What Realtors DON'T Tell You About Living in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, or Suwanee

What Realtors DON’T Tell You About Living in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, or Suwanee

If you’re thinking about moving to Atlanta – specifically, three of the most sought-after parts of North Atlanta – you’re going to want to watch this video before you purchase your new home. Because I’m going to share with you today What Real Estate Agents Don’t Tell You About Living in Suwanee, Johns Creek, or Alpharetta, Georgia. And if you’ll stay with me till the end, I’ll give you some unique insights on how to choose the type of home that is best suited to you – you won’t want to miss it.

[intro]

Hey everyone, I’m Tim Trevathan with Tim Trevathan Homes, helping people from all over the country make a move and find their dream home. North Atlanta is an extremely desirable suburban location and without a doubt, three of the most sought-after areas to live are Suwanee, Johns Creek, and Alpharetta. But how do you know what each city is really like? You may wonder if you can just randomly pick one and start looking for a home. After all, they’re all on the north side and they’re all within about 20 miles of each other. Aren’t they all pretty much the same? Sure, the demographics are very similar, and Atlanta traffic, no matter where you work and live, will factor into your decision. But a knowledgable realtor can explain the subtle differences which aren’t widely known, and some of these different facets just might tip the scale for you toward one city or another. Today, I’m going to give you some comparisons and and contrasts as I share with you What Real Estate Agents Don’t Tell You About Living in Suwanee, Johns Creek, or Alpharetta. Let’s get started!

The first thing you should know is that all three of these cities in North Atlanta are definitely in a housing bubble all their own, which means the market for each neighborhood is still robust, both in cost and demand. To give you a sense of it, as of June 2025, there has been a 3.3 percent increase of homes sold nationally.

But Suwanee has sold 28 percent more homes this year than last and Johns Creek is up 13.1 percent from this time last year. Only Alpharetta is lagging just a little bit at one percent less than last year’s number of homes sold. But that’s percentage-wise. Alpharetta does lead the trio in actual number of homes sold through June this year, which, again, speaks to the North Atlanta housing market…and while two of these three cities are considered only slightly a Seller’s Market, one of them is very much a Seller’s market. I’ll tell you which one in just a minute!

Let’s look at these three cities individually on a map so you know where they are in relation to each other and Atlanta. [insert map graphic]

Alpharetta is north of the Atlanta perimeter straight up Interstate Georgia 400, which connects to both Interstate 285 and 75-85 through Downtown Atlanta. It is 18 miles from Buckhead (you’ve all heard of Buckhead, right?). It’s 26 miles from Downtown, and 36 miles from the airport. (Like any major metropolitan area, there are a few smaller airports in parts of Atlanta where you can charter private planes, but when I say “The Airport,” I’m referring, of course, to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the world.)

A little bit east of Alpharetta, Suwanee, Georgia is 29 miles from Buckhead, 33 miles from Downtown, and 42 miles from Hartsfield. The easiest path into Atlanta or toward the airport, is to hop onto Interstate 85 heading south.

Johns Creek is also northeast of Atlanta. It’s a tiny bit closer: 21 miles from Buckhead, 27 miles from Downtown, and 37 miles from Hartsfield. But an Atlanta or airport commute is neither quick nor easy! You see, Johns Creek is slightly “landlocked” on roads and highways without direct interstate access like Alpharetta or Suwanee. Awesome, if you want a more secluded, sanctuary for your home. Not so awesome if you don’t work from home, since you’ll have to drive a bit to get to either Georgia-400, I-285 or I-85. And if you commute to…well, however far toward Atlanta you work…or if you travel for a living and frequently go to the airport, you’re going to have to build in an extra 20-to-30 minutes each way. Every time. And that’s assuming there are no accidents. This is definitely something real estate agents do not always tell you!

So as you try to decide whether to start looking for a home in Alpharetta, Johns Creek or Suwanee, it might help to know how densely populated they are, the lay of the land…and wouldn’t you like to know who your neighbors will be? What do they look like? Let’s take a look.

