Peachtree City, GA is a great place to live. It is the largest city in Fayette County ga with approximately 35,000 residents and it is located about 30 miles south of Atlanta. Compared to the north side of Atlanta with its traffic, it makes it a convenient 40 minutes to the city and only 27 minutes to the airport.
Pros and Cons of Living in Peachtree City GA
If you are thinking about moving to Peachtree City, you are making a great choice. But before you do, let’s look at both the pros and the cons. After all, you need to make an informed decision.
Pro #1 – Peachtree City’s Multi Use Paths
The most notable thing about Peachtree City is its multi use paths. You can get everywhere by golf cart and it was planned that way. Peachtree City is a planned community designed with 5 separate villages. The villages are Kedron, Aberdeen, Braelinn, Glenloch and Wilksmoor.It is all connected by the paths, which are great for golf carts, biking, running or walking.
People here go to the grocery store by golf cart, there are separate golf cart parking spots. The fourth of July parade? You guessed it, everyone comes by golf cart. You can even attend a concert at the Fred by golf cart. Even the kids go to school on their golf cart.
Pro #2 – Schools in Peachtree City
Peachtree City schools are a part of the Fayette County school district and are some of the best schools in the state. McIntosh High School and Starrs Mill High School serve most of Peachtree City and are very highly rated. Be sure to check out greatschools.org or niche.com for ratings on all the Peachtree City schools.
Pro #3 – Peachtree City is a Family Friendly Suburb
Realtor.com placed Peachtree City 9th in the nation in their 2021 edition of the Top 11 Family-Friendly Suburbs Where Parents Will Actually Want To Live.
They took into account the percentage of children living in each city, school rankings, and family-friendly businesses (including day care centers).
To make sure these were places parents would want to live, too, there had to be plenty of restaurants, bars, and things to do, as well as a reasonable commute (most are under 40 minutes) for when they do have to go to the office.
Pro #4 – Peachtree City’s Lakes and Recreation
One of the things that made Peachtree City attractive to Realtor.com were its lakes and recreation. Peachtree city has 3 lakes, Lake Peachtree, Lake Kedron and Lake McIntosh. These lakes are for Peachtree City residents only and are perfect for kayaking, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, fishing, etc.
Of the 3 lakes, only Lake Peachtree allows swimming. No motor boats are allowed, except on Lake Peachtree for a very limited number of home owners. There are only about 100 homes that come with full boating rights and as you can imagine, these are very popular.
Peachtree City boasts plenty of parks, a splash pad for the kids, soccer and baseball fields, an aquatic center and field house and a BMX track.
It also has an amphitheater that has some excellent national acts perform. It is a great place to watch a concert in an intimate setting and you can even bring your own food and beverage.
Pro #5 – Peachtree City’s Home Values and Appreciation
Home values in Peachtree City are high and have been climbing over the last years. Peachtree City is a popular town and is in high demand with buyers. Even in the last crash in 2008, even though home values went down, they did not go down as much as surrounding areas and came back faster as well.
The average sales price in 2021 was $494,340 and the median sales price was $440,000. Year to date in 2022 (through September), the average home value is $562,257 and the median home value is $517,725. That is up 12% and 10% respectively over the last year, on top of the 12.5% and 12% over the previous year, 2020.
This is very good news for homeowners and especially those who’d like to sell their home. (Call me at 404-314-6638!)
But is not ALL puppies and unicorns.
Con #1 – Home Values
Wait, wasn’t that a PRO? It is both.
Although high home values are great for home owners, it is getting increasingly difficult for starters and young families to find a house in Peachtree City.
Even at these high home values, since Peachtree city is a master planned community established in 1956, many homes are on the older side. Density is also a bit higher than in the surrounding towns in Fayette County. So although the home values are higher, you actually get less for your money, because of all the amenities and demand that exists in Peachtree City.
Con #2 – HWY 54/74 Intersection
The Intersection of Hwy 54 and Hwy 74 is where 2 major highways come together and of course it gets backed up on a daily basis.
