Retirement Lists

Cost of Living in Ellijay, Georgia

View from downtown Ellijay, GA.
Photo by Tamparitus via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ellijay costs

A mountain-town budget needs road access, care travel, utilities, and home maintenance visible

A 2024 ACS 5-year profile lists a $349,100 median owner-occupied value and $48,136 median household income for Ellijay, with high margins of error on several local measures. No reliable city rent benchmark was located in this review, so compare actual listings rather than inventing a monthly housing figure.

Add taxes, insurance, utilities, internet, heating, cooling, roof, gutters, drainage, trees, retaining walls, driveway work, vehicle costs, fuel, parking, prescriptions, hospital travel, home support, and repairs. A mountain home with a lower purchase price may still carry more road, slope, power, and care costs.

Planning a monthly budget

A local monthly estimate of $2,446 gives you the starting point, with transportation taking the largest share.

Housing
$486
Utilities (in rent)
$263
Food
$460/mo
Transportation
$1,064/mo
Healthcare
$436

Utilities are included in housing so they are not added twice. The separate Utilities row is a reference estimate.

How the total can change

A traveler style stay, a couple household, and long term rent answer different planning questions.

Comfortable Living
$3,270

Very Good

Cost of Living for Couple
$4,209

Very Good

Typical 1BR Rent
$486

Excellent

Everyday expenses

Dining, transportation, taxes, and car needs can change how the monthly budget feels.

Dining Out
$237/mo

Excellent

Need for a Car
Required
Property Taxes
Low

Good

Overall Feel
Good
Residents 65+ Below Poverty Level
10.9%
65+ Householder — Renter Occupied
51.5%
65+ Households With High Housing Costs
31.0%
Median Household Income, Householder 65+
$27,625

Could Ellijay fit your monthly retirement budget?

Compare your monthly budget with a city estimate. Add your expected housing amount when you have a more useful number.

A monthly estimate for the other household size is not available here.

Housing

Enter your expected rent and required housing charges, or leave this blank to use the current renter amount.

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Starting renter estimates

Use these broad monthly estimates as a starting point, then replace them with costs you know.

One person
$2,446 per month

One-person estimate breakdown

Housing
$486
Food
$460
Transportation
$1,064
Healthcare
$436

Taxes, debt, insurance, out-of-pocket care, travel, and one-time moving costs may not be included.

Ellijay in everyday life

Could Ellijay work for you?

What may work well

  • The ACS profile provides a local owner-value, income, household, and margin-of-error starting point.
  • The hospital, library, park, square, arts, and transit planning resources provide identifiable household anchors.

What to think about

  • No reliable city rent benchmark was located.
  • Slope, rain, drainage, road access, utilities, power, vehicle use, and care travel can change the total substantially.

Price an Ellijay household

  1. Compare several addresses

    Keep housing, taxes, insurance, utilities, internet, roof, drainage, trees, slope, driveway, repairs, parking, and service distance visible.

  2. Map recurring care

    Price the hospital, primary care, pharmacy, groceries, fuel, MATS, and regional referrals.

  3. Reserve for mountain weather

    Keep room for drainage, retaining walls, trees, roof work, power, road repairs, insurance, and a ride after heavy rain.

Questions retirees ask

What is the cost of housing in Ellijay?

The 2024 ACS 5-year profile lists a $349,100 median owner-occupied value, but several local measures have high margins of error and this is not a quote for a particular home. Compare actual listings and total ownership costs.

Why do Ellijay homes have different budgets?

Slope, drainage, road grade, utilities, internet, roof, trees, driveway, insurance, transport, and care distance vary by address.

Ellijay affordability depends on the actual home, mountain maintenance, utilities, vehicle use, medical route, transportation, and the services used each week.

Sources

The budget value gives a starting point for everyday spending. Housing, healthcare, safety, and climate can change what feels comfortable for a household.

Housing mix, exchange rates, healthcare needs, car ownership, and travel style can move a real monthly budget materially.

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How this city research is made

Retirement Lists uses documented public sources and methods to research, review, and correct city information. Read our Editorial Policy.