Top 5 Reasons to Live in Adairsville

In response to the many comments and requests since publishing “Top 5 Reasons Cartersville-Bartow is a Great Place to Live”, this will be the first in a series of articles profiling the primary benefits of living in each of the major towns/communities within Bartow. This month we are focusing on Adairsville, a quiet community steeped in history located about 20 miles northwest of Cartersville.

Reason #1: Beautiful and Affordable Large Lots and Farms with Acreage

In Adairsville, you’ll find many homes with acreage or larger than average lots. If you are looking for a farm or ranch home with proximity to the city, Adairsville is a good place to look. Adairsville is still very accessible to jobs in Cartersville, Calhoun, and Acworth via 41, and homes are competitively priced. According to Realtor.com, the average price/square foot is $106 in Adairsville vs $108 in Cartersville. Property taxes are slightly higher though, with Cartersville at 2.97% of assessed value vs. Adairsville at 3.12%.¹

Reason #2: Wide Variety of New Homes

There is also a great selection of new homes in Adairsville thanks to three new housing developments with a wide variety of floor plans and more in development. Two additional communities are also in the planning stages.

Prices range from the low $160,000s to mid $300,000s. Plans have a wide array of varying sizes and amenities that make it easy to find your perfect home. Options available include open floor plans, first-story master bedrooms, covered patio, lofts, and more!

Reason #3: Continuing, Steady Growth & Development

Adairsville is growing and continues to attract major manufacturers and developments to the area. In November, the Development Authority approved a $42.5M bond for Vista Metals, a California-headquartered aluminum products manufacturer, to facilitate an expansion of Vista Metals Corp. operations in north Bartow.

“They continue to grow and continue to love this area out here,” said H. Boyd Pettit III, the Authority’s legal counsel. “They are in the process of closing on another 160 acres or so in Adairsville.”²

Additionally, these large manufacturers are good for local small business as well. Bartow County Commissioner Steve Taylor said of Vista Metals, “They make a real effort to use local vendors,” he said, “like some of the local trucking companies.”

All this growth is catching the eyes of real estate developers, too. In July, private developers’ broke ground for a 252,000-square foot speculative building on a farm property between U.S. 41 and I-75 between Adairsville and Calhoun.³ In October, site work began on two 500,000-square-foot spec buildings by Ashley Capital, a real estate investment firm, in the Georgia North Industrial Park off Ga. 140 in Adairsville.⁴

Reason #4 It’s the Safest City in Bartow

For the second year in a row, Adairsville has been recognized as the safest city in Bartow County, ranking at 42 in the list of Top 50 Safest Cities in Georgia. The Top 50 list was compiled by SafeWise, which offers online advice regarding home security and safety.

Adairsville City Government is committed to remaining safe, even as Adairsville grows. Adairsville Mayor Kenneth Carson said in a recent article, “The mayor and council have always prioritized public safety. We have a community that supports our police force, which is vital to proactive patrol. As our community grows, we know we will face more challenges, but I definitely feel we are well-positioned to address those challenges and continue to strive to be one of the safest cities in the state of Georgia for the citizens to work, relax and raise their families.”

According to www.safewise.com, violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents were examined for each qualifying city, with Adairsville averaging 2.50 violent crimes and 28.73 property crimes per 1,000 residents. ⁵

Reason #5 Education

Whether you are a scholar or an athlete or both, Adairsville has great schools that will challenge you to be better. Adairsville boasts high graduation rates, the lowest teacher/student ratio in the county, and a wide variety of excellent extracurricular programs. According to the Georgia Department of Education, 91.2% of Adairsville students graduated last year.⁶ Additionally, 22% of students take advantage of the opportunity to do Advanced Placement® course work and exams. The AP® exams provide college credit based on the exam score in each subject test taken.

The student/teacher ratio at Adairsville High School is 16.6, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Bartow County School District! Adairsville High School has the smallest high school student body size in the Bartow County School District.

Besides academic success, Adairsville schools have excellent extracurricular programs. For example. The JROTC Raiders program consistently ranks in the top 5 of state and national championships. In 2018, the female Tiger team won state and national championships while the male team came in No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation at Raider competitions. Last year, both the male and female Adairsville Raiders teams came in No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation.⁷ Raiders is a Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (JROTC) military regulated extra-curricular activity that is focused on physical fitness, discipline, and teamwork. Raider teams are comprised of 12-member teams with three divisions; all male teams, all female teams and mixed teams.

The Adairsville football program also has had several notable graduates who have gone on to have both professional and NCAA collegiate careers. The most famous of these is Vic Beasley, Jr., (2010), who played at Clemson after high school and was subsequently drafted by Atlanta Falcons as the 8^th overall draft pick in 2015. A more recent notable graduate is Marcus Childers (2016) who is currently the Quarterback for the Northern Illinois Huskies.⁸ These are just a few examples, as every week there are reports of academic and extracurricular success from Adairsville schools.

So, if you are looking for a safe place to raise your kids with plenty of opportunity for growth and a wide range of housing options, consider Adairsville.