ATLANTA – Five small towns in Georgia have made the list of the Most Charming Towns in America to Move To.

According to the latest Census Bureau data, Americans continue to leave big cities in droves. This trend has been attributed to the allure of small-town life, which offers a lower cost of living, better quality of life, a sense of community, access to nature, lower crime rates, and a higher sense of safety.

High 5 Casino sought to find the most charming U.S. towns and cities to live in. They evaluated 161 small towns and cities across the country, ranking them based on 22 key metrics grouped into four categories: Essentials (cost of living, safety, employment), Lifestyle (entertainment venues, amenities, access to nature, climate), Housing (affordability, home appreciation rates, housing demand), and Community (population density, educational facilities, healthcare, average age of residents).

After ranking all the towns, they compiled a list of the 100 most charming small towns in the U.S. Five small towns in Georgia made the list, with one ranking in the top 5:

• No. 4 – Madison (52.05 out of 100)
• No. 21 – Adairsville (44.83 out of 100)
• No. 47 – Jekyll Island (42.81 out of 100)
• No. 53 – Dahlonega (42.57 out of 100)
• No. 96 – Helen (39.99 out of 100)

Madison is known for its well-preserved antebellum architecture, scenic beauty with tree-lined streets and lush gardens, and rich cultural heritage showcased in museums and cultural centers. Its quaint downtown area features charming shops, boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Madison’s historical significance, particularly its preservation during General Sherman’s March to the Sea, adds to its allure. The town’s unemployment rate is 3%, and the median home price is $455,000. Madison has a crime rate that is noticeably lower than average. 

Adairsville boasts a well-preserved historic downtown area with 19th-century buildings, quaint shops, and local eateries. Home to Barnsley Resort and various community events and festivals, it is located near the Appalachian Mountains, offering easy access to outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, and camping. The median home price in Adairsville is $439,375, and the current unemployment rate is 0.2%. The crime rate is Adairsville is 13.3% lower than national average. 

Jekyll Island is famous for its picturesque coastal beauty and rich history, including well-preserved Gilded Age mansions. Residents and visitors can enjoy activities such as biking, golfing, and exploring nature trails. The median home price on Jekyll Island is $660,000, an increase of 53.5% over last year, with an unemployment rate of 3.2%. Crime risk is moderate in Jekyll Island.

Dahlonega, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, is renowned for its history and landscapes. As the site of the first major U.S. gold rush in 1828, Dahlonega features a historic downtown with preserved 19th-century architecture, quaint shops, and cozy cafes. Surrounded by scenic vineyards, the town offers outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, and exploring Amicalola Falls. Dahlonega’s vibrant arts scene, friendly community, and annual festivals add to its charm. The median home price is $368,166, with an unemployment rate of 2.8%. The crime rate is considered low in Dahlonega. 

Helen is a unique town known for its Bavarian-inspired architecture and alpine village aesthetic. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Helen offers stunning natural beauty and outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and tubing along the Chattahoochee River. The town’s vibrant cultural scene includes numerous festivals, artisan shops, and local wineries. Helen’s charm, welcoming community, and scenic surroundings make it a delightful place to live, with a median home price of $461,000 and an unemployment rate of 2.6%. Helen’s crime rate is higher than the national average. 

Other Georgia ranking stories

The other small towns/cities in the top 5 are Homer, Alaska; Petoskey, Michigan; Oxford, Mississippi; and Marietta, Ohio.

Homer is known for its fishing, museums, art galleries, educational facilities, and below-average property prices.

Petoskey scored high for affordable housing, a low unemployment rate, a low crime rate, and easy access to some of Michigan’s most picturesque and affluent waterfront communities.

Oxford has an average age well below the list average (27.7 vs. 45) and is a haven for foodies. It is also home to numerous creatives, musicians, and artists.

Marietta is widely regarded as one of the prettiest cities in the Midwest with its brick streets, hardwood trees, and neoclassical Victorian houses. The average property price is just $264,900, making it quite affordable.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – SEC Media Days are raging on in Dallas, Texas.

Kirby Smart and his Georgia Bulldogs stepped up to the mic to help set the stage for what should be another exciting season of football between the hedges.

After just barely missing the opportunity to complete the three-peat last year, the Dawgs are back, barking louder than ever.

With Quarterback Carson Beck returning for one last ride and their defense getting bigger and faster, the Dawgs will be in a position to compete for their third national championship in the last four seasons.

