Living in Buford
Buford sits at the south end of Lake Lanier, where I-985 leaves I-85 and heads north toward Gainesville. It began as a depot on the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway and takes its name from the railroad's president, Algernon Sidney Buford. The legislature incorporated the Town of Buford on August 24, 1872, and it became the City of Buford in 1896. Most of the city is in Gwinnett County. A northern part, toward Lake Lanier Islands and along Atlanta Highway, is in Hall County, so two counties assess and tax the city's homes.
Buford runs more of its own services than any other Gwinnett city. A three-member Board of Commissioners and a city manager govern it. The city has its own school district, Buford City Schools, its own natural gas, water, sewer, electric and sanitation departments, and its own zoning and building inspections. Police protection comes from the Gwinnett County Police North Precinct and the Hall County Sheriff's Office, each on its own side, with city marshals enforcing city ordinances.
The Buford mailing address reaches well past the city limits. The 30518 ZIP code also covers the City of Sugar Hill, and 30519 covers unincorporated Gwinnett and parts of the City of Mulberry, which incorporated in 2024. The Mall of Georgia, at I-85 and Buford Drive, sits just outside the city in unincorporated Gwinnett. Downtown is the old street grid around Main Street and Tannery Row, with City Hall and the Buford Community Center on Buford Highway. Miriam Ofoegbu, a REALTOR with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers in Duluth, can check any Buford address for you.
Homes and property types in Buford
Buford's oldest housing grew up with its factories. The Bona Allen Company, founded in 1873, made saddles, harness, horse collars and shoes, and the town became known as the Leather City. The Allen family's houses still anchor the downtown streets. The Bona Allen House on East Main Street, an Italian Villa design by architect Haralson Bleckley built in 1911, and the John Quincy Allen House are both on the National Register of Historic Places. The city's plan calls the streets around Main Street Old Town Buford: a tight grid of walkable blocks with historic homes.
Beyond downtown, the city's 2045 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in March 2024, describes most neighborhoods as suburban subdivisions with curving roads and cul-de-sacs, most built in recent decades. It names the older, established single-family areas as those near downtown and off Hamilton Mill Road, Thompson Mill Road and South Bogan Road. Recent residential permits have gone to the north side of the city, including the Hall County part, and to the south side near I-85, with a run of townhome building.
The plan lists developments finished or under way since 2019. They include City Walk, townhomes off North Gwinnett Street; Lanier Harbor, townhomes by the Lanier Harbor Marina on the lake; Alexander Park, townhomes off Alexander Street; and Summerlyn, single-family homes off Frazer Road. In the plan's Lakeside character area, Lake Lanier sets the pattern: mostly single-family homes, some lived in year-round and some used as second homes, with boat sales and storage as the main businesses. Downtown, the plan encourages small infill such as cottages and duplexes.
Age and location drive the inspection list. Houses on the old downtown grid can carry original wiring, plumbing and foundations, and a house built from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s deserves a check for polybutylene supply lines. The city runs a sewer system, and its Sewer Department also publishes septic guidance: have a septic tank inspected and pumped every three to five years by a firm permitted by the Gwinnett County Health Department. Confirm sewer or septic for the lot. Four creek systems cross the city: Ivy, Suwanee and Richland creeks in Gwinnett and Big Creek in Hall.
Buford areas and communities
Inside the city, the 2045 Comprehensive Plan sorts land into character areas, including Downtown, Established Neighborhood, Emerging Neighborhood and Lakeside Area. Outside the city, a Buford address can sit in unincorporated Gwinnett, the City of Mulberry, the City of Sugar Hill or unincorporated Hall County, each with its own zoning office. Check each place below against the parcel record.
- Old Town Buford and Main Street
- The city's traditional center on a tight street grid, with historic homes near Main Street, Tannery Row and the Main Street Park and Amphitheater at 400 East Main Street.
- City Walk
- Three-bedroom townhomes off North Gwinnett Street near downtown, named in the city's 2045 plan among developments built or under construction since 2019.
- Lanier Harbor
- Townhomes beside the Lanier Harbor Marina, which the city operates under an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to widen lake access for residents.
- Summerlyn
- A newer subdivision of five-bedroom single-family homes off Frazer Road, named in the city's 2045 plan.
- Hamilton Mill, Thompson Mill and South Bogan roads
- The city's plan names the neighborhoods off these three roads, with those near downtown, as Buford's older, established single-family areas.
- Lakeside Area
- The city's character area facing Lake Lanier: mostly single-family homes, some year-round and some second homes, with boating businesses for commerce.
