Jobs, pay and daily life in Athens, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Athens is a city in Georgia with 127,345 residents. The median household earns $52,974 a year and the median rent is $1,219 a month, which is 27.6% of the median household income. It is part of the Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 95,800 jobs.
How Athens compares. Among the 100 largest places in Georgia, Athens is #6 by population, #16 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #84 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #79 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Clarke County, is #18 of 159 counties for average pay ($57,718).
Athens has 127,345 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.2% of the population of Georgia. It covers 116 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,094 people per square mile. The median age is 29.4, 22% younger than the state median (29.4 against 37.6).
The median gross rent is $1,219 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% below the state median ($1,219 against $1,393). Over a year that is 27.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $299,200, which is 5.6 times the median household income ($52,974); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 40.7% of households own their home, 38% below the state average (40.7% against 65.7%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan area has 95,800 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $41,220 a year, 19% below the national median ($41,220 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are educational instruction and library (12,800 jobs, median $33,020); food preparation and serving related (10,460 jobs, median $27,350); office and administrative support (10,110 jobs, median $41,080). The area is most specialised in educational instruction and library (2.3 times) and food preparation and serving related (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($78,990) and production ($42,850). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Clarke County was 3.5%. 62.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Clarke County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 70.2% drive alone, 1.9% use public transit, 4.7% walk, 13.6% work from home. 9.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 54% below the state average (9.2% against 19.8%).
47.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35% above the state share (47.3% against 35.0%). 10.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 10% below the state share (10.1% against 11.2%). The poverty rate is 26.5%, 98% above the state rate (26.5% against 13.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 81°F (27.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 42°F (5.4°C). About 1,260 mm (50 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (132 mm) and Oct the driest (86 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Jefferson (19 miles, rent 12% lower); Winder (20 miles, similar rent); Monroe (23 miles, rent 9% lower); Braselton (28 miles, rent 71% higher). Rent differences are against Athens; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Georgia (1,096) →State guide: GeorgiaCountry guideClarke CountyGeorgia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,096 federal postings open in Georgia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Georgia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,490 | 1.47 | $24,220 | $20,400 | $32,070 | -22% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,810 | 1.17 | $29,240 | $22,080 | $45,380 | -17% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,400 | 1.15 | $82,200 | $69,310 | $101,260 | -16% |
| Cashiers | 2,120 | 1.11 | $28,130 | $21,960 | $33,430 | -14% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,030 | 1.45 | $21,090 | $15,080 | $47,670 | -40% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,880 | 1.24 | $41,220 | $27,040 | $51,760 | -8% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,830 | 0.85 | $81,830 | $42,370 | $197,190 | -23% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,830 | 1.94 | $39,150 | $34,150 | $60,960 | -21% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,800 | 0.99 | $38,210 | $28,890 | $46,720 | -5% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,570 | 0.90 | $34,600 | $28,950 | $45,080 | -7% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,360 | 1.59 | $76,600 | $49,710 | $90,070 | +20% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,180 | 0.74 | $36,320 | $25,680 | $54,820 | -19% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,150 | 0.43 | $27,900 | $23,290 | $34,210 | -22% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,140 | 1.51 | $37,060 | $27,210 | $60,100 | -16% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,120 | 1.29 | $33,540 | $23,990 | $40,180 | -10% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,110 | 1.25 | $36,330 | $29,880 | $45,860 | -14% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,090 | 0.80 | $32,170 | $26,000 | $39,910 | -13% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 980 | 1.66 | $37,800 | $31,190 | $53,220 | -18% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 970 | 1.45 | $60,950 | $35,160 | $117,690 | -27% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 940 | 1.07 | $27,310 | $21,620 | $37,430 | -26% |
These figures are for the whole Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $41,220 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 33.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.9% |
| Retail trade | 11.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.7% |
| Manufacturing | 8.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.0% |
| Construction | 4.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.1% |
| Public administration | 3.8% |
| Other services | 3.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.5% |
| Information | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Athens lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke County | 129,609 | $10,824 million | $83,513 | 72,792 | 3,952 | $57,718 | +0.5% | 3.5% | 69,223 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 11,795 | 22.7% | $70,954 | 1.13 |
| Accommodation and food services | 8,522 | 16.4% | $21,795 | 1.29 |
| Retail trade | 7,845 | 15.1% | $37,627 | 1.08 |
| Manufacturing | 5,555 | 10.7% | $67,153 | 0.93 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,427 | 6.6% | $65,468 | 1.19 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,888 | 5.6% | $31,043 | 0.67 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,338 | 4.5% | $85,126 | 0.46 |
| Construction | 2,260 | 4.3% | $81,549 | 0.59 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,749 | 3.4% | $59,332 | 0.80 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,194 | 2.3% | $50,781 | 0.39 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,133 | 2.2% | $59,921 | 1.00 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,020 | 2.0% | $101,949 | 0.35 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 746 | 1.4% | $25,782 | 0.61 |
| Educational services | 693 | 1.3% | $32,949 | 0.46 |
| Information | 429 | 0.8% | $60,150 | 0.31 |
| Management of companies | 206 | 0.4% | $86,182 | 0.17 |
| Utilities | 197 | 0.4% | $113,919 | 0.71 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 70.2% |
| Public transit | 1.9% |
| Walk | 4.7% |
| Work from home | 13.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,974 |
| Income per person | $32,491 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,219 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 27.6% |
| Median home value | $299,200 |
| Homeowners | 40.7% |
| Poverty rate | 26.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 93.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $41,220 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 5.19%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 29.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 47.3% |
| Born abroad | 10.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.3% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.4 | 42 | 103 |
| Feb | 7.4 | 45 | 110 |
| Mar | 11.7 | 53 | 113 |
| Apr | 16.4 | 62 | 92 |
| May | 21.1 | 70 | 98 |
| Jun | 25.5 | 78 | 110 |
| Jul | 27.2 | 81 | 116 |
| Aug | 26.7 | 80 | 109 |
| Sep | 23.3 | 74 | 95 |
| Oct | 17.2 | 63 | 86 |
| Nov | 11.0 | 52 | 96 |
| Dec | 7.1 | 45 | 132 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | GA | 19 mi | 14,990 | $109,828 | $1,074 |
| Winder | GA | 20 mi | 19,437 | $63,779 | $1,209 |
| Monroe | GA | 23 mi | 15,648 | $44,656 | $1,105 |
| Braselton | GA | 28 mi | 15,178 | $120,984 | $2,082 |
| Loganville | GA | 31 mi | 15,527 | $83,605 | $2,018 |
| Gainesville | GA | 35 mi | 45,032 | $66,974 | $1,299 |
| Lawrenceville | GA | 36 mi | 30,954 | $61,561 | $1,613 |
| Covington | GA | 36 mi | 14,584 | $58,810 | $1,191 |
| Snellville | GA | 37 mi | 21,620 | $89,896 | $1,818 |
| Buford | GA | 37 mi | 17,997 | $69,471 | $1,357 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
127,345 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,219 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 27.6% of the median household income.
$52,974 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.5% (BLS county, Clarke County (latest month 2026M09)).
Georgia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.