City comparison
Alpharetta, GA is about 50 miles (80 km) from Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 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 Alpharetta, GA to Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) has a population of 126,672, vs 65,884 in Alpharetta — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) covers about 115 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 | Alpharetta | Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,767/mo | $1,045/mo | 69.1% higher in Alpharetta |
| Median home value | $562,000 | $242,300 | 131.9% higher in Alpharetta |
| Median household income | $141,402 | $47,798 | 195.8% higher in Alpharetta |
| Groceries index | 100.3 | 97.4 | 3.0% higher in Alpharetta |
| Utilities index | 96.1 | 91.2 | 5.4% higher in Alpharetta |
| Transportation index | 97.0 | 98.4 | 1.4% higher in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) |
| Healthcare index | 96.5 | 97.9 | 1.4% higher in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alpharetta, you'd need $87,744 in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA is about 12.3% cheaper overall than Alpharetta, GA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% higher in Alpharetta than in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance). If you earn $80,000 in Alpharetta, you'd need about $70,195 in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) to keep the same standard of living.