Rents are 13% below what Decatur's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,755 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Decatur usually run 0.8% below trend in January and 0.8% above it in July, about $28 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Decatur is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Decatur changed +1.9% over the year to September 2026. Across the 115 Georgia cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.3%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Decatur rose 39.5% while median household income rose 31.4% ($106,088 to $139,397). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Decatur is 41.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($139,397) is $3,485 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($2,620).
The priciest of 5 ZIP codes in Decatur, 30030 ($1,860/mo), costs 16% more than the cheapest, 30034 ($1,610/mo).
Clarkston, 4 miles away, rents for 21% less ($1,384/mo), about $4,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Decatur. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Decatur, GA is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 76.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Decatur, GA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Decatur, GA has increased by $399 per month, settling near $1,755 after starting the period at $1,356. Median household income grew from $123,617 to $139,397 between 2021 and 2024, a 12.8% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 16.6 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. About 36.1% of households rent today, against 32.8% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Decatur, GA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $1,755/mo, how Decatur rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Decatur rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Decatur. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Decatur
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Decatur is $1,755/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,572/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,808/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,634/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,178/mo.
At 15% of local median household income ($139,397/yr), Decatur ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Decatur?
At $1,755/mo, rent takes ~15% of Decatur's median household income ($139,397/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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