Best Counties in Georgia — 2026 Rankings
159 of 159 counties scored across 12 dimensions
159
159 scored
47/100
composite score
69.5/100
22—69.5
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Georgia
Georgia Trails National Median in Overall Livability
Georgia earns a statewide composite score of 46.7, falling just below the national median of 50.0. This score reflects a wide performance gap across its 159 counties, placing the state in the lower-middle tier for overall quality of life.
Environmental Stability and Moderate Costs Lead Strengths
The state performs best in environmental resilience, earning a Risk Score of 60.5 that signals safety from various natural hazards. Georgia also remains relatively affordable for residents, maintaining a Cost Score of 52.4 which outperforms its regional neighbors.
Health Outcomes and Income Levels Lag Behind
Georgia’s primary challenge is its Health Score of 28.2, which indicates significant room for improvement in medical access and community wellness. A moderate Income Score of 38.1 further suggests that wage growth remains a hurdle for many households across the state.
Towns, Webster, and Dade Lead the State
Towns County ranks first with a 68.1 composite score, largely due to its elite 95.7 Tax Score. Webster and Dade follow with scores of 65.2 and 63.5, offering residents a blend of high affordability and favorable tax environments.
A Destination for Budget-Conscious, Risk-Averse Residents
Georgia is best suited for individuals who prioritize low environmental risk and manageable living costs over top-tier health infrastructure. It is particularly attractive for those who can settle in high-performing rural pockets where the tax burden is exceptionally low.
All County Rankings in Georgia
Search, sort, and filter all 159 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 159 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Towns County | 69.5 | 96.2 | 58.4 | 31.3 | 68.3 | 51.2 | 87.4 | 60.4 | 86 | 79.1 | 55.4 | ||
| 2 | Webster County | 64.5 | 27.6 | 93.5 | 7.6 | 97.5 | 24.5 | 65.8 | 97.6 | 86 | 46.9 | 12.4 | 37.7 | |
| 3 | Dade County | 64.2 | 75.6 | 58.4 | 47 | 97.5 | 38.8 | 41.5 | 66.8 | 86 | 67.8 | 46.7 | ||
| 4 | Baker County | 63.3 | 46.3 | 96.5 | 6.7 | 97.5 | 24.9 | 41.5 | 90.3 | 86 | 36.3 | 24.8 | ||
| 5 | Union County | 62.7 | 81.7 | 57.2 | 51.8 | 66.9 | 46.3 | 71.7 | 47.5 | 36.5 | 79.1 | 65.7 | ||
| 6 | Wheeler County | 62.4 | 68.5 | 98.3 | 2.6 | 62.1 | 24.9 | 58.8 | 93.6 | 86 | 35.8 | 31.7 | ||
| 7 | Johnson County | 61.7 | 40.5 | 88 | 13.6 | 97.5 | 10.8 | 58.9 | 90.8 | 86 | 40.8 | 27.5 | ||
| 8 | Charlton County | 61.2 | 54.1 | 91.3 | 37.8 | 79 | 19.4 | 54.1 | 73.3 | 86 | 19.7 | 23.7 | ||
| 9 | Fannin County | 61 | 96.5 | 56.1 | 26.1 | 54.9 | 29 | 79.9 | 43.5 | 86 | 79.1 | 49.2 | ||
| 10 | Wilcox County | 60.8 | 42.5 | 96.4 | 19.7 | 69.1 | 16.7 | 68.2 | 86.9 | 86 | 36.1 | 46.9 | ||
| 11 | Murray County | 59.7 | 62.6 | 63.1 | 60.2 | 79.7 | 19.9 | 61.2 | 48.6 | 86 | 67.2 | 36.1 | ||
| 12 | Forsyth County | 58.5 | 57.1 | 1.8 | 99.7 | 81.2 | 84.4 | 68.6 | 13.9 | 86 | 75 | 16.6 | 40.4 | |
| 13 | Stewart County | 58.3 | 10 | 92.1 | 0.5 | 97.5 | 8.2 | 66.3 | 94.2 | 86 | 45.8 | 11.8 | 28.7 | |
| 14 | Toombs County | 58 | 43.1 | 69.9 | 16.5 | 97.5 | 17.6 | 68 | 57.4 | 19.3 | 33.1 | |||
| 15 | Calhoun County | 57.8 | 27.9 | 90.9 | 7.8 | 78.2 | 16.1 | 75.5 | 83.7 | 27.7 | 44.1 | 35.9 | ||
| 16 | Echols County | 57.8 | 42.3 | 59 | 32.4 | 92.5 | 35.5 | 62.5 | 99.5 | 0.4 | 28.8 | 27.2 | ||
| 17 | Pickens County | 57.8 | 72.7 | 22.1 | 80 | 67.4 | 45.4 | 70 | 65.2 | 86 | 83.7 | 60.3 | ||
| 18 | Warren County | 57.2 | 29.6 | 91.5 | 5.1 | 77.4 | 15.5 | 72.9 | 94.7 | 1.2 | 55.9 | 32.6 | ||
| 19 | Atkinson County | 57.1 | 51.4 | 91.5 | 4 | 80 | 4 | 62 | 92.7 | 8.9 | 35.8 | 37.5 | ||
| 20 | Taylor County | 56.7 | 39.2 | 86.1 | 3.4 | 91.7 | 15.1 | 46.6 | 89.9 | 6.9 | 63.2 | 49 | ||
| 21 | Clay County | 56.5 | 36.5 | 88.8 | 10.2 | 48.5 | 21.7 | 81.7 | 91.6 | 86 | 42.2 | 22.4 | ||
| 22 | Dawson County | 56.5 | 72.8 | 9.8 | 92 | 50.3 | 58.4 | 76.7 | 78.1 | 86 | 84.1 | |||
| 23 | Quitman County | 56.5 | 49.4 | 62.5 | 2.5 | 97.5 | 17.8 | 43 | 91.7 | 86 | 54 | 32.9 | ||
| 24 | Monroe County | 56.2 | 60.8 | 30.7 | 84.8 | 71.5 | 40.4 | 62.9 | 81.3 | 86 | 36.4 | 14.2 | 40.3 | |
| 25 | Morgan County | 56.1 | 59.3 | 23.5 | 78.8 | 75.3 | 54.3 | 64.3 | 80.7 | 21.4 | 60.6 | 23.8 | 43.6 |
Towns County
Webster County
Dade County
Baker County
Union County
Wheeler County
Johnson County
Charlton County
Fannin County
Wilcox County
Murray County
Forsyth County
Stewart County
Toombs County
Calhoun County
Echols County
Pickens County
Warren County
Atkinson County
Taylor County
Clay County
Dawson County
Quitman County
Monroe County
Morgan County
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Georgia
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Georgia.
What is the best county in Georgia?
Towns County is the top-ranked county in Georgia with a CountyScore of 69.5/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate.
How many counties are ranked in Georgia?
Georgia has 159 counties in total. Of those, 159 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to nine baseline data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, and Weather & Climate. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever baseline dimensions have data. Currently available baseline dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Georgia?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Georgia is 47/100. The national average is 50/100, so Georgia counties score 3 points below the national average.
How does Georgia compare to other states?
Georgia's average county score of 47/100 is 3 points below the national average of 50/100. You can compare Georgia counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Georgia.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.