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 County
Lawrenceville
- Population
- about 32,800
- Home values
- roughly $350,000 to $417,000 in median home value across recent sources
2025 Census Bureau estimate, up from 30,629 in 2020
Side by side
Mulberry vs Lawrenceville, 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 through the heaviest corridor traffic; over an hour at rush hour.
Lawrenceville
35 to 45 minutes to downtown without traffic on I-85, roughly double at peak hours; bus routes connect the county seat to the city.
Schools
Mulberry
Gwinnett County Public Schools across the Dacula, Mill Creek, and Seckinger clusters.
Lawrenceville
Gwinnett County schools across several clusters, with Central Gwinnett and Discovery covering much of the city core.
Cost of living
Mulberry
Corridor index with the area's highest home prices.
Lawrenceville
A clearly lower index: median home values near $360,000 keep Lawrenceville the affordable end of the county.
Taxes
Mulberry
No city millage; Gwinnett County and school millage only.
Lawrenceville
Lawrenceville levies its own city millage, billed separately by the city, on top of the county and school rates.
Home prices
Mulberry
Hamilton Mill core median sales around $630,000; new builds from the $400,000s.
Lawrenceville
Roughly $350,000 to $417,000 in median home value, with historic homes near the square and new subdivisions south.
Recreation
Mulberry
Golf, pools, tennis, and the town center in Hamilton Mill; county parks minutes out.
Lawrenceville
A historic courthouse square, the county seat's parks and library, the Aurora Theatre, and the Gwinnett Center district.
Local vibe
Mulberry
New-build suburbia with a brand-new city government and a country-club core.
Lawrenceville
The county seat: courthouse square, Friday concerts, government and hospital jobs, and a downtown that is the county's living room.
Which one fits you
The honest verdict
Lawrenceville fits the buyer who wants the county seat's square, its job base, and the most affordable homes in Gwinnett, and who accepts city millage on the tax bill. Mulberry fits the buyer who wants the master-planned club lifestyle and is willing to pay the corridor premium for it. If a shorter downtown commute matters more than the golf course, Lawrenceville is the answer.
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.