Alpharetta landed the No. 34 spot nationally on U.S. News & World Report's 2026–2027 best places to live list, making it the second-highest-ranked city in Georgia.
The ranking, released in May, scores cities on four factors: affordability and cost of living, quality of life, desirability and the job market. Alpharetta earned an overall score of 6.7 out of 10.
Neighboring Johns Creek claimed the No. 5 spot nationally and No. 1 in Georgia with a 7.1 score. Roswell rounded out the state's top three at No. 44 nationally with a 6.6. Carmel, Indiana, topped the full national list at 7.2.
How the numbers compare
Alpharetta's median household income sits at $153,928, with a median home value of $614,096 and an average commute of 23 minutes, according to the U.S. News data. Johns Creek residents earn a median $167,051 but face a longer average commute of 28 minutes. Roswell's median household income is $132,260, with a median home value of $534,694 and a 25-minute commute.
Alpharetta's job market numbers stand out. Mayor Jim Gilvin has said the city hosts roughly 900 technology companies and 107,000 jobs for a resident population of about 67,000. More than 70 percent of residents hold at least a four-year college degree, according to a CBS46 profile of the city.
"Most cities are either really good business centers or great bedroom communities," Gilvin said in a July interview, when Alpharetta was named the No. 1 small city for career opportunities by CoworkingCafe. "Alpharetta, I think, does both better than any other city in the state of Georgia."
The accolades have kept coming. Alpharetta's economic development arm, Connected Alpharetta, posted on Sept. 17 that the city received the 2026 Most Innovative City award at the Tech North Atlanta Awards.
No specific affordability sub-score for Alpharetta was available on the U.S. News site. The methodology draws on Census data, Federal Reserve figures and other local and state databases to calculate each city's score, according to an Island Packet report on the rankings.