The racial makeup is very similar in all three: Johns Creek has as the top three racial representation a 49.82 percent White population, a 28.31 percent Asian population, and an 11.19 percent African American population. Suwanee is 51.75 percent White, 28.08 percent Asian, and 11.93 percent Black. Alpharetta has a 56.88 percent White, 20.69 percent Asian, and 10.91 percent African American or Black racial makeup. All three have 6-to-8 percent their total population as two or more races. So these are the faces of your neighbors.

Another commonality is the percentage of married people: in Johns Creek, Alpharetta and Suwanee, at least 53 percent of the population are married – the rest, divorced, widowed, or otherwise single. That reflects much of the country so North Atlanta isn’t an outlier and whichever suburb you decide to call home, you’ll probably fit right in. So that’s race and marital status. But how crowded is each city?

Suwanee has an estimated population of 24,200. Alpharetta is the more established and developed of the three with approximately 67,800 residents.

But here’s the big surprise: Johns Creek has the largest population of the three of them: a whopping 80,100 residents, and I’ll tell you something most realtors don’t: it’s because there are more places to live than there are places to shop. If you look on a map for the nearest Costco or Trader Joe’s, they’re not right in Johns Creek. Right now, the largest and most popular retailers and restaurants are in neighboring small cities like Duluth, Buford, and especially Alpharetta. And this can be appealing if you’d like to run errands or enjoy fine dining close to where you live and work without fighting Atlanta’s famous traffic – and traffic will slow you down, even on Saturdays. Yes, Alpharetta beckons you with the convenience of all the big-box retailers nearby, luxury goods and services, and some of the most sought-after, affluent homes in all of the Atlanta area.

But what if you prefer less retail and more neighborhood? Remember that I mentioned Johns Creek has 80,000-some-odd people living there? That’s not by accident. Johns Creek is zoned mostly for residential construction and a mix of both luxurious and more affordable, but well-appointed homes, which has made it a very hot real estate market. Anyone living in Johns Creek for awhile may have mixed feelings about its popularity. [frown] “Pull up the ladder. They’ve found our tree house.” I’m not kidding – Johns Creek is now considered, literally, THE best place to live.

US News & World Report just ranked Johns Creek, Georgia Number One in their Best Places to Live for 2025 and 2026. Factors in giving Johns Creek this coveted highest rank in the nation include quality education, low crime rate, moderate cost of living, and mild climate. All that, in addition to beautiful homes with spacious lots, meticulously-landscaped yards, and people with a strong sense of community. Now, remember I mentioned that one of the three cities was in much more of a Seller’s Market than the other two? Obviously, it’s Johns Creek. Since word has gotten out about this Best Place to Live moniker, if you’re leaning toward this part of Atlanta, you’d better get busy because it is super-competitive.

But you can’t conclude just because of that ranking that Johns Creek is the ideal place for you and your family. Let me tell you about other factors you should consider in determining where in North Atlanta you should live. Because all three of these cities are extremely desirable for different reasons. And one thing I haven’t mentioned is Safety. How do the three compare?

Real estate agents don’t like to talk about crime rates but I can reassure you that none of these three cities – Suwanee, Johns Creek, or Alpharetta – has that much to worry about. If you look on BestPlaces.net for crime rates, you’ll see what I did. With 1 being Low Crime and 100 being high crime:

Alpharetta has a violent crime rate of only 7.6 and property crime rate of 29.8.

Johns Creek’s violent crime rate is a mere 6.6 and property crime rate is17.0.

In Suwanee, violent crime rate is 9.0 and property crime rate of 17.4.

All, very respectable figures, considering that the US average for violent crime is 22.7 and 35.4 for property crime; all three of our North Atlanta cities here are well-below the national average.

Now obviously, there isn’t ‘zero crime.’ These are suburbs of a major metropolitan city. But what it means to you and your family is that you don’t have to worry if you move to Alpharetta, Johns Creek or Suwanee and you won’t have to sleep with one eye open. But you should research crime statistics in the exact zip code and subdivision you consider for your new home, because a lot of real estate agents gloss over this…if they mention crime at all.