If you are to believe the Facebook groups, this intersection is about the worst in the US. I have news for you. If you have lived anywhere else, this intersection is a breeze. Sure, traffic backs up on occasion and sometimes you have to wait a couple of light cycles. However, I have lived in South Florida and traffic is nothing like it was there, or even in the Northern suburbs of Atlanta.
Con #3 – Peachtree City Facebook Groups
Peachtree City residents are fiercely protective of the Bubble. Seriously, this is what we call it: The Bubble. Don’t get me wrong, if you move here, people will welcome you with open arms.
However, if you live outside the Bubble, in the surrounding areas, especially if you are from outside Fayette County, you may be looked at differently, especially in the Facebook groups.
The attitude is one that everything is better and Peachtree City and you know what? Maybe it is…
Check out the homes for sale in Peachtree City here.
Cost of Living in Peachtree City GA
Georgia is a very attractive state to move to and we are seeing a lot of people from California and Texas move to Georgia. One of the attractions is that the average cost of living in Georgia is lower than that of the United States, but that is not the case for Peachtree City.
The index for the United States is 100 on bestplaces.net, a great resource to check the average cost of living for different states, counties and cities.
Anything higher than 100 has a higher cost of living than average, and anything lower than 100 has a lower cost of living.
Peachtree City is indexed at 117, a whopping 17 points higher than the average US cost of living. So where does that cost of living come from? And why?
When you look at the bestplaces.net comparison, the 2 values that jump out are housing and transportation.
Housing in Peachtree City GA
This comparison says that the median house in Peachtree city is $399,200.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. In fact, over the last 12 months (September 2021-August 2022), the median sales price for a home in Peachtree City is $100,000 more at $499,787. That reflects the 20% rise in property values over the last year.
Peachtree City has very few rentals. There are not many apartments to rent and condos and multifamily housing is few and far between. The city consist mainly of single family homes, which are more expensive than smaller condos or apartments. All that drives the cost of housing up.
Peachtree City is a very in demand city in Georgia. In addition to its great proximity to the airport and Atlanta, it has some of the highest rated schools in Georgia as part of the Fayette County School System and of course the Peachtree City golf cart paths.
Peachtree City GA Transportation
As mentioned before, the most notable thing about Peachtree City is its multi use paths. You can get everywhere by golf cart and it was planned that way. Peachtree City is a planned community designed with 5 separate villages. The villages are Kedron, Aberdeen, Braelinn, Glenloch and Wilksmoor. It is all connected by the golf cart paths, which are great for golf carts, biking, running or walking.
When you look at the fact that you can get around the city and seriously, you can get anywhere in Peachtree City by golf cart, you would think that that saves on transportation cost. And it does.
However, if you commute to Atlanta, you still have those costs and there is no public transportation in Peachtree City. There are no buses, or MARTA trains that run to Fayette County. The closest MARTA train is near the airport, which we know is 27 minutes away.
Schools and Childcare in Peachtree City GA
When you look at the budget calculator, childcare is another item that is more costly than in other areas. Fayette County and Peachtree City boast an excellent school system and many people move to Peachtree City especially for the schools. That demand for excellent schools also manifests itself in the daycares.
I was shocked by the prices I paid for daycare in Peachtree City when I moved to the area compared to what I paid for my local daycare in South Florida. Yes it was more expensive, but the quality of care and instruction were of an entire different level.
Peachtree City Taxes
Finally, let’s look at the taxes. According to this chart, Peachtree City has the highest millage rate of the towns in Fayette County.
The taxes paid in Peachtree city are broken out as follows:
- 66% goes to the Board of Education
- 20% goes to Peachtree City and the amenities it provides
- 13.3% goes to the County
- .7% goes to cover 911
The funniest thing about this chart is that they are using a $325,000 home to demonstrate the $3,799 tax bill.
