Exploring The World Outside Metro Atlanta: Local Suburbs You Will Want to Know About

Hi there, I am Brandie, your ApartmentHomeLiving.com local expert for Atlanta, Georgia. This content will tell you everything you need to know about living outside the city itself and finding the perfect suburban neighborhood from which to commute into ATL

While the city does offer many amazing neighborhoods, not everyone loves city living. Thankfully, choosing a suburb outside of Atlanta’s greater metro area will give you the benefits of working here yet offer, in many cases, more affordable housing, or homes with larger yards and more space for kids to play and pets to explore, when compared to real estate choices in the city itself.

Before we jump in, let's take a look at the average rental pricing for apartments in the Atlanta Metro Area:

Current Rental Pricing for Apartments in Atlanta Metro

Is Atlanta a Commute Friendly City?

Yes. In fact, nearly 2.5 million people currently live in the Atlanta suburbs and commute daily to the metro Atlanta area. Some 81% of commuters drive into the city from surrounding cities and neighborhood suburbs. Overall, you can expect to travel between 30 and 45 minutes to get into the city, a commute time that is often negatively impacted by traffic. Overall, the Atlanta region ranks 9th in the nation for commuters, so choosing to live outside of Atlanta while working within the city is far from unusual.

Suburbs to Consider When Working in Atlanta

The ATL offers many noteworthy professional opportunities, making it a popular city to seek out for career growth. Of course, that doesn’t always mean you will want to live in the city, even if you do choose to work within its boundaries. Thankfully, choosing any of the following suburbs or area cities is a great option for a daily commute into the city and access to all the professional opportunities it has to offer:

Sandy Springs

This affluent suburb is located just north of I-285 and includes a commute into the city of between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on where you reside. Sandy Springs offers diverse housing options, including high-rise condos and spacious homes. It even has its own lively downtown area called City Springs.

It is perhaps best known, though, as a top-tier healthcare hug, affectionately called “Pill Hill” by locals. Even though it is outside of Atlanta, Sandy Springs actually offers connectivity with Atlanta through MARTA, which means you can use the public transit system instead of driving your own vehicle when you reside in specific areas of the suburb.

The city boasts over 950 acres of parkland, making it ideally suited for families or those who love to get outside and explore or for families with pets. Chattahoochoochee River National Recreation Area, and Overlook Park and Morgan Falls are all located within Sandy Springs. It also has high-ranking schools.

Sum up of Sandy Springs: Modern apartments, large homes, town homes and more are available within Sandy Springs. As of 2026, home prices vary between the mid $400,000s and over $1 million. For renters, this suburb is usually more affordable, providing more square footage for the price when compared to the city of Atlanta.

Dunwoody

Situated just 10 miles north of downtown Atlanta, the suburb of Dunwoody is a highly desirable location known for being “inside the perimeter,” which indicates the suburb is inside the loop formed by Interstate I-285. This means it’s close enough to have more urban amenities like Perimeter Mall, while still being outside the city itself. You can expect a commute of 30 minutes to reach Atlanta’s city center. Dunwoody is located at the intersection of GA-400 and I-285.

This area also boasts MARTA, offering convenient access to the MARTA Red Line, which also runs to Buckhead, Midtown, and the airport. Dunwoody is known for its active communities, mostly surrounding the sports of tennis and swimming. It also hosts a popular annual event, the Lemonade Days Festival. Dunwoody offers tree-lined residential neighborhoods, a walkable downtown center called Dunwoody Village and is considered another affluent region. The area is also known for the popularity of its parks, especially Brook Run Park.

Sum up of Dunwoody: While this area is still considered affluent, and has a higher cost of living than most Georgia cities, when compared to renting in the city itself, it is still more affordable, though it does offer larger spaces, so in some sense, that is what you are paying to utilize. The most predominant housing type is single-family homes, but there are condos, apartments, and town homes as well.

Johns Creek

The suburb of Johns Creek is located 25 miles north of Atlanta and is often deemed “the best place to live in Georgia.” It is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and highly-rated schools, which are ranked best in the state and include Northview, Johns Creek High Schools, and Chattahoochee.

Although the travel distance is only between 25 and 30 miles, the commute can get lengthy due to rush hour or peak traffic. When major arteries, I-85 and GA-400 are congested, you can expect a commute of between 45 and 75 minutes. This suburb is too far outside the city to offer MARTA access, but many residents of Johns Creek use GRTA Xpress Route 408 to then access the MARTA station in Doraville.

Johns Creek also has 13.5 miles of access to the Chattahoochee River, which includes parks like Newtown Park and Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, along with fishing and kayaking opportunities. Coming soon is the Medley, which is under construction and expected to serve as the city’s first true downtown. It will have a 43-acre mixed-used lifestyle center and 180,000 sq. feet of restaurants and retail space.

Sum up of Johns Creek: Most real estate options in Johns Creek include spacious single-family homes and gated communities. There are also many town homes and infill units. The cost to rent does actually exceed the average for metro Atlanta for Johns Creek, likely due to its highly ranked schools and stellar safety record.

