Today I am going to tell you about Roswell, Georgia. One of the most popular suburbs in the North Metro Atlanta area, there is a lot to love about Roswell. Before I tell you the pros and cons of living in Roswell, let’s talk just a little bit about some statistics and general info.
Roswell is located in Northern Fulton County, and is the 8th largest city in Georgia. Here’s a quick fun fact: Theodore Rosevelt’s mother grew up right here in Roswell, in Bulloch Hall. Roswell has a population just over 92,000 and covers 42 square miles, making it one of the largest Atlanta suburbs land-wise. You might discover some surprises at the end of this video, so stick around to find out!
Hi, I’m Tim Trevathan, and I am a full-service Realtor in Metro Atlanta. More and more people have been moving to the area, primarily from out of state. From mid-2021 to mid-2022, over 65,000 people moved to the metro area and that trend is not showing any signs of slowing down.
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Roswell is situation between Alpharetta to the north and Dunwoody to the south, and it is a 22 mile drive from downtown Roswell to downtown Atlanta.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of living in Roswell, Georgia.
Pro 1: The Parks. Roswell has a great park and recreation department, and there are 22 parks with 918 acres of parkland in the city. I don’t have time to mention them all today, but you can head to Roswell’s website for a full list as well as a map.
One I do want to highlight is the Roswell River Walk. This 7-mile trail runs through 4 parks, starting at the Don White Memorial Park, running through Azalea Park, through Riverside Park, with the other end of the trail at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. The a combination of paved trail and boardwalk, the Roswell River Walk runs primarily next to the Chattahoochee River and is a great spot to get out, get some exercise, and enjoy nature. What’s also nice is that there are so many access points!
Check out the park list on the city’s website for the amenities and facilities available at each park, but you’ll find parks where you can fish, launch a canoe or kayak, splash in the river, let your kids enjoy a playground, rent a pavilion to host a birthday party, enjoy a walk, run, or bike ride, play tennis or pickle ball, enjoy athletic fields and ball fields, play basketball, and more!
Roswell puts a lot of effort into its parks and has a lot of pride in its parks and recreation department, and it shows.
Con 1: Traffic. As with virtually the entire metro, traffic is a con of living in Roswell. Traffic is particularly notable in the Ga-400 corridor, along Holcomb Bridge Road, and along Roswell Road during rush hour.
I mentioned earlier that it is a 22-mile drive from downtown Roswell to downtown Atlanta. That drive can be even further depending where you live in Roswell, as it covers a pretty large area. Traffic is an unavoidable part of life in a metro, but your commute time is certainly something to take into consideration when deciding which suburb, you want to call home. Ga-400 is great when traffic is moving well but can quickly become very backed up when there is roadwork, which at times seems never-ending though thankfully there is not a huge project going on right now, or a traffic accident.
Pro 2: Commute to the Perimeter. I know I just said that traffic is a con of living in Roswell, and it is. But Roswell’s location also gives you great proximity to what we call the top end of the perimeter. The perimeter is the circle that I-285 makes around the circle and the northside is called the top end.
Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and Brookhaven are all located there at the top end of the perimeter, as is the aptly named Perimeter Mall, and there are a lot of jobs located in this area, particularly in the insurance, finance, and healthcare industries.
While the commute from Roswell to downtown Atlanta can be a trek, the commute from Roswell to the perimeter isn’t bad at all by Atlanta standards.
Con 2: Property Taxes. If you are in the city limits of Roswell, you’ll have to pay city as well as county property taxes. That actually isn’t uncommon in this area as most cities do charge property taxes. About 15% of your property tax bill goes to the city, 30% to the county, and 55% to the Fulton County School system, per information the city has posted on its website. But, a bit of good new: they city has proposed a slight reduction in its milage rate for 2023. If approved, it would be 5.4% lower than the 2022 rate and be 4.463.
Pro 3: Schools. Roswell is served by some great public schools. Roswell High School was ranked the 28th best out of over 400 public high schools in Georgia, and Centennial High School is the 66th best in the state. Both schools consistently outperform the state average in math and reading proficiency.
I do say this in every video, but always investigate schools for yourself. The numbers on a piece of paper or website only tell part of a school’s story, and it is wise to do your own research to see if a school will be a good fit for your kids if you are planning to use the public school system.
Con 3: Geographic Shape. Roswell is pretty large at 42 square miles, and it is cut through the middle by Ga 400 and Holcomb Bridge Road. Getting across town, especially during the morning and evening commutes, takes some patience and isn’t just a quick drive across town. Something to keep in mind when you are thinking about your new home in relation to the stores you frequent most, extracurricular activities if you have kids, childcare, and other things that may feel close to home because they have a Roswell address but in reality may take longer than you’d like to get to sometimes.
Pro 4: Downtown Roswell. Downtown Roswell is a fun place to visit! I highly recommend you checking it out, even if you decide to live elsewhere in Atlanta. There are several breweries, many excellent restaurants, and a variety of unique boutiques and other shops.
The city also hosts many events each year in downtown. Some favorites include the spring arts and crafts festival, the beer festival, the fall arts festival, and an annual 4th of July fireworks display. Roswell also is host to the largest Memorial Day ceremony in the entire state, averaging between 6,000-7,000 visitors.
Not far from downtown you’ll find Riverside Park, which is home to an annual free concert series.
Con 4 Affordability. Roswell is a popular place to live and with popularity comes higher home prices. In December 2022, the median sold price was $585,000 and homes in the area can range quit a bit higher, up to over a million dollars. You can find homes in the $300-400,000 range, but it can take some time and patience to find what you are looking for, and you may need to be willing to do a little work if you would like a completely updated home.
Pro 5: Chattahoochee Nature Center. One of the neatest things in Roswell is the Chattahoochee Nature Center. People visit from all over Atlanta and when you live in Roswell, it is right in your backyard! There is an entrance fee, or you can purchase an annual membership, but the vast majority of visitors find the nature center worth their money.
There are walking trails, beautiful views, an indoor discovery center, and a wide variety of educational programming during the year as well as summer camps for children. Plus, for an additional fee you can take a guided canoe trip on the Chattahoochee River or fly through the trees on the zipline course. The nature center is a lot of fun and is very popular with Roswell residents.
Con 5: Traditional Homes. In Roswell, there are a lot of traditional 2-story brick front or 3-sided brick homes. There are also a lot of older, 1960s-1980s ranch homes. That is by no means a bad thing, but if you are hoping for another style of home it may just take a little patience and waiting for the style of home you are hoping for to hit the market.
Roswell, Georgia is a great place to live and people here tend to move here and not leave. If you’d like to explore Roswell and see if it is the right place for you to buy your next home, I’d love to hear from you! If you are curious about other Atlanta suburbs, head to my video list and check out some of my other videos. I’ve explored many of the cities in the area via video to give you a taste of what they are like.