Forsyth Overview

On This Page

• Summaries & Demographic Info
• Weather & Climate
• Zip Codes, Cities & Counties
• Getting Your Bearings
• Residential Housing Overview
• Lake Lanier
• Helpful Tools

Summaries & Demographic Info

“Once ranked the fourth poorest county in Georgia, Forsyth County is now rated the second wealthiest county in the state and the nineteenth wealthiest in the nation. With a median household income of $68,000, developers see opportunities for more growth. Single-family housing permits have risen from 2,800 to over 4,300 in the past 10 years.

The U.S. Census bureau reports Forsyth County is the fastest growing in Georgia and fifth fastest nationally.

"I`d rather have cow pastures than subdivisions, but life goes on," said Wesley Walraven, former sheriff.

The county`s 2005 population of 140,393 represents a 44 percent increase over the 2000 census and an 8 percent annual growth rate from its 1990 population of 44,000. Likewise, the county tax digest has increased by $15 billion, and the exploding population has created a laundry list of infrastructure challenges. With all of these changes, there are far more newcomers than old-timers living in Forsyth."

Source: Liz Alverson, Forsyth Herald, June 1, 2006

Helpful Hint: Summaries are sometimes out of date. Even the ones below! Most data is from the 2000 Census. Cumming and Forsyth County have grown and changed a lot since then!

• Sources for Demographic Information
• GeorgiaFacts.net - Georgia Department of Economic Development
• Podunk

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Weather & Climate

• Current Weather
• Monthly Averages
• Georgia State Climatology Office

Cumming is definitely in "The South".  For those of you moving from the Midwest and North the difference in climate causes a few differences you`ll want to know about. 

First, poisonous snakes and spiders are more common.  While nothing to be afraid of, or worry about, you will want to learn and practice a few easy precautions.  This site had good information: Bite and Sting Information

Secondly,  our growing seasons are different.  And, a note to the wise - don`t plant until after the hard freeze that comes after the first few weeks of beautiful spring weather.  It`ll kill your seedlings every year!  You can learn more at these sites:

• First and Last Freeze Forecasts - scroll to bottom for forecasts
• Historical growing season analysis

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Zip Codes, Cities & Counties

Forsyth County has grown dramatically in the last 15 years. As a result, there is often some confusion about the relationships between cities, mailing addresses and counties. Here in Georgia, unlike in northern states, the county governments are typically very strong and many times homes are in an unincorporated area. So, there are many Cumming addresses which are in unincorporated Forsyth County rather than inside the Cumming city limits, or the “city proper”*. Also, when you review statistics for the city, they are typically not representative of the entire county.

In addition a unique thing occurred in Forsyth County. The nature of the growth led to mailing addresses for cities which are largely based in other counties. For example, a home that has a Suwanee address with a 30024 zip code may be in unincorporated Forsyth County, in unincorporated Gwinnett County or in Suwanee city proper (which is in Gwinnett). Here is a recap of the zip codes, mailing address cities and surrounding counties you’ll find for Forsyth.

Cumming City Proper*

Unincorporated Forsyth County

“City proper” means within the city limits, under the city’s government.

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Getting Your Bearings

We all form mental maps to help us navigate our surroundings. I’ve found that most of us have very similar, and similarly incorrect, mental maps of the northern Atlanta metropolitan area. We all think of the major roads and Lake Lanier as running north south. In reality, I-85 runs nearly east-west through this area and Lake Lanier is as much east-west as it is north-south. Another difficulty we have with our mental maps is a result of a common practice in the area. Roads here often change names at major intersections or county lines. Our mental maps will always think of the road by the first name learned. This mental map will take you to a picture of the typical mental map for this area. It has notations about the multiple names for some of the more major roads. I’ve found it helps my clients get their bearings more quickly as they navigate the confusing roads of northern Atlanta.

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Residential Housing Overview

It’s an age-old in rule in real estate that location affects price. Here in the metropolitan Atlanta area, as with most major cities, there are some versions of this principle. All other things being equal, the same house will be less expensive the further it is from Atlanta and the further is it from a major road. In Forsyth County’s case that major road is Georgia 400.