Only 8.5% of the homes sold in Peachtree City over the last 12 months were $325,000 or under. That means that 91.5% of the households will pay more than this in taxes. In fact, the sharp rise in property values over the last year, also reflect a rise in property taxes.
5 Insider Secrets Only Locals Know About Living in Peachtree City
Only locals know these 5 insider secrets about living in Peachtree City. If you are thinking of moving to Peachtree City, you will love knowing about these.
You Can Get Anywhere in a Golf Cart in Peachtree City
With over 100 miles of multi use paths in Peachtree City, you can get anywhere via golf cart. This was a strategic move by the founders of Peachtree City. This is a planned community and the planning of the multi use, or cart paths as locals call them is what makes Peachtree City unique. High schoolers actually take their golf cart to school and stores have separate parking for golf carts.

If you have out of town guests, you can actually rent a golf cart for a day, a weekend or a week and have it delivered to your location. Smart locals also have a rescue plan that covers towing, tire replacements and a gallon of gas for those times that you get stuck on the cart path. It’s like AAA for your golf cart.
Manny is Peachtree City’s Unofficial Mascot
If you are in need of a smile, drive along Peachtree Parkway and go visit Manny. Manny’s parent dress him up for every occasion, so whether it’s Back to School time, Christmas, Halloween, Summer or even the time for Dragon Boat Races, Manny has an outfit ready to celebrate.
The Fred
The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater is a great place to watch a concert. Locally it is known as the Fred and artists like Travis Tritt, Kool and the Gang, Kansas, KC and the Sunshine Band, Gin Blossoms, UB40 and many many more have graced the stage at this 2,500 seat intimate venue. I love going to concerts at the Fred!
Locals know that getting together with a group of friends and having a picnic at the Fred is even better than just seeing a show. You can bring your own food and drinks, so you can either buy a table in front of the stage and set up an entire spread, you can sit on the lawn or in the seats with your cooler, drinks and snacks.
Don’t Block The Box at the 54/74 Intersection
Nobody likes traffic, especially those of us on the south side of Atlanta, who moved here to escape the gridlock of the city and northern suburbs. That said there is one intersection that is the bane of any Peachtree Citizen. And that is the Highway 54/74 intersection. Locals know to avoid this intersection if at all possible and use their golf cart if they can. However, sometimes that is just not feasible. So when you are navigating that intersection, don’t block the box!
The Peachtree City Police Department has a great sense of humor on social media, but when it comes to blocking that intersection and speeding in the city, all bets are off. You are better off waiting than to creep forward and get caught in the middle of the intersection when the light changes.
Don’t call it Peachtree, it’s Peachtree City
There are so many Peachtrees in Metro Atlanta, including another City, Peachtree Corners. Although you may think that saying Peachtree City is redundant, no local will ever call it just Peachtree.
While Georgia may be the Peach State, there’s more to the story than our signature fruit. All of the Atlanta-area streets called Peachtree can attribute their names to Peachtree Creek. It flows southwesterly through DeKalb and Fulton counties before joining the Chattahoochee River just south of Vinings.
Peachtree Creek is perhaps most famous for the Battle of Peachtree Creek, a pivotal 1864 attack in the Atlanta Campaign during the Civil War. When Confederate forces led by Commander John Bell Hood failed to prevent federal troops from crossing the creek, the Union army forged on towards Atlanta. Peachtree Battle Avenue in Buckhead now pays tribute to that legendary fight.
The creek’s name goes way back to Georgia’s earliest inhabitants, the Cherokee tribe. According to historian Kenneth Krakow, the waterway is named for the early Cherokee village of Pakanahuili.
Pakanahuili was translated to English as “standing peachtree,” even though there were no known Georgia peach trees near this village.
Given these puzzling origins, many historians believe the name was incorrectly translated; it should be “standing pitch tree.” Apparently, there was an old pitch tree near the village. Pitch trees are pine trees, known for their sticky resin or pitch. Given the unappealing nature of smelly sap, it’s no wonder the city stuck with the “peach” translation.