Kirby says his dawgs are ready for the challenge of this new 16-team SEC and a much more difficult schedule.

“Coming out of spring, I love the practice environment, the competitive nature between the offense and defense, the battles we had on the field like the practices were really spirited, it seemed like. And I enjoy that. I think when you have good, spirited practices, they get more out of them,” said Smart.

Beck said: “I think over the course of last year if you go look a game on and then you go look at game 40 and it’s not even the same quarterback and you know, making the decision to come back this year, I’m excited to see what the progression from Game 15 to whatever X amount of games we might play this year is going to look like.”

All eyes will be on number 15 both in Athens and around the country, because according to most sportsbooks out there, Beck is either the favorite or tied for the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy this year.

Beck threw for just under 4,000 yards and had 30 total touchdowns in 2023.

With Brock Bowers, Ladd Mcconkey and Kendall Milton moving on to the NFL, he’ll have some new weapons this year, but Qb1 still believes the best is yet to come.

“When you focus on the team and you really put other people before yourself and you are selfless and you focus on your agency, we focus on our line, you focus on the tight end, we focus on the defense, focus on the team as a whole. It kind of takes all that, you know, outside noise and pressure of these individual awards and individual statistics, and it puts it on, okay, let’s win this week. And then that’s within the next week and then so on, and so forth. And when those things happen and you can focus on the team and everybody on the team is on that same mindset, that’s when those individual kinds of awards start to happen,” said Beck.

In addition to that tough loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game, one thing that kept Georgia out of the playoff last year was their strength of schedule.

That won’t be a problem this year because the Dawgs will have their hands full with tough games against Clemson to open up the season and battles with Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss all on the road.

Mykel Williams, defensive line, said: “A personal goal I have this year is to win and win a lot of games. The game plan behind that is to go in week in and week out and do the things necessary to win.”

Malaki Starks, defensive back, said: “Complacency gets you passed up. You know, if you’re flat-lining, people who are consistently going are going to pass you at some point. The goal is to not get passes, keep going. You know, I feel like especially on defense, there’s nothing that you can’t get better at, nothing. You can’t grow into the best as the goal is just to keep growing day by day.”

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COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee is moving into its second day on Tuesday.

There are people with Columbus connections participating in the convention. One of those is former State Sen. Josh McKoon, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. 

In his role as the leader of the Georgia Republican party, Josh got the honor of committing the state’s 59 delegates to former President Donald Trump. And he predicted that Trump would carry Georgia in 2024. It’s a state the former president narrowly lost four years ago. 

Here’s what it sounded like Monday followed by Josh talking about the experience. 

“On November 5th, the Peach State will cast 16 electoral votes for the once and future President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. And today, we proudly cast all 59 votes for President Donald J. Trump,” McKoon said enthusiastically.

He said it was an honor.

“Well, I just really wanted to say that, you know, Georgia’s back,” McKoon told WRBL. “I mentioned that, you know, we are going to win Georgia. We are going to get those 16 electoral votes for Donald Trump. And yeah, I wanted to give a little commercial and all the hard work that so many people have done to make Georgia the most business friendly state in the nation. So, I felt good about the message I was able to convey in a short period of time.” 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp addressed the Georgia delegation this morning before the delegates departed for the convention. Josh said the governor received a warm reception and several standing ovations. 

“His message was we needed to focus on winning this election,” McKoon said. “And he talked about how vitally important it is to win the White House, to return our legislative majorities to the General Assembly and to re-elect our congressmen. It was a very positive, unifying message about how Republicans need to come together so we can win. He made a remark along the lines of, ‘You don’t get to govern if you don’t win.’

WRBL reported Monday night that there was only one delegate in the Georgia delegation from Columbus. We would like to correct that error.  

Local businessman Paul Voorhees joins Alton Russell as one of the 59 Georgia delegates at the Republican National Convention. 

Here’s what Voorhees said about Monday night visit by former President Donald Trump into the convention hall.

“It was really joyful,” Voorhees said. ” We had so many people who are so excited about getting this country  affordable again, safe again.  And we have so many people in the streets and have so much crime on the streets and there’s so much on the grocery bills, cash bills,  Automobiles have gone up so much in price. It’s just  it’s it’s not a fun thing in this country.  And that last night, I got chills. I mean, it was really, really like  the spirit  come down on everybody.”