Kennesaw, GA 55+ Active Adult Retirement Communities

Overview

Located in Northern Georgia, Kennesaw is a small town with a rich history. Known for its abundance of museums, local hiking trails, and numerous breweries, it is a popular town for retirees with diverse interests. Besides this, retirees enjoy the area's mild winters and proximity to Atlanta.

Climate & Geography

Kennesaw experiences a humid subtropical climate. Summers can get very hot while winters are cool to cold. The area receives 53 inches of rainfall, 2 inches of snowfall, and 220 sunny days each year.

Kennesaw is named after the Kennesaw Mountain, located southeast of the city. This mountain is also the highest point in the Atlanta metro area.

Recreation, Culture, & Entertainment 

One of the most popular outdoor destinations in Kennesaw is the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, a nearly 3,000-acre Civil War battlefield site. Visitors can explore the history of the battlefield through museum tours and hiking trails. Swift-Cantrell Park, one of the largest community parks in the city, features a trail and three picnic pavilions.

Kennesaw features several popular museums, including the Zuckerman Museum of Art, The Museum of History and Holocaust Education, and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. Residents also enjoy the many restaurants and breweries around the city, such as Burnt Hickory Brewery, Lazy Guy Distillery, Big Shanty Smokehouse, and BurgerFi.

Residents looking for even more entertainment, shopping, and sporting events can head an hour to Atlanta.

Cost of Living & Taxes

The cost of living in Kennesaw is slightly above the national average because of higher housing and transportation costs.

As one of the most tax-friendly states for retirees, Georgia does not tax Social Security benefits. For all other forms of retirement income, the state offers large exemptions. For retirees 62 to 64, the exemption is $35,000, and for retirees over 65, the exemption is $65,000. Property taxes are below average, the retirees over 65 are eligible for a double homestead exemption. The city's combined sales tax rate of 6 percent is below the national average. 

Health Care

The Atlanta metro area scores well on Gallup's Well-Being Index, ranking in the top 60 communities across the country.

WellStar Kennestone Hospital, located less than five miles from Kennesaw, is ranked the No. 5 hospital in Georgia by U.S. News. The hospital is high performing in cases of lung and colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, knee replacements, hip replacements, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). WellStar Cobb Hospital and WellStar Paulding Hospital, both within 15 miles, are also rated high performing.