Cost of Living in Canton
Canton is the most affordable market in this build wave by a wide margin, with a cost-of-living index reading close to the national average -- though a real 2026 city property tax increase adds a disclosed new cost factor.
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Learn moreClose to the national average, a real contrast with Milton and Brookhaven
Cost-of-living index readings for Canton are cited close to the national baseline of 100: one source cites 110, a second cites 99.4 for a specific late-2024 reading -- a real spread, but both sit far below the 142-171 range documented for Brookhaven and Milton, respectively, elsewhere in this build wave.
Household income runs above the Georgia state median, but below Milton and Brookhaven
Canton's median household income is cited at $86,332 (2024), 7.3% above the Georgia statewide median in the same source -- though a second source cites a higher $94,768. Both readings sit meaningfully below Milton's ($157,650) and are broadly comparable to Brookhaven's income profile, per the base record.
A real, disclosed 2026 property tax increase
Canton's own city millage rate rose 13.72% for 2026 (5.25 to 6.000 mills), driven substantially by a Cherokee County fire-district cost pass-through -- a real, near-term cost increase that current and prospective Canton homeowners should budget for directly (see the taxes-insurance topic).
Key takeaways
- Canton's cost-of-living index (99.4-110 depending on source) sits close to the national average, far below the 142-171 range documented for Brookhaven and Milton in this same build wave.
- Median household income is cited at $86,332-$94,768, above the Georgia state median but below Milton's figure documented elsewhere in this build wave.
- Canton's own city property tax millage rose 13.72% for 2026, a real, disclosed near-term cost increase.
- Housing remains the largest single driver of overall affordability here -- see the housing topic for Canton's median sale price, the lowest in this build wave.
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