Best Affordable Suburbs 2009

Georgia

Best affordable suburb: Peachtree City

Nearest major city: Atlanta

Population: 38,736

Median household income: $93,046

Median home price: $247,900

Unemployment rate: 3.6%

Violent crime index: 6

Peachtree City, a planned community south of Atlanta, has two lakes and recreation

centers including the 14-year-old Kedron Fieldhouse & Aquatic Center, which has courts

for basketball and volleyball in addition to a 25-yard swimming pool and a heated

instructional pool. The town has 90 miles of golf-cart paths for Peachtree City's 9,000

registered carts, The New York Times said last year in a feature about the town. "About

two-thirds of the households own at least one. Kids drive them to school (no driver's

license is required for a cart). Seniors who've given up their cars drive their carts to the

doctor and to go shopping," the newspaper said. About 48% of residents are married with

children. The average commute is 29 minutes.