Home / About Us / Accolades & Rankings

Accolades & Rankings

Welcome to Athens, Georgia, a remarkably well-rounded community with something for everyone.

“Best Places to Retire 2018” (fourth consecutive year), Forbes, April 23, 2018

“Greenest City” Award, Insurify, April 2018

#7, “Best College Campuses in America,” Business Insider, March 2018

2018 Live, Work, Play City Award Winner (Large cities category) – Georgia Municipal Association, in association with Georgia Trend magazine, February 2018

“50 Best (smaller) College Towns with the Best Music Scenes,” GoodDeedSeats.com, February 2018

“Athens, Georgia:  A Romantic College Town that Sports a Thriving Arts, Culinary & Music Scene,” DatingAdvice.com, February 2018

“Best College Football Towns in America” (ranked #2), USA Today Sports, Nov. 17, 2017

“7 U.S. Cities that are Hipper Than you Think,” Jetsetter, Nov. 1, 2017

“America’s Coolest Southern Towns,” Jetsetter, Sept. 27, 2017

“12 Best Music Towns in the Nation,” Expedia, September 25, 2017

“Underrated food cities in the south,” USA Today, September 18, 2017

“Best Small Towns in the South for Retirement,” Southern Living, June 2017

“Prettiest Town in Every State” – The Daily Meal, May 2017

“2017’s List of Best Places to Retire” – AARP

#2, “Top 5 Mid-sized South Atlantic Cities,” RewardExpert.com, April 2017

#1, “The 24 coolest towns in the USA,” Matador Network, March 15, 2017

#3, “The Most Overlooked Cities in the USA,” DK Travel, March 2017

“25 Most Giving Cities in the U.S.,” Travelocity.com, November 9, 2016

“Nicest Place in the South: October 2016,” PorterBriggs.com, October 1, 2016

#1, “Top 25 College Towns,” Fansided, September 28, 2016

#13, “The 18 Most Underrated Cities in the U.S.” Conde Nast Traveler, September 2016

“Best College Towns in America” (#10)CollegeRank, August 2016

“19 Best College Towns in America,” MSN Lifestyle and  PureWow, August 17, 2016

“Best College Towns in America for Food,” MSN Lifestyle, July 15, 2016

“#1 SEC City for Craft Beer,” SEC Country, July 2016

“Top 17 Most Affordable U.S. Cities of 2016,” Inuit Mint, July 1, 2016

“Best Town in College Football,” Athlon Sports, June 23, 2016

“The 9 Best Cities for Singer-Songwriters,” Livability.com, April 24, 2016

“Final Four – Best Southern College Towns,” GardenandGun.com, March 29, 2016

“These Are the Best New Cities for Beer Lovers,” Fortune.com, March 2, 2016

“9 Bike-Friendly Cities in Georgia,” Georgia Trend, February 2016

“The 12 Best U.S. Cities for Music Lovers,” The Culture Trip, January 10, 2016

“Athens, GA: Creative Culture – Biotech, Bulldawgs, and Intown Business,” Georgia Trend, October 1, 2015

“5 Reasons to Visit Athens, GA,” LL World Tour, September 23, 2015

“Best College Football Towns,” Travel + Leisure, September 7, 2015

“Best College Towns for Food & Drink,” Thrillist, May 6, 2015

“UGA ranked No. 2 among college towns in SEC,” 247Sports.com, April 21, 2015

EXPLORE OUR AVAILABLE PROPERTIES

WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU

Our team of dedicated professionals will be with you to help with all phases of your project — from selection to development. Do not hesitate to reach out, we are happy to answer any of your questions or concerns.

Ilka McConnell, CEcD

Ilka McConnell, CEcD

Economic Development Director

(706) 224-1460
[email protected]

Kenshundria Bailey-Allen

Kenshundria Bailey-Allen

Workforce Development Coordinator

(706) 224-0992
[email protected]

Myung Cogan

Myung Cogan

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Coordinator

(762) 772-1914
[email protected]

Caitlin Dye

Caitlin Dye

Business Development & Incentives Coordinator

(706) 972-7811
[email protected]

Jason Jones

Jason Jones

Site Development Services Coordinator

(706) 240-0216
[email protected]

Ryan Thornton

Ryan Thornton

Manufacturing & Industry Coordinator

(706) 621-0825
[email protected]

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.