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Well-Planned from the Beginning, Delightful Peachtree City, Georgia Provides Retirees with a High Quality of Life
Cost of Living: Above the National Average
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Peachtree City (population 37,000) is situated 25 miles south of Atlanta, Georgia and is a growing master-planned city. Chartered in 1959, it is a relatively new place and has blossomed into a very appealing, well-designed city. In 1975, the magazine Ladies Home Journal named Peachtree City one of "America's Best Suburbs," and it has been winning national awards ever since. With 125 or more neighborhoods in five separate villages, each one with its own identity and amenities, Peachtree City is serene, suburban and comfortable (but not in an eerie Stepford Wives kind of way). The residents are educated (nearly 50% have at least a 4 year college degree) and generally conservative. The cost of living is 10% above the national average, and of the population, 26% is age 45 to 64, and 9% is age 65 or better.
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Early on, the idea here was to integrate homes and businesses in such a way as to create harmony, and a mix of carefully arranged residences, open spaces, recreation centers and shopping districts has accomplished this. The city is spread across 15,500 acres, most of them thick with greenery, and its five villages are Aberdeen and Glenloch (with homes built in the 1970s and 1980s), Braelinn and Kedron (with homes built in the 1990s and 2000s) and Wilksmoor (new and underdevelopment). As might be expected, real estate prices are above the national average. The median home price is $250,000, and prices have been holding fairly steady the last year or two.
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Somewhat surprisingly, housing styles are interesting and varied and include traditional ranch, bungalow, Victorian, contemporary and Cape Cod. Single family homes are in the majority, but there are some condos and town homes as well. Most homes are large, with two to six bedrooms. Generally speaking, there are no bad neighborhoods in Peachtree City, and all homes are near shopping and recreation facilities.
Non-foreclosure prices start well below $100,000 (although some of these residences may need some TLC) and reach a $1 million or more, but many very attractive dwellings are for sale in the $100,000s. Inventory is probably most plentiful in the $200,000s to $300,000s. Lesser priced homes are usually a little bit older, but no homes here are really old. Some neighborhoods popular with the more mature generation include Lake Peachtree, Piney Knoll, Fetlock Meadow and Clover Reach.
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Peachtree City also has, or will have, a couple of active adult apartment communities. Towne Club is a higher-end 55+ complex (the average monthly rent is around $3,500) that is designed for aging and has one and two bedroom apartments for lease. Amenities include maid service, personal trainers, room service, an outdoor pavilion and more. And a parcel of land has just recently been re-zoned for an age-restricted (62+), 96-unit apartment complex for people with incomes less than $30,000 per year (it is worth noting that not all residents are happy about this lower-income housing). A few other 55+ communities are on the drawing board but have not broken ground.
Non age-restricted apartments are limited, but the average one bedroom rent is roughly $725 per month, and the average 2 bedroom unit is about $1,100 per month.
When it comes to property taxes, a good rule of thumb is to multiply the fair market value by 1.1%. For example, a $250,000 home has annual taxes of approximately $2,750. Homeowners age 62 or better whose family income does not exceed $30,000 may qualify for an exemption from state and county property taxes equal to the amount by which the assessed value of the homestead exceeds the assessed value for the preceding tax year. There is also a homestead exemption, and for people age 65 and better who earn $10,000 or less annually, $4,000 of their property's value is exempt from state and county taxes.
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Social Security income is not taxed, and people age 62 or better and anyone earning less than $40,000 annually may have some of their retirement income exempted from state tax.
Meandering paths, abundant green belts, three lakes, strict sign ordinances, underground utilities, shopping venues clustered off the major roads, lots of trees, roadside and median plantings, manicured landscaping, blooming dogwoods and azaleas and no homes facing busy streets all help make PTC, as it is known locally, a pretty place indeed. Having been recognized as one of the most successful planned cities in the country, growth is closely watched and regulated. Peachtree City is safe, too, with a crime rate significantly below the national average.
One of PTC's defining characteristics is its transportation system. It is a golf cart city, with nearly every household owning one of the little machines (there are, in fact, 7,500 registered golf carts in town). Residents of all ages use them to scoot around on the 90 mile long, multi-use network of paved paths that connects the villages and everything within them, including churches, schools, retail centers and recreation facilities (no cart racing is allowed, but traffic jams and accidents do occur). PTC has no public transportation, but the golf cart culture really makes owning a car unnecessary. For air travelers, Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport is just twenty-five minutes away.
Since its initial development, the city's amenities have expanded to now include four swimming pools, a soccer complex, an ALTA-approved tennis center (24 courts), baseball, softball, soccer and football fields, a 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, a senior center, numerous parks and playgrounds and the Kedron Fieldhouse and Aquatic Center. The 500-acre Flat Creek Nature Area is a peaceful spot where visitors may view herons, beaver and other native wildlife.
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PTC is also a golfers' oasis with four top-notch courses, one in each of four villages. There is an active parks and recreation department offering a wide program of activities, everything from clog dancing to yoga. Most classes have a minimum age of 18, but the aquatics department has a number of programs for people age 55 or better. Recreation facilities, as would be expected, are well-maintained.
Theater and dance companies are in good supply. The Twilight Theatre, Offshoot Productions, Dance Contempra and the Evolving Point Ensemble stage performances throughout the year. Nationally known entertainers and bands come to play at the amphitheater, and the Peachtree City Library hosts monthly book clubs, a thriving poetry group and an international film club. It also has public access computers with high-speed internet access and wifi access for laptop users.
Restaurants are plentiful, as are shopping venues. Many of the stores are specialty and higher-end retailers, but discounter Wal-Mart is here, too. For nightlife fun, museums, symphonies and serious shopping, Atlanta is just 30 minutes away.
When it comes to health care, more than 100 general practitioners and specialists have offices here. There are three outpatient facilities, and the 135-bed Piedmont Fayette Hospital is in Fayetteville, just three miles from Peachtree City. It has just been recognized for its clinical excellence and ranks above the national average in nearly all areas. Both Medicare and Medicaid patients are accepted. PTC also has access to Lifeflight emergency airlift service and operates an emergency ambulance service. For military retirees, the nearest VA hospital is in Duluth, 50 miles north.
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Operated through the Parks and Recreation Department, the 4,500 square foot Gathering Place is the senior citizens' facility. It is also home to the Senior Adult Council which was created by the City Council to be the advocate of Peachtree City citizens age 55 and over. Fayette Senior Services, located in nearby Fayetteville, is a county-wide organization that offers transportation, in-home care, meals on wheels, a wellness program, referrals and more.
Summers are hot, humid and hazy with temperatures in the 80s and 90s. Winters are mild with temperatures in the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. The city receives 4 to 5 inches of rain each month. On the comfort index, a combination of temperature and humidity, it city ranks below the national average. The sun shines 215 days of the year. The air quality is below the national average, but the water quality is above the national average. The city's risk of being struck by a tornado is 100% greater than in the rest of the country.
Peachtree City's accolades are many, and its drawbacks are few. The poor air quality, tornado risk and lack of actual public transportation are negatives, but the high quality of life more than makes up for them. PTC is orderly, well-planned and well-kept, and the retirees that live here seem to love their city.
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Peachtree City Real Estate Active Adult
Developments in Georgia Retirement Communities
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