Of course, one of the biggest determining factors in crime is household income, along with the city poverty rate. So how do our three stack up there? (Pretty well, as it turns out.)

In Johns Creek the median household income is $160,185; for married families it jumps to $189,269. The poverty rate? Only 3.92 percent. We’re in good shape here.

Alpharetta has a median household income of $146,581 and $207,674 for married families. The poverty rate here is only slightly higher at 5.33 percent. So far, it looks like most of the people who can afford to live in Johns Creek or Alpharetta…do.

Now here’s where the difference in affordability for these three cities shows itself, and I’ll get to home prices that will reflect these stats in a minute. It’s not massive, but Suwanee has a median household income of $105,878. A bit lower than the others. For married families, only $138,011. And here, the poverty rate is almost twice as high as Alpharetta, at 10.04 percent.

But don’t let this scare you – for reference, Atlanta’s poverty rate is a whopping 17.87 percent! And don’t forget: Suwanee, Georgia is one of the newer, more affluent parts of North Atlanta! I purposely grouped it in with Alpharetta and Johns Creek because I wanted to show you that Suwanee is, perhaps, the most affordable of the three! Suwanee is the place amongst these three cities you may be able to find luxury living at a better price. So let’s look at home sales and the market in each so you can see what I mean…

Johns Creek, as of June, 2025, has a median sold price of $782,500. Alpharetta is the next highest, at $747,500; but the real bargain is in Suwanee, at $659,000.

I know, a few of you may be thinking, “half a million dollars or more…is a bargain!?!” Well, these are median numbers – some have sold higher, and. some lower. So there are homes in these elegant neighborhoods that cost less…and cost more.

The way this video has shaped up, we’re painting a picture of each of the three suburban cities as similar, but unique in their own way – and the subtle variances could make a big difference to you, depending on your desired lifestyle.

First, we view Alpharetta as affluent, with upscale shopping, dining and conveniences all around, but congested. And Johns Creek as a sort of secluded Utopia of lush green lawns and trees, but set so far back from the interstate that you’d need to spend half the day driving to and fro.

So perhaps the Mama Bear in this story might just be Suwanee. Here’s one of my listed homes for sale, as an example [insert Tim’s Sunnys Halo property video]. It has five bedrooms and four baths and a two-car garage. Now, unlike Alpharetta and Johns Creek, which are both in North Fulton County, Suwanee is mostly in Gwinnett – this particular house is just barely in Forsyth County, and not far from Lake Lanier!

And here’s where I give you a final tips that most real estate agents don’t tell you about living in Suwanee, Johns Creek, or Alpharetta:

Yes, brand new construction is always appealing. And there’s plenty of it in Suwanee, Johns Creek, and Alpharetta. But this home illustrates what I wanted to share with you, and that is, first, you can live your dream life in an already-established, upscale neighborhood, and in a beautiful home…that is more than 15 years old. Because of the timeless exterior, sought-after features, a gourmet kitchen, and spacious rooms with high ceilings, this well-constructed home was built to last. It rightly commands top dollar. Still. You certainly will find new construction all over these areas. But don’t be too quick to disregard a slightly older home because in it, you may find everything you’ve been looking for.

And that brings me to my second and final tip along those lines: whichever city you choose to call home, almost any house you pick in Suwanee, Johns Creek, or Alpharetta will not be cheap. But it will be solid and it will hold its value, year after year.

So that, my friends, wraps up another video with my insights on moving to North Atlanta and What Real Estate Agents Don’t Tell You About Living in Suwanee, Johns Creek, or Alpharetta. I’m Tim Trevathan, your real estate expert in Atlanta. I help people from all over the country make a move and find their dream home. Please reach out to me if you have any questions. I would love to hear from you! And if you haven’t already, just click the Subscribe button so you can learn all the latest happenings on Atlanta and Atlanta real estate. Take care everyone. So-long.