Is Lake City, GA a Good Place to Live?
Lake City is a small town of 2,916 in Georgia, with a median household income of $62,941 and a 1.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.
Strengths: Lake City stands out for below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Lake City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake City 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: 100.9Lake City's overall cost of living index is 100.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake City costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake City, GA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $144,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,118 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 47.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $62,941 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageLake City's violent crime rate is 452.0 per 100,000 residents — 19% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Lake City is served primarily by Clayton County. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lake City, GA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Clayton County | — |
| Elementary Schools | 39 | — |
| Middle Schools | 15 | — |
| High Schools | 13 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 13.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 68.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake City sees average highs of 52.7°F in January and 89.6°F in July, with 52.9 inches of annual precipitation and 0.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake City, GA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 52.7°F |
| Average High — July | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake City, GA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,916 | — |
| Median Age | 41.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 16.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 42.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 29.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 16.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.3% | 16.8% |