Affordable homes bring new residents to Jackson
Jackson, about 50 miles south of Atlanta, is a small town that’s experiencing steady growth. Its quant town gained fame in "Stranger Things," as the hit television show's fictional downtown. “The show put us on the map, and then people realized how affordable houses are here, especially compared to Atlanta,” says Kim Freshwater, an associate broker with Century 21 Crowe Realty who lives in town. Jackson is the seat of Butts County and home to several major employers. It's also home to scenic state parks, where trails wind past waterfalls, streams and rivers. While camping and its connection to “Stranger Things” draw visitors, Jackson still offers a slow-paced lifestyle with just around 6,000 residents. “Most of the time, us locals just do classic small-town things, like grabbing coffee with friends or going to some sort of game at the local high school,” Freshwater says.
Jackson offers older homes and new builds
Jackson’s median single-family home price is around $275,000, well below Atlanta’s median of $475,000. The town has a mix of homes from the early 1900s and mid-20th century, along with houses built between the 1980s and the 2020s. Several communities, including Garden Walk, are still in development. Ranch styles, New Traditionals and contemporary homes are some of the most common styles in town. The median lot size is nearly three-quarters of an acre, and pine and oak trees often shade lawns. Older homes and renovation projects can cost between $50,000 and $200,000, while larger and newer houses typically range from $230,000 to $650,000.
Jackson Square doubles as downtown Hawkins from “Stranger Things”
Boutiques, offices and locally owned restaurants fill Italianate-style buildings in Jackson Square, which is where some of “Stranger Things” was filmed. Butts County Probate Court appeared as Hawkins’ public library, while Bradley’s Olde Tavern became the Hawk movie theater. Tourists visit Jackson to see these spots, and the town embraces its fame with murals and year-round guided tours of filming locations. Recently, an event called Welcome to Hawkins celebrated the release of season 5. “The square was transformed to look exactly like it does on the show,” Freshwater says. “There was even a fake Radio Shack.” The weekend-long event also included costume contests, themed drinks at Lucy Lu’s Coffee Café and roller skating to ‘80s music at Fun Galaxy. “It’s not an annual event yet, but a lot of us want it to be because the town really came alive during it,” Freshwater says.
Jackson has several grocery stores, including Piggly Wiggly and Ingles. Major employers include the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison, WellStar Sylvan Grove Medical Center and distribution centers for companies like Dollar General and Procter & Gamble.
Georgia’s Outdoor Capital has campsites, trails and waterfalls
Butts County is known as Georgia’s Outdoor Capital, and some of its most popular recreation spaces are on the outskirts of Jackson. Indian Springs State Park, Georgia’s oldest green space, is home to sulfur-rich springs once used by Native Americans for their believed healing properties. Today, it’s a popular place for paddle boating, fishing and camping. One of the park’s trails connects with Dauset Trails Nature Center, a wildlife sanctuary that’s home to bears, bobcats and otters. High Falls State Park has hiking paths with views of a 30-foot-tall waterfall cascading into the Towaliga River. Several marinas sit along the shore of Jackson Lake, where people go to swim and catch largemouth bass and sunfish.
Community pride runs deep at Jackson High football games
The Butts County School System serves Jackson. Kids can attend Jackson Elementary School, which Niche grades a C-plus, and Henderson Middle School, which also gets a C-plus. Students may continue to B-plus-rated Jackson High School, where cheering for the Red Devils football team is a community tradition. “Alumni from decades ago show up when they play at home,” Freshwater says. “There are marching bands, cheerleaders and everything else you’d expect at a small-town game.
Driving to Atlanta often takes more than an hour with traffic
Jackson is a car-dependent community with easy access to several highways. U.S. Route 23 and state Route 36 both connect with interstates to reach Atlanta, home to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Commuting to the city typically takes a while. “With very little traffic, the drive is like an hour, but there’s almost always heavy traffic heading in that direction, so it’s typically longer,” Freshwater says.
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Nathan Allen
