The two cities at a glance
Population, home values, and the county
Gwinnett County
Mulberry
- Population
- about 39,600
- Home values
- no official city figure published; the Hamilton Mill core reports a median sale price around $630,000
the 2020 Census population of the area the city later incorporated; the Gwinnett County fact sheet estimated roughly 43,000 residents
Gwinnett and Hall counties
Buford
- Population
- about 18,000
- Home values
- recent median sold prices run roughly $494,000 to $565,000 depending on the reporting period
2024 estimate; Buford also anchors a much larger unincorporated trade area
Side by side
Mulberry vs Buford, row by row
The seven numbers and character notes that decide most moves. Where a figure is not published by an official source, the page says so plainly instead of inventing one.
Commute to Atlanta
Mulberry
I-85 runs 30 to 40 miles to downtown, and the corridor backs up at the Suwanee and Sugar Hill exits. Budget over an hour at rush hour.
Buford
About 40 to 43 minutes to downtown in normal traffic with the Mall of Georgia at Exit 115 and I-985 splitting off just above town. Rush hour runs over an hour.
Schools
Mulberry
Gwinnett County Public Schools across the Dacula, Mill Creek, and Seckinger clusters. The address decides the cluster, so verify before buying.
Buford
Buford City Schools, an independent city district with its own millage and its own K-12 chain. It is the defining feature of Buford living.
Cost of living
Mulberry
In line with the rest of northeast Gwinnett, roughly 2 percent above the national average by the standard index.
Buford
The same corridor index, roughly 2 percent above the national average, with the city district's tax premium on top.
Taxes
Mulberry
No city property tax millage; you pay Gwinnett County and school millage only, about 35 mills total on assessed value.
Buford
Buford bills its own city tax and the independent school district carries its own millage, so the combined bill runs higher than unincorporated Gwinnett.
Home prices
Mulberry
No official city figure yet; the Hamilton Mill core reports median sales around $630,000 with a wide range from $400,000 to $2 million plus.
Buford
Recent median sold prices run roughly $494,000 to $565,000 depending on the reporting period and the side of town.
Recreation
Mulberry
Hamilton Mill Golf Club, the community pools and tennis courts, the town center, and county parks minutes out.
Buford
The Mall of Georgia, Lake Lanier and its parks, a historic Main Street, and the city's own sports complexes.
Local vibe
Mulberry
A new city government over an established master-planned suburb: quiet, amenity-rich, and still finding its civic identity.
Buford
An old railroad town that grew into a retail and lake destination, with the school district as the anchor of community life.
Which one fits you
The honest verdict
If an independent K-12 school district and the Mall of Georgia matter most, Buford fits. If you want the established golf-and-pool neighborhoods of Hamilton Mill with a brand-new city government on top, Mulberry fits. Both are I-85 corridor commutes; Buford's is a few minutes shorter on a good day.
The signature note: I'll tell you what I'd do if it were my house. On these two, the school boundary and the monthly fee sheet usually decide it faster than any single number in the table.
Keep comparing
Related city comparisons
Sources and verification: population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census and July 2024 to July 2025 estimates as cited in the source notes of each comparison page); school assignments from Gwinnett County Public Schools, Buford City Schools, Jackson County Schools, Hall County Schools, and the Barrow County School System; tax structure from the Gwinnett, Jackson, Barrow, and Hall county tax commissioners and the cities' published millage notices; home values from median sale and value figures published by Census, county, and listing-data sources. Everything above was checked October 7, 2026, and may change without notice. Confirm the school boundary and the current millage for any address before you commit.
An editorial guide, not a listings site. Real-estate guidance on this page is provided by Rob Dietrich, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC. Information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed.