“With lands that are fertile and productive, with an intelligent and industrious citizenship, the county’s growth and prosperity are assured.” Thus wrote Mrs. R. H. Hankinson in 1921 for Henry County’s 100th birthday.
McDonough, Georgia, is the Henry County seat and a city still very proud of its heritage
“With lands that are fertile and productive, with an intelligent and industrious citizenship, the county’s growth and prosperity are assured.” Thus wrote Mrs. R. H. Hankinson in 1921 for Henry County’s 100th birthday.
McDonough, Georgia, is the Henry County seat and a city still very proud of its heritage. Modern McDonough residents are the first to proclaim the city a family-oriented community bent on keeping all the bad features of modern living away. If you appreciate awards and honors, then you’ll like knowing McDonough has racked them up. It has been named a City of Character, certified as a City of Ethics, and named a National Main Street City. If you accuse this small city of approximately 22,000 people of being a bit naïve, its residents will come out strongly in favor of you finding another place to live. What do you expect from a city named after Commodore Thomas MacDonough, of War of 1812 fame? This is a city that could be called a microcosm of the U.S. in that it has a diverse population in terms of ethnicities, income and housing.
Could you enjoy living in McDonough? Anyone who enjoys quiet, uneventful living conditions will like McDonough. Moving there is not difficult because it is almost straight south of Atlanta to the east of I-75. The good news is that you can live an uneventful life in McDonough and then drive 35 minutes north and find all the excitement your heart can handle in Atlanta. The common question posed by people considering a move to McDonough is this: Am I moving to no-man’s land? The answer is: It depends. If having no shopping mall makes a city seem like Mars, then you won’t like McDonough. If you are looking for a nice city with good schools and local festivals, then call the moving company because McDonough is calling.
One of the problems with McDonough is not McDonough’s fault. Since many people must commute to Atlanta for work, the traffic can be a nightmare. It frequently bottlenecks during rush hour at the Hudson Bridge/Eagles Landing exit. The average commute for McDonough residents is 30 to 40 minutes, giving them plenty of time to listen to an audio version of War and Peace.
The median home cost is about $138,000, reflecting the fact it has a lot of older residences, and some are for rent. The city has grown over 100 percent since the year 2000, and nice apartment buildings went up to accommodate the growth. As a result, there are places for rent starting as low as $500 and going up to $1,500 or more. Estimates vary, but about 35 to 45 percent of the residents are renters. You do have a nice selection of places to rent in McDonough, including rowhouses, small apartment buildings and high-rise apartment buildings.
For a small city, the rent almost hits big-city rates, with a median rent of over $900, which is higher than the state and national averages. Does that mean landlords want to discourage people from moving there or does it mean, well, that rents are just high? While you ponder that burning question, consider that you can rent a really nice one bedroom apartment in a complex that has many amenities, such as a fitness center and clubhouse, and in a community with basketball and tennis courts.
There are many neighborhoods that hold promise for finding a nice apartment to rent. The most noticeable feature of these neighborhoods is that they are very much alike. That means you can live anywhere in McDonough without wishing you lived on the other side of town.
Kellytown: If you want to rent an apartment in McDonough and live as close as possible to Atlanta, then check out Kellytown, which is located in the far north within the city limits. For a lot less than you'd think, you can live in this neighborhood that is ordinary, but ordinary is good when looking for a family-friendly place. It has a good school system, homes built mostly after the year 2000, and a comfortable middle-class feel. $$
Ola: Okay, so here is another suburban, middle-class neighborhood of little distinction. Apartment renters take note though: most people live in single-family residences in this area, and there is not a big choice of apartments. This could be a good place to find a house for rent. It is another new neighborhood, but it’s a nice one and the rents reflect how nice the residents think it is. $$$$
Peeksville: This is another neighborhood where the average rents are a bit...higher than the rest. It is an older area compared to Ola and Kellytown and filled with families. There are not many apartments available in this neighborhood, but you can find a rental if you plan far enough ahead. $$$$
City Center: There are nice apartment complexes in the City Center, and you can practically feel the historical ambiance of the area. However, the apartment buildings are not old. The average rent is fairly low and it’s fairly easy to rent apartments. $$$
There are some other neighborhoods, but you will notice that the neighborhoods in McDonough are not particularly distinctive. The descriptions are similar for all the areas. That makes sense when you consider the incredible growth rate the city has experienced over the last 13 years. All those people had to live somewhere, and so houses and apartments went up.
McDonough is not all ordinary. It does have a long history that residents are quite proud of. It is a quaint town with interesting buildings like the Henry County Courthouse built in 1897; Heritage Park with a Veterans Military Museum and a preserved early 1800s village with log cabin and country store; and the Civil War Nash Farm Battlefield. These are the attractions that add distinction to McDonough. Of course, you can only visit historical parks so many times, so the good news is that the family-friendly town has family-friendly activities like Noah’s Ark Animal Rehabilitation Center, paintball, a skate park and lots of grassy area parks. Throughout the year there are festivals, parades and music events. There are also some major businesses here too, like Snapper Products.
Since most people work outside of McDonough, they drive. Maybe if you move to McDonough, you can promote carpooling. Based on the last decade’s growth rate, it’s obvious that McDonough really must be a charming place to live.