Powder Springs

Powder Springs is known for its small-town feel, its abundant green spaces, its historic roots, and as being a more affordable place to rent or build new construction. It is a car-dependent commute that can get a bit lengthy, stretching from 40 to 50 minutes or even close to an hour. If you want an alternative to driving, though, the 476 Xpress Bus to the North Avenue MARTA station is an option.

This charming family-friendly suburb outside of metro Atlanta is located 25 miles Northwest of the city and is part of Cobb County, on its western side. Powder Springs offers many options for outdoor activities, including the Cobb County BMX Park, Silver Comet Trail and Thurman Springs Park. It also has a historic and revitalized downtown area called the Towne Square, which hosts local concerts and events and features many dining options.

It is considered an ideal setting for those who want a more affordable housing option but want to work in or access Atlanta regularly. It is a peaceful, quiet suburb that is growing but still more on the affordable side of things. It also boasts highly rated schools, offers a strong community atmosphere, and it is close to Seven Springs Water Park and Six Flags Over Georgia.

Sum up of Powder Springs: The cost of living in Powder Springs is 11% lower than the national average. It feels more inner suburbs and less concrete jungle. It also has fewer homeowners associations when compared to other nearby areas, which is considered a positive by many people. A portion of the homes were built in the 1990s, but there is also a good mixture of larger acreage properties, town homes, gated communities, and low-maintenance villas.

Alpharetta

This highly desirable location is known for being an Atlanta suburb and is located about 25 to 30 miles north of downtown and is part of Fulton County. Alpharetta is characterized by its “live-work-play” environment and has a reputation as a major tech hub, even earning it the nickname the "Technology City of the South.” It is a popular residential spot for both young professionals and families thanks to its many shopping options, having over 200 restaurants, and having a walkable downtown.

Alpharetta also boasts top-tier public schools, including Alpharetta High School and Milton High School. Established in 1858, what was once a quiet town, Alpharetta has grown into one of the most preferred locations for professionals who commute into Atlanta. Although it also enjoys some area commuters from other neighboring suburbs as well, due to the many businesses based in the city.

Other notable benefits of this suburb are the Alpha Loop, which is ideally suited for walking and biking, the Avalon, a popular mixed-use development, and the Ameris Bank Amphitheater, which is a major concert venue. It does have a commute of anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes without traffic to upwards of 60 to 120 minutes or more when traffic is dense.

Sum up of Alpharetta: There is a mixture of real estate options in Alpharetta ranging from historic homes in the downtown area to modern town homes and condos as well as planned subdivisions (many with HOAs). It’s also a more wealthy suburb, which means that it can be more expensive than residing in the city of Atlanta itself.

Marietta

The historic city of Marietta is located around 20 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta. Although not far outside the city, living in this suburb does come with a commute that can range anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes, with some evening return trips exceeding an hour and a half. Living near the I-75 access points can dramatically reduce total commute time as well as using Peach Pass Express Lanes.

Marietta is a charming suburb with a walkable Marietta Square, a rich art scene, popular attractions including the William Root House Museum and the Strand Theatre as well as being in close proximity to Kennessaw Mountain Park. It also hosts several popular community events, including Chalktoberfest and is home to various historic sites such as the Marietta National Cemetery.

Marietta is also home to the Atlanta Braves, Truist Park, and the surrounding area known as The Battery. Marrietta is an immensely popular area that is often divided between its more urban downtown and West and East Cobb areas. It has highly rated schools, and it offers a more affordable cost of living than Atlanta.

Sum up of Marietta: The Marietta suburb has a variety of housing options, including single dwelling homes, some historic homes (located primarily near historic Marietta Square), as well as town homes, condos and apartments. New construction is pretty active in this area with master-planned communities also in the works.

Decatur

As a highly convenient suburb for Atlanta commuters, Decatur is serviced by the MARTA Decatur Station and the Blue Line. Commute times are good, usually only taking between 15 and 20 minutes to get to Midtown. Of course, during peak traffic times, this commute can get a bit more lengthy, but this suburb offers much closer access than others mentioned.

Decatur Square is the downtown area of Decatur and is known for being highly walkable and for having some great cafés, restaurants and shops. This area is a top choice for professionals and families who work in Atlanta but want a more walkable urban feel with good schools in which to reside. It has the personality of a small city with close access to the larger city of Atlanta.

It is located east of Atlanta and has five distinct districts, each with its own character and a mixture of residential, institutional facilities and retail space. It is also more affordable to live in Decatur than in Atlanta, about 7.5% lower. It also offers lower transportation, utility and other costs that lead to an overall more affordable cost of living.

Sum up of Decatur: Single-family homes are popular throughout Decatur, but the more affordable housing option is the condos, town homes, and apartment complexes, as well as other rentals available in this suburb.

There Are Plenty of Suburbs to Choose From

Thankfully, there are many suburbs to choose from for commuting in metro Atlanta. Some offer a better commute than others and some boast more significant benefits like green spaces and parks. I recommend any of them for your consideration, depending on what you are looking for in your ideal residential setup!