Rural living with trails, farmland and mountain views
In the quiet community of Ranger, residents can live out amongst farmland and forests. "There are a lot of mountain trails and equestrian trails surrounding the area. Hunting, fishing and hiking are huge here," says Realtor Regina Daniel with Keller Williams Realty. The community's largest neighbor is Calhoun, where most residents shop and dine. The area lends itself to a quiet life for most residents, with houses big enough for families and well-rated schools. With the outdoor areas, farmland, and mountain retreats nearby, Ranger is slowly becoming desirable for residents who want to get close to nature.
Generational roots and slow growth shape the housing market
In Ranger, spacious, fertile farmland offers houses with acreage, while nooks of tree-hidden cabin homes sit in the surrounding mountains. Homes aren't often for sale here, but when they are, buyers usually find homes between a half acre and two acres. "It's a very generational area, and development is happening, but it's growing very slowly," Daniel says. Renovated or newly constructed ranch-style homes are sold for between $130,000 and $290,000. Mountain retreats with private drives and acres of woods and creeks often sell between $500,000 and $550,000. There are tracts of land for sale in Ranger and the surrounding area, spanning between two acres for $25,000 and 20 acres for $235,000. "Farmland is probably the biggest offering," Daniel says.
Gordon County schools offer solid academics and electives
Gordon County Schools serves students living in Ranger. They may get started at Fairmount Elementary, which earns an overall B-minus rating from Niche. Red Bud Middle earns a B-plus rating, and Sonoraville High earns a B. The school has work-based learning educational pathways, with options in education, graphic design and fine arts.
Carter’s Lake offers boating, stargazing and mountain views
While Ranger has acres of lush farmland and verdant forest, the closest green spaces are a few miles northwest. Carter's Lake has over 3,000 acres of sparkling water surrounded by mountains. There's a full-service marina here, with boat docks, kayak rentals and fishing areas around the shoreline. The lake also has a park with a colorful play area and sports courts. One of the lake's most unique offerings is its astronomy field, which visitors use for stargazing and watching summer meteor showers. Nearby are hiking trails overlooking creeks and fishing holes at the Talking Rock Wildlife Management Area. Calhoun's Palmer Memorial Park has a playground, athletic fields, a tennis center, walking paths, and a public pool for a more traditional recreation area.
Essentials nearby, with more shopping in Calhoun
Ranger has limited amenities, but Highway 58 offers a Dollar General for quick necessities and small produce markets like Shallow Creek Farm. Just south of Fairmount, there are more dining and grocery options, like Fairmount Grocery. Local restaurants like Griffin's Corner Restaurant serve comfort foods like burgers and biscuits with gravy, while Southern Creamery Co. has fresh, handmade ice cream with seasonal flavors. Calhoun has more shopping options, with big box stores like Walmart and a retail outlet mall. Calhoun's downtown area has plenty of local bakeries and restaurants, like Trackside Pizza, which has wood-fired pies. Surrounding communities offer more dining, retail and entertainment within a short drive of Ranger.
Highway 411 connects this quiet town to nearby cities
Highway 411 is the community's main thoroughfare, running north to south through Ranger. Public transportation is not widely available, but residents may be able to reserve on-call transit service. It's parallel to Interstates 75 and 275, about 20 miles from the community. While rural, Ranger isn't too far from larger cities: Calhoun is 25 miles away, Marietta is 45 miles away, and Atlanta is 70 miles away. The closest hospital is AdventHealth Gordon, 20 miles from Ranger. Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is 60 miles from the community, and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is 75 miles away. Ranger has a one out of 10 CAP Index Crime Score, lower than the national risk score of four.