- Unincorporated Gwinnett and Mulberry, 30519
- East and south of the city toward Seckinger High School and I-85. Gwinnett County or the City of Mulberry handles zoning and permits, and Gwinnett County Public Schools serves students.
- The Hall County side
- The city's northern part near Lanier Islands Parkway and Atlanta Highway, where the plan reports new residential and industrial development since 2019.
Schools and district lines
Buford is the only city in Gwinnett County with its own school system, according to the city's 2045 plan. Buford City Schools serves addresses inside the city limits, on both the Gwinnett and Hall sides, from preschool through grade 12, with its campuses along Sawnee Avenue and the district office at 2625 Sawnee Avenue. Students outside the city attend Gwinnett County Public Schools or, in Hall County, Hall County Schools, even with a Buford mailing address. The district line follows the city limits, so the parcel decides it.
Gwinnett County Public Schools groups its schools in clusters named for the high school. The Seckinger cluster, whose high school opened in August 2022, covers much of the unincorporated and Mulberry land between the city and I-85, and all five of its schools carry Buford 30519 addresses. The Lanier cluster lies to the west, with its schools in Sugar Hill, and the Mill Creek cluster lies to the east along Braselton Highway toward Hoschton. Confirm any address with the GCPS school locator or the GCPS Planning Department at 678-301-7085, and with Buford City Schools inside the city.
- Buford City Schools (preschool to 12)
- The city's own district for addresses inside the city limits in both counties, with Buford Middle School for grades 6 to 8 and Buford High School for grades 9 to 12.
- Buford Elementary, Buford Academy, Buford Senior Academy
- The district's three elementary schools. Federal school listings show Buford Elementary for pre-K and kindergarten, Buford Academy for grades 1 and 2, and Buford Senior Academy for grades 3 to 5.
- Seckinger High School (9 to 12)
- GCPS, 3655 Sardis Church Road, Buford 30519. Opened in August 2022 with an artificial intelligence theme and anchors the Seckinger cluster.
- Jones Middle School (6 to 8)
- GCPS, 3575 Ridge Road, Buford 30519. Dedicated in 2004, it takes students from Harmony, Ivy Creek and Patrick elementary schools and feeds Seckinger High.
- Harmony, Ivy Creek and Patrick elementary schools (K to 5)
- GCPS Seckinger cluster: Harmony at 3946 South Bogan Road, Ivy Creek at 3443 Ridge Road and Patrick at 2707 Kilgore Road, all Buford 30519.
- Lanier cluster
- Lanier High at 918 Buford Highway and Lanier Middle at 6482 Suwanee Dam Road, both Sugar Hill 30518, with Sugar Hill, Sycamore and White Oak elementary schools.
- Mill Creek cluster
- Mill Creek High and Osborne Middle on Braselton Highway in Hoschton, with Duncan Creek, Fort Daniel and Puckett's Mill elementary schools, east of the Seckinger cluster.
What it costs to own here beyond the price
Inside the city, a Buford home gets two property tax bills. The county bill comes from the Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner or from Hall County, depending on the parcel. The City of Buford sends its own bill, which carries the city levy and the Buford City Schools tax, mailed around October 20 and due December 20. The county Board of Assessors sets the assessed value used by both. Outside the city, the school tax goes to Gwinnett County Public Schools or Hall County Schools on the county bill.
File the regular homestead exemption with the county where the house sits. In Gwinnett, apply to the Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner online, in person or by mail; you must own and live in the house on January 1, and file by the appeal deadline on your Notice of Assessment for it to count that year. In Hall, file with the Hall County Board of Tax Assessors in Gainesville. The city then applies its own homestead exemption and a Value Offset Exemption automatically. City senior and disability exemptions need an in-person application at City Hall by April 1.
In its service areas, the city supplies water, sewer, natural gas and electricity, billed through City of Buford Customer Service at 678-889-4600. Water comes mainly from Lake Lanier, with a portion bought from Gwinnett County. Buford Gas serves parts of Gwinnett, Hall, Barrow, Jackson and Walton counties, and the city's power comes through MEAG Power. Elsewhere, Gwinnett homes are generally on the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, power comes from Georgia Power or Jackson EMC, and gas comes through Georgia's deregulated market, where you choose a marketer and Atlanta Gas Light owns the pipes. Confirm each provider for the address.
