City comparison
Albany, GA is about 175 miles (275 km) from Alpharetta, GA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Albany, GA to Alpharetta, GA takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Albany has a population of 68,926, vs 65,884 in Alpharetta — about the same size. By land area, Albany covers about 55 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Alpharetta.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Albany | Alpharetta | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $889/mo | $1,767/mo | 98.8% higher in Alpharetta |
| Median home value | $111,200 | $562,000 | 405.4% higher in Alpharetta |
| Median household income | $43,724 | $141,402 | 223.4% higher in Alpharetta |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 100.3 | 3.9% higher in Alpharetta |
| Utilities index | 88.9 | 96.1 | 8.2% higher in Alpharetta |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 97.0 | 1.8% higher in Albany |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 96.5 | 1.9% higher in Albany |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Albany, you'd need $131,570 in Alpharetta to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Albany, GA is about 24% cheaper overall than Alpharetta, GA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 103% higher in Alpharetta than in Albany. If you earn $80,000 in Albany, you'd need about $105,256 in Alpharetta to keep the same standard of living.