Atlanta/Compare
Midtown vs Old Fourth Ward
Midtown and Old Fourth Ward are two official neighborhoods in Atlanta. Old Fourth Ward is the calmer Part I map (42 vs 26). Midtown wins the errand count. Old Fourth Ward has the lower ACS median ($1,966).
Data period. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · APD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Aug 2026. ACS and APD retrieved 2026-10-28; OSM retrieved 2026-10-28. Editorial copy last revised Sep 2026.
Scores
Fit axes among official Atlanta neighborhoods.
| Axis | Midtown | Old Fourth Ward |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 26 | 42 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 90 | 15 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 82 | 20 |
| Median rent | $2,052 | $1,966 |
| Median home | $439,449 | $603,994 |
| Population | 23,037 | 12,916 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 10 min |
| Commute to Midtown | 6 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Buckhead | 18 min | 20 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Midtown | Old Fourth Ward |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 55% | 66% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 34.5 |
| Median income | $113K | $101K |
| Part I per 1k | 18.9 | 14.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 17 | 5 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 39 | 0 |
| Parks / 800m | 28 | 14 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Atlanta city. Up 77% since 2014. Midtown is 20% above the 2024 city median. O4W is 15% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Midtown if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 90 vs 15. Vibe is 82 vs 20. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Old Fourth Ward if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 42 vs 26. ACS median rent is $1,966 vs $2,052. Read both pages before you decide.
Midtown
The official polygon is Midtown. Bachelor's share is 82% and median age is 35.5. Rent is $2,052. OSM counts 34 cafes, 26 bars, and 39 transit stops in the polygon or within 800 meters of the centroid. Violent Part I is 1.8 per 1,000. Property is 17.1, written by the offices and the night as well as the people who sleep here.
$2,052 median rent · safety 26 · walk 90
Old Fourth Ward
The official name is Old Fourth Ward. O4W is the search. Rent is $1,966 and bachelor's share is 73%. Violent Part I is 1.8 per 1,000. Property is 12.3. OSM counts 10 bars and 49 restaurants. The transit count is 0 under the 800-meter rule around the centroid, so that number is the method, not a claim that no bus runs nearby.
$1,966 median rent · safety 42 · walk 15
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Midtown or Old Fourth Ward?
Old Fourth Ward is the lower ACS median: $2,052 vs $1,966. About 66% rent in Old Fourth Ward vs 55% in Midtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Midtown more walkable than Old Fourth Ward?
Midtown wins the errand count (walk 90 vs 15). Groceries inside 800 meters: 17 vs 5. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Midtown or Old Fourth Ward?
Old Fourth Ward is the calmer Part I read (42 vs 26). Combined rate 14.1 vs 18.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Midtown or Old Fourth Ward?
Midtown leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 35.5 vs 34.5. Old Fourth Ward has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Midtown to Downtown, 10 from Old Fourth Ward. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Midtown or Old Fourth Ward: Downtown. The official polygon is Downtown. Five Points and Fairlie-Poplar are searches inside it, not extra polygons. Violent Part I is 6.5 per 1,000. Property is 27.7, the highest property rate in this set, because the count includes visitors and the offices. Rent is $1,701. OSM counts 18 bars. The park count is 88, which is small mapped pieces, not 88 lawns.
Scores are relative among official Atlanta neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.