Buying your first home in Buford
Down payment help for a Buford purchase comes from the state, with one Gwinnett program on top. Georgia Dream loans from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs work statewide, so they apply on both the Gwinnett and Hall sides of Buford. Gwinnett County's HomeStretch program requires the home to be located within Gwinnett County. A home in the city's Hall County part, or in Hall County outside the city, would not qualify for HomeStretch, so check the county on the tax record before you plan around it.
Every Georgia Dream loan requires homebuyer education, through a workshop, counseling sessions or an approved online course, and HomeStretch requires a HUD-approved pre-purchase counseling class plus its own property inspection. Miriam Ofoegbu runs free online homebuyer webinars that walk through these steps, and she can confirm which county a Buford address is in. Income limits, price limits and assistance amounts change, so get current figures from a participating lender or the program office before you write an offer.
- Georgia Dream Standard (Georgia DCA)
- For buyers who have not had ownership in a primary residence in the past three years, or who buy in certain targeted areas; income, asset and credit limits apply.
- Georgia Dream PEN (Georgia DCA)
- For public protectors, educators and health care providers, people who work in those fields, and active military, with a larger down payment loan limit than Standard.
- Georgia Dream CHOICE (Georgia DCA)
- For a household where a family member is living with a disability, under the same Georgia Dream eligibility and homebuyer education rules.
- HomeStretch Down Payment Assistance (Gwinnett County)
- For income-eligible buyers who have not owned a home in three years. The single-family home or townhome must be in Gwinnett County and pass a Uniform Property Conditions Standards Inspection.
Hospitals and healthcare near Buford
Buford sits between two hospital systems: Northside Hospital to the south in Gwinnett and the Northeast Georgia Health System to the east and north in Hall. Miles below are approximate driving distances from Buford City Hall on Buford Highway. Miriam Ofoegbu is a registered nurse with a background in healthcare leadership.
- Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton
- 1400 River Place, Braselton. A Northeast Georgia Health System hospital with an emergency department, about 11 miles east of downtown Buford.
- Northside Hospital Duluth
- 3620 Howell Ferry Road, Duluth. A Northside hospital about 13 miles southwest of downtown Buford.
- Northside Hospital Gwinnett
- 1000 Medical Center Boulevard, Lawrenceville. On the Georgia trauma program's list as a Level II trauma center, about 14 miles south of downtown Buford.
- Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville
- Spring Street in Gainesville, the health system's main campus, about 19 miles north of downtown Buford by I-985.
Parks, trails and things to do
Lake Lanier shapes weekends here. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River and dedicated it on October 9, 1957, and the lake reached full pool in 1958. The dam sits in Gwinnett County about 7 miles west of City Hall, outside the city limits. The city lists Lake Lanier boat ramps among its parks and runs the Lanier Harbor Marina under an agreement with the Corps. Lake Lanier Islands, a resort on land leased from the Corps, sits in Hall County about 5 miles north.
In town, the city runs Legion Fields, the Youth Sports Complex and the tennis courts on Sawnee Avenue, the City Park Gym on East Shadburn Avenue, the Garnett Street Walking Trail and the Main Street Park and Amphitheater. Gwinnett County runs the larger parks at the city's edges. The Buford Museum and Tannery Row keep the Bona Allen story on view downtown.
- Buford Community Center and Town Park
- 2200 Buford Highway. The 282-seat Sylvia Beard Theatre, a ballroom, the Buford Museum, and a Town Park amphitheater with terraced seating for up to 1,800.
- Tannery Row
- Artist studios and galleries downtown in the Bona Allen Shoe and Horse Collar Factory, a building on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Main Street Park and Amphitheater
- 400 East Main Street. A city park and outdoor stage in the middle of the downtown street grid.
- Bogan Park
- 2723 North Bogan Road. An 83-acre Gwinnett County park with an indoor aquatic center, a double gym, a seven-field baseball and softball complex and two miles of trails.
- Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center
- 2020 Clean Water Drive. A 233-acre county campus near the Mall of Georgia with exhibits, a ropes course, five miles of trails and the 1850s Chesser-Williams House.
- Ivy Creek Greenway
- A county trail of about 5.5 miles linking the Environmental and Heritage Center, a trailhead near Buford Drive and Mall of Georgia Boulevard, and George Pierce Park in Suwanee.
- Lake Lanier Islands
- A resort on Lake Lanier in Hall County, reached from I-985 Exit 8 by Lanier Islands Parkway. It opened in 1974 and added its water park in 1987.
Getting around and getting to Atlanta
Buford sits where I-985 begins at I-85 Exit 113. I-985 Exit 4 meets Buford Drive (SR 20) