Is Buford, GA a Good Place to Live?
Buford is a small city of 17,222 in Georgia, with a median household income of $68,165 and a 3.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.
Strengths: Buford stands out for solid school ratings (B).
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Buford is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Buford city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 100.9Buford's overall cost of living index is 100.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Buford costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Buford, GA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $292,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,147 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 72.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $68,165 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageBuford's violent crime rate is 313.6 per 100,000 residents — 17% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Buford is served primarily by Buford City. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Buford, GA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Buford City | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 78.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Buford sees average highs of 51.2°F in January and 88.8°F in July, with 58.1 inches of annual precipitation and 0.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Buford, GA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 51.2°F |
| Average High — July | 88.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Buford, GA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,222 | — |
| Median Age | 35.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 57.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 12.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 22.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 4.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 32.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Buford
Buford, GA is covered by 2 ZIP codes: