Georgia’s “Greatest Little Town” recently gained big-name status as one of the best cities in Georgia for young adults looking to relocate after graduating.
Social Circle ranked seventh in a list of Top 10 cities for young adults in Georgia, according to a study published by Livia Gershon at CreditDonkey. The study looked at the 150 largest population centers in Georgia, taking into account median salary for college graduates, percent of residents between ages 20 and 34 and safety to determine the best places for post-college students to begin their professional career.
“There’s a lot to recommend in Georgia for people of all ages, from the warm climate to the diversity of industries that call the Southern state home,” said Gershon in the study. “For young professionals, though, there are some parts of the state that are clearly more appealing than others.”
The study looked at U.S. Census data to determine the pay range young professionals may be able to expect in each area, basing data off median annual income for people with a bachelor’s degree. The average salary was $44,915.
Social Circle’s median salary was $50,879, compared to top-ranking Pooler’s, which is just outside of Savannah, median salary of $62,637.
“Social Circle is a logical choice for college graduates looking for good job prospects, especially with a typical salary for college graduates of more than $50,000,” said Charles Tran, founder of CreditDonkey, in an email.
The study also found areas with solid concentrations of young adults from the US Census. The average percentage of the local population in each area aged 20-34 was 21.8. Social Circle has 27.2 percent of its population within that age range, while Pooler has 26.2 percent and 10th-ranked Holly Springs, located north of Woodstock and Kennesaw in Northwest Georgia, has 24.1 percent.
Safety and crime rates were the third factor used to determine the list. The study looked for locations where young people would feel comfortable going out at night or leaving their apartment at any time they want. FBI data showed how many violent crimes were reported in each area for every 1,000 people. The average was five crimes.
Social Circle fell below the average with 2.1 crimes violent crimes per 1,000 residents. To compare, Pooler’s crime rate is also below average at 1.4 incidents, and Holly Springs only has .5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
Madison was the next highest-ranking city in the area included in the study, sitting at 50. The median salary for graduates in Madison is $65,221, while 19.5 percent of the population is aged 20-34. There are 3.95 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
Covington ranked 62nd on the list of 150, with a median salary of $41,618, 24.2 percent of the population aged 20-34 and 4.3 violent crime incidents per 1,000 residents.
Nearby, McDonough placed 82nd, with a median salary of $40,737, 20.8 percent of the population aged 20-34 and 2.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
Next in the area came Conyers, sitting at 91st place. Conyers’ median salary for graduates is $35,677, and 23.9 percent of the population is aged 20-34. There are 4.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
Jackson came in 99th place, with a median salary of $49,883, 16.6 percent of the population aged 20-34 and 4.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
