City Comparison · North Fulton
Roswell vs. Johns Creek: Which North Fulton Suburb Is Right for You?
Roswell and Johns Creek are next-door cities in north Fulton County, sharing about five and a half miles of city limit east of GA-400. Roswell is the older city, built around a walkable historic core; Johns Creek is a younger city of 1990s subdivisions and larger single-family homes.
Quick answer
Roswell is the older, more walkable city, centered on Canton Street and the Chattahoochee River parks, with more apartments and townhomes and a median home value of $567,100. Johns Creek is the bigger-house side of the line: 78.5% of its homes are single-family detached, 45% were built in the 1990s, and the median home value is $629,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024). Both charge the same 7.75% combined sales tax and have no MARTA rail station. Pick Roswell for an older home near a walkable center or to rent; pick Johns Creek for a newer four- or five-bedroom house.
At a glance
| Measure | Roswell | Johns Creek |
|---|---|---|
| County & school district | Fulton · Fulton County Schools | Fulton · Fulton County Schools |
| Median household income | $128,654 | $160,093 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $567,100 | $629,400 |
| Single-family detached homes | 59.5% | 78.5% |
| Homes built before 1980 | 21.9% | 4.4% |
| Average commute to work | 26.9 min | 30.1 min |
| Combined sales tax | 7.75% | 7.75% |
| Main roads | GA-400, GA-9, GA-92 | SR 141 (Medlock Bridge Rd), State Bridge Rd |
| MARTA rail station in the city | None | None |
| Known for | Canton Street, historic house museums, river parks | 1990s subdivisions, six golf courses, Newtown Park |
Income, home value, housing and commute: Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Sales tax: Georgia Department of Revenue. Roads: Census TIGER and the City of Johns Creek.
Cost & value
Johns Creek costs more to buy or rent in: on top of the home-value gap in the table, its median gross rent is $2,257 a month against $1,810 in Roswell. The gap follows the housing. In Johns Creek, 63% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 80.4% are owner-occupied; in Roswell, 45% have four or more bedrooms, 28.1% are rented and 11% are in buildings of 20 or more units. The move itself is priced on one card on either side of the line: two movers and a truck at $160 an hour, three at $200, with a 2.5-hour minimum on a standard weekday move and 3 hours on weekends, same-day bookings or moves 25+ miles from downtown. A bigger house can call for a bigger crew and more hours; the rate card stays the same.
Schools
Both cities are in Fulton County Schools, so moving between them keeps the district; what can change is the attendance zone, which the district assigns by home address in its online school lookup. Check it close to your move date: for 2026–27 the district is reviewing elementary and middle-school zones, and possible consolidations, across its northern region, including Autrey Mill Middle on Old Alabama Road in Johns Creek and Elkins Pointe Middle in Roswell. No boundary change has been approved yet.
Character & getting around
The two cities meet along about five and a half miles of city limit, from the Chattahoochee River at Holcomb Bridge Road north to Haynes Bridge Road, where Alpharetta begins. Old Alabama Road is the through street across that line, from Big Creek Park in Roswell to Newtown Park in Johns Creek. Roswell has the walkable center around Canton Street and far more shopping: Roswell businesses reported $3.49 billion in retail sales in the 2022 Economic Census, against $734 million in Johns Creek. Johns Creek's busiest roads are SR 141 (Medlock Bridge Road) and State Bridge Road, and its workers average a 30.1-minute commute against 26.9 minutes in Roswell. Neither city has a MARTA rail station.
Who each suits
- Choose Roswell if you want to walk to dinner on Canton Street, live in an older house, or rent: Roswell has more apartments and townhomes and a lower median rent.
- Choose Johns Creek if you want a four- or five-bedroom house from the 1990s or later in a city where four in five homes are owner-occupied, and you don't mind driving for errands.
For move-day detail, see the moving to Roswell guide for older homes in the historic district and the moving to Johns Creek guide for access and cost in the larger subdivisions.
Roswell vs. Johns Creek FAQ
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Moving to Roswell or Johns Creek?
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Keep reading
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Roswell & Johns Creek (ACS 2020–2024, 2022 Economic Census)
- U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2020–2024 Table DP04, housing characteristics
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb — city boundaries and roads
- City of Johns Creek — City Profile
- City of Roswell — Historic House Museums
- Fulton County Schools — find your school by address
- Fulton County Schools — 2026–27 redistricting process
- Georgia Department of Revenue — sales tax rates
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