Top 5 Pros and Cons of Living in Lawrenceville, Georgia
Hello! This is Tim Trevathan with Tim Trevathan Homes and Keller Williams Realty. In this video, I am going to share with you 5 pros and cons of living in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Lawrenceville is centrally located in Gwinnett County and serves as the county seat.
According to the 2020 Census, Lawrenceville is the 3rd largest city in Gwinnett County, with a population of 30,629. The population has steadily grown over the past 3 decades, and increased by 18.8% between the 2010 and 2020 censuses.
Not only is it one of the largest cities in Gwinnett County by population, it is also the second largest city in the county by area, measuring 13.8 square miles.
Because it is so centrally located within Gwinnett County, Lawrenceville is surrounded by neighboring cities on all sides. Its nearest neighbor is Grayson, only 5 miles down the road.
There is a lot to love about living in Lawrenceville, Georgia, as well as a few potential cautions to keep in mind. Let’s take a look!
Pro #1: Things to do. From sports to the arts, it is impossible to be bored in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
The Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, call Coolray field their home. Fun for young and old alike, an outing to the ball park is a great way to spend a warm summer evening.
If the arts are your thing, look no further than the Aurora Theater. Gwinnett County’s only professional theater company, the Aurora Theater is located in the state-of-the-art Lawrenceville Arts Center in the heart of downtown Lawrenceville, Georgia.
The theater truly offers something for everyone. From the Children’s Playhouse to Comedy Nights to classics like Cinderella to the Spanish language offerings of Teatro Aurora, you are certain to find just the show for you. If you have a theater-inclined child or teen, don’t forget the Aurora Theater Academy. Top-notch classes taught by industry pros provide a wonderful opportunity for those wishing to learn more about the theater.
If you would rather spend your time outdoors, Gwinnett County has a fantastic parks and recreation department. Several of these parks are in Lawrenceville, including the amazing Rhodes Jordan Park. From playgrounds to a fishing lake to an outdoor swimming pool to soccer fields, this park offers it all. As if that isn’t enough, there is also a community garden, a community center perfect for hosting events, and multiple baseball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, and even pickleball courts. Rhodes Jordan Park offers hours of fun and exercise.
Tribble Mill Park is another fantastic Lawrenceville park. It offers over 700 acres of trails, a fishing and boating lake, both paved and hiking trails, as well as mountain biking and equestrian trails.
Con #1: Traffic. As amazing as Lawrenceville is, it is a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. That means one thing: traffic. Lots of traffic. While the main roads do become clogged, especially during the morning and evening rush hour, there are many surface streets that can provide alternate routes when needed. Once you learn the back roads, you’ll often be able to avoid the worst of the traffic. That said, give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination if you are traveling during rush hour.
Pro #2: Healthcare. Only a short distance from downtown Lawrenceville, Georgia, you will find Northside Hospital Gwinnett. Part of the Northside Hospital system, this hospital offers a 24-hour emergency room, a Level II trauma center, a women’s pavilion and is also home to a variety of specialists. A huge perk of living in Lawrenceville is having top-notch healthcare only a short distance from home.
Con #2: Climate. Now, this is subjective of course, but for those who suffer from asthma or allergies it is important to know that spring and fall in Lawrenceville bring with them a very high pollen count. In the spring, you will find a thick, yellow coating of pine pollen everywhere for a couple of weeks.
From May through September, Lawrenceville, Georgia is hot and humid with the average daily temperature being above 80 F. Winters though are mild, with an average daily temperature in the 50’s F from December through February. If you are trying to escape the heat or are looking for cold, snowy winters then Lawrenceville is not for you. But, if mild winters or warm summer are your thing, then Lawrenceville may be the perfect place to call home.
Pro #3: Downtown Lawrenceville. Dating back to 1821, downtown Lawrenceville, Georgia has undergone a rebirth in recent years. It has gone from a sleepy, dated area to a vibrant, thriving area. Visit downtown and your tastebuds will be delighted at what they find; from Mexican to Italian to BBQ to burgers and more, you will not go home hungry.
