Side-by-side comparison of Marietta, GA and Athens, GA — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Marietta has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 3.76% compared to Athens's 3.73%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $375,000 in Marietta vs $360,000 in Athens, while rents come in at $1,810/mo and $1,730/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.
Growth & appreciation: Marietta is growing faster at 1.5% annually vs Athens's 1.2%. Marietta leads on home value appreciation at 3.5% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.93% in Marietta vs 0.9% in Athens. Vacancy rates of 5.2% and 5.8% are both healthy, suggesting strong tenant demand in both markets.
Entry point: Athens offers a lower entry at $360K vs Marietta's $375K — a difference of $15K. With a 20% down payment, that's $72K vs $75K. Marietta's higher price may be justified by stronger growth.
Bottom line: Marietta edges out Athens on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.76%, Marietta's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Marietta or Athens.