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Published Thursday, December 25, 2008 in Local

File Photo

This vintage photograph from the collection of the Troup County Archives, depicts the Oaks, a LaGrange landmark and the childhood home of noted artist Lamar Dodd. Dodd’s family came from Palmetto, and his uncle, Jesse M. Dodd, was once a Coweta County pastor.

When it comes to older homes, LaGrange has twice as many as Newnan

By Brenda Pedraza-Vidamour

The Times-Herald

While Peachtree City may lead neighboring communities in some 'best places to live' characteristics, Newnan can still claim bragging rights to being the "City of Homes."

Well, sort of.

Newnan, the Coweta County seat, is so named because it was a hospital town that treated the wounded on the Confederate and Union sides during the Civil War. It was spared by Sherman's troops so many of the houses of that period still line the streets of Newnan and remain beautifully preserved to this day. The city has six federally registered historic districts and has been featured in several period films and Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation tours because of the antebellum homes.

The city of LaGrange, however, has twice as many homes built before 1939, according to recent data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Many of its homes were also spared by the ravages of war. Sixteen percent of LaGrange's 12,000 housing units were built before 1939, compared to 8 percent of Newnan's 9,600 houses. Carrollton has about 7 percent of the older homes and Peachtree City, which was founded in 1959, has none.

Earlier this month, the Census Bureau released demographic, socioeconomic and housing data on some of the country's mid-sized places -- those with populations between 20,000 and 64,999. The places included Peachtree City, Carrollton, LaGrange and Newnan.

Newnan's updated housing claim may be that it has more homes built after 2005 than the other three cities. More than 7 percent of Newnan's new homes were built within the last three years, compared to 6 percent in Carrollton, 4 percent in LaGrange and 1 percent in Peachtree City.

At 14 percent, Newnan also has the highest number of vacant housing units among its neighbors for the 2005-2007 time frame surveyed for the Census estimates, followed by LaGrange and Carrollton, 12 percent, and Peachtree City, 3 percent.

With a median housing value of $267,000, it remains more costly to live in Peachtree City. Mortgages average at about $1,800 monthly. In Newnan, homeowners pay about $1,400 for a $176,000 home.

The least expensive place to live among the four cities is LaGrange. LaGrange's mortgage average, per the Census statistics, is a little over $1,000. The median home value is just under $100,000.

Rent of about $620 is also cheaper in LaGrange than other nearby cities surveyed by the U.S. Census Bureau. Carrollton, another college town, follows with the rents slightly lower than $670, according to the three-year estimates.

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