Grab dinner and then take in a show at the Aurora Theater. Or, wander into the various shops and boutiques that line the downtown streets. In trying to make downtown a customer-friendly destination, Lawrenceville has invested in a public parking garage so that you don’t have to fight for street parking.
Doing an excellent job at blending historic buildings and architecture with 21st century tastes, downtown Lawrenceville will draw you back to visit over and over.
If you are hoping for a walkable live-work-play lifestyle, take a look at downtown Lawrenceville. The city’s current 5-year plan has a focus on adding both housing and jobs in order to foster a live-work-play community and a sense of place in downtown.
Con #3: Walkability/Public Transit. When you live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, a car is more or less a necessity. The downtown area itself is pedestrian friendly, but the rest of Lawrenceville is not. Gwinnett County Transit offers bus service, but most stops are open air. This makes waiting for the buss less than ideal in inclement weather. The bus routes also tend to stick to the main roads, and thus don’t cover all of Lawrenceville. So, even getting to a bus stop may be an obstacle depending how near or far you live from the closest stop.
Also, if you hope to take MARTA, Atlanta’s train service, to travel into the city of Atlanta for work or recreation you can expect to spend 25+ minutes driving to the nearest station. In short, Lawrenceville is a driver-friendly city.
Pro #4: Education. Whether it is preschool or college, you will find fantastic education options in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Lawrenceville is home to both Georgia Gwinnet College, a 4-year public college, and Gwinnett Technical College.
Offering 20 majors and over 60 programs of study (as of spring 2022), including some fully online programs, Georgia Gwinnet College aims to make 4-year degrees accessible to everyone from recent high school graduates to non-traditional students. Georgia Gwinnett College offers on-campus apartment style housing and boasts men’s and women’s soccer teams, tennis teams, as well as a baseball team and a softball team.
The K-12 public schools in Lawrenceville are part of the prestigious Gwinnett County school system. Most of the public high schools in Lawrenceville are very highly rated. Lawrenceville is home to the top ranked public high school in all of Gwinnett County (and the state): the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology. Even more impressive? It is the 9th ranked high school in the entire country per US News & World Report.
Con #4: Education. While most public high schools in Lawrenceville excel, there are a couple of high schools that are rated “average” to “below average” in college readiness and test scores. Graduation rates at these schools are under 80%. If you have children and plan to enroll them in the public school system, be sure to check out the ranking for the high school zoned for the specific area of Lawrenceville where you are hoping to purchase a home.
Con #5: Poverty Rate. The poverty rate in Lawrenceville, Georgia is 19.3%, higher than both that of Gwinnett County (10.4%) and the state of Georgia (14.0%). The city’s 5-year strategic plan, released late 2021 includes initiatives to improve public transportation, redevelop struggling areas, and add mixed income housing in the greater downtown area.
Pro #5: Diversity. Lawrenceville, Georgia is truly home to everyone. There is both racial diversity and socioeconomic diversity in this growing city. Almost 40% of the population is bilingual and 24% of the population speaks Spanish. If you are looking for a growing, multi-cultural city to call home, you will find it in Lawrenceville.
Lawrenceville’s Bethesda Elementary School offers Dual Language Immersion in Spanish. Students in this popular program start in kindergarten and continue throughout elementary school. Half of their school day is spent being instructed in Spanish and half in English.
Bottom line: Lawrenceville, Georgia is a growing, vibrant, diverse city. You’ll find minor league sports, professional theater, boutique shopping, fantastic dining, excellent schools, top quality healthcare, and local parks offering an array of outdoor activities.
For a walkable live-work-play environment, take a look at downtown Lawrenceville. If you desire a more traditional suburban experience, take a look at one of the many family-friendly neighborhoods nestled in Lawrenceville.
Call me if you need help with your Atlanta real estate buying/selling! Let’s setup a game plan to fulfill your real estate goals! Tim Trevathan: 770-906-0748 | [email protected]
