Milton records just 550 total crimes per 100,000 residents — including a violent crime rate of only 37 per 100,000 — making it Georgia’s safest city in the FBI’s 2024 data. Johns Creek (662) and Fairburn (865) complete the top three. Nearly every city here is an Atlanta-metro suburb — north-Fulton communities with well-funded police departments dominate the list.
How this Georgia ranking works
Unlike our dangerous-city lists, this ranking sorts Georgia cities by total crime rate per 100,000 residents — violent crime plus property crime combined — using 2024 figures compiled from the FBI Crime Data Explorer and published by Local Observer Daily. Total crime is the better measure of everyday safety for people choosing where to live, since property crime — burglary, larceny, car theft — is what most residents actually encounter. As always, remember that in smaller towns a handful of incidents can swing a per-100,000 rate, so treat small-city entries as directional rather than exact.
Georgia’s 10 safest cities
1. Milton — 550 total crimes per 100,000, violent crime 37 per 100,000
Georgia’s safest city: just 550 total crimes per 100,000 residents, with violent crime at only 37 per 100,000 — roughly 90 percent below the national average. This upscale Fulton County suburb north of Atlanta was also Georgia’s only entry on WorldAtlas’s list of the safest small communities in the country.
2. Johns Creek — 662 total crimes per 100,000, violent crime 40 per 100,000
North Fulton’s second entry takes second place at 662 total crimes per 100,000, with violent crime at just 40 per 100,000 — about 90 percent below the national average.
3. Fairburn — 865 total crimes per 100,000
This growing suburb southwest of Atlanta lands third at 865 total crimes per 100,000. Fairburn’s family-oriented subdivisions and commuter profile keep both violent and property crime well below state averages.
4. Grovetown — 939 total crimes per 100,000
Part of the Augusta metro area, Grovetown records 939 total crimes per 100,000. Its proximity to Fort Eisenhower brings a stable, military-family population that tends to correlate with lower crime.
5. Holly Springs — 1019 total crimes per 100,000
This Cherokee County suburb posts 1,019 total crimes per 100,000 — still less than half the national total-crime rate.
6. Woodstock — 1150 total crimes per 100,000
Woodstock’s revitalized downtown and lake-town feel draw young families; at 1,150 total crimes per 100,000, it ranks sixth statewide while remaining well under the national average.
7. Braselton — 1221 total crimes per 100,000
Straddling four counties northeast of Atlanta, Braselton records 1,221 total crimes per 100,000. Its resort and golf-community character keeps violent crime rare.
8. Alpharetta — 1229 total crimes per 100,000
A major tech-employment hub in north Fulton County, Alpharetta pairs corporate growth with 1,229 total crimes per 100,000 — a strong safety record for a city of its economic size.
9. Suwanee — 1308 total crimes per 100,000
This Gwinnett County suburb is known for its parks and top-rated schools; at 1,308 total crimes per 100,000 it takes ninth place statewide.
10. Peachtree City — 1368 total crimes per 100,000
Known for its 100-plus miles of golf-cart paths, Peachtree City closes the top 10 at 1,368 total crimes per 100,000.
The Atlanta-suburb effect
Seven of the ten cities sit in the Atlanta metro, and six of those cluster in the northern suburbs — Milton, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Woodstock, Holly Springs, and Suwanee. The recognition extends beyond this list: Milton was Georgia’s only entry on WorldAtlas’s list of the nation’s safest small communities, and Johns Creek’s violent crime rate runs about 90 percent below the national average. Higher household incomes, newer housing stock, and well-staffed police departments are the common threads — a reminder that in Georgia, safety and suburbia go together.
For a mirror-image list, see our ranking of the 10 safest cities in Texas, built with the same FBI-2024 methodology.
FAQs
What is the safest city in Georgia?
Milton: 550 total crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024 FBI data, with a violent crime rate of just 37 per 100,000 — the lowest in the state.
How is this ranking calculated?
Cities are ranked by total crime rate — violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, assault) plus property crime (burglary, larceny, car theft) per 100,000 residents — using 2024 FBI data.
Why are almost all of Georgia’s safest cities Atlanta suburbs?
North-Fulton and outer-metro suburbs combine higher incomes, newer housing, and well-funded police departments — all factors strongly associated with lower crime. Seven of the ten safest cities are in the Atlanta metro.
Is Johns Creek really that safe?
By the numbers, yes: its violent crime rate of 40 per 100,000 runs about 90 percent below the national average, and its total crime rate of 662 per 100,000 is second lowest in Georgia.
Is Atlanta itself safe?
Atlanta does not appear on this safest-cities list; like most major cities, its crime rates run well above its suburbs’. Suburban cities such as Milton and Johns Creek offer a very different safety profile from the urban core.
Does this ranking include property crime?
Yes — deliberately. This list ranks by total crime (violent plus property), because burglary, larceny, and car theft are the crimes most residents actually encounter.
Can these rankings change year to year?
Yes. Crime rates move with local policing, economic conditions, and reporting changes — and in smaller cities a handful of incidents can shift the per-100,000 rate noticeably. These figures reflect 2024 data.
Where can I check Georgia crime data myself?
You can explore official figures in the FBI Crime Data Explorer, which publishes agency-reported crime counts for cities across the country.