With the rapid rise in land and construction costs over the last few years, there is a clear trade-off between larger older homes with bigger lots and newer homes that have many desirable features. In newer homes you’ll typically find large open spaces with many upgrades such as hardwood floors and granite countertops.

Much of Forsyth County is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a result, it can be hard to find a home with a basement, privacy and a flat grassy yard you step onto from the main level of the house. Typically homes with basements and privacy in the rear have been built into the side of a hill. So, the lot drops away from the house in the rear. Often, yards on these homes are at the basement level – or lower. Homes with flat, grassy yards accessed directly from the kitchen are typically on slabs. The rare home is built into a hill such that the basement opens to the side giving you a yard and basement, but not necessarily privacy.

There are some additional considerations when looking for “lake property”. Please continue reading below for an overview of Lake Lanier properties.

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Lake Lanier

Lake Lanier is huge with a surface area of 39,000 acres at “full pool”. Its 692+ mile shoreline spans four counties. The majority of the lake is in Hall County. Forsyth County also has extensive shoreline and some of the best schools in the state. The smaller amount of shoreline located in Gwinnett County is largely developed. Dawson County has the least amount of shoreline.

Lake Lanier provides year round recreation for thousands. Bass fishing in the quite northern coves, scuba diving in the hundred foot depths, swimming, jet skiing, tubing, power boating, even living on a houseboat, are passions pursued on “The Lake”. Boats of all sizes and types are permitted. Essentially, if you can get the boat to the water you can have it on the lake. There are ten public marinas on Lake Lanier, ten Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds and dozens of parks that provide hiking trails, boat ramps, picnic areas and beaches. Lake Lanier is the official Army Corps of Engineers site. Lake Lanier Islands is a resort located on the shores of Lake Lanier in Gwinnett County. It offers a hotel, cabins, beach and water-park, golf, spa and more. Boat and other equipment rentals are available at several locations around the lake.

To understand Lake Lanier property, you need to know how the lake was created. Damming the Chattahoochee River caused the river and its tributaries to flood the mountain valleys. The areas around the lake where we drive and live today were once mountain tops, with much of the property being heavily wooded and steeply sloped. As a result, lake lots which are flat or gently sloping command a premium price.

The rule about “distance from Atlanta”, also applies to lake property. Homes on the south end of the lake closer to Atlanta cost more. Homes on the lake may be in a community or on separately owned lots. This difference doesn’t directly affect price but does play into other factors that do affect price. Lake homes don’t necessarily have docks, lake views or lake frontage. Having any of these increases the value of the property.

If there is a dock, the type of dock and the standing of its permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, makes a difference in a property’s price. Courtesy docks and/or boat ramps are found in lake communities where homes are likely to not have lake frontage or lake views. Both community and individual property docks range from small platform docks to large double-slip docks with a party deck above. Some lake communities have large community docks where you can purchase a dedicated slip. Because of how the lake was created, you may have a lake home with a dock where the dock is located a significant walk from the property. For example, the home may be on the top of the hill with a great view but there are 100 steps to get down to – and back up from! – the water.

Lake views can range from clear year-round views of the large open part of the lake to seasonal views of a small cove. A seasonal view is one where the lake is only visible when the leaves are off the trees and vegetation has died back for the winter.

How Lake Lanier was created also created a wide range in water depths. Near the dam at the south end of the lake the water is about 200 feet deep. The lake has many fingers created as the water rose in the various rivers, creeks and streams that fed the Chattahoochee. At the end of many of these coves the water is very shallow, even drying up entirely during periods of drought.

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Helpful Tools

Google Earth – provides an aerial view of addresses as well as locations of hospitals, schools, dining, etc.

MapQuest Directions – Use this to get a good estimate of the distance, both miles and time, from a potential new home’s address to work, school, etc. Helpful Hint: A good general rule is to add about 50% to the time for rush hour traffic.

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