% -0.6% 22.8x +1.9% 0.8 15x
31 Bibb County 13 F -1.1% — +0.0% +1.0% 5.9x +1.7% 1.8 12x
32 Troup County 13 D -0.8% — +0.7% +3.4% 5.9x +1.1% 0.9 14x
33 Paulding County 13 C+ -2.9% — +2.6% +3.7% 36.8x -0.9% 0.4 13x
34 Newton County 9 D -1.6% — +2.3% +4.7% 19.2x -1.9% 1.4 12x
35 Fayette County 8 B- -2.3% — +1.3% +2.8% 18.3x -0.5% -0.2 16x
36 Forsyth County 7 A -1.6% — +2.8% +4.2% 24.6x -2.6% 1.0 21x
37 Gwinnett County 7 C+ -2.8% — +1.3% +3.6% 14.0x -3.1% -0.3 18x
38 Richmond County 7 F -1.0% — +0.0% +4.6% 5.8x +1.1% 0.0 11x
39 Effingham County 6 C+ -0.6% — +2.8% +3.5% 23.3x -1.0% -0.1 11x
40 Chatham County 5 D -2.6% — +0.9% +2.2% 8.2x -3.5% 1.8 14x
41 Douglas County 2 C -3.8% — +1.2% +2.8% 14.9x -3.5% -0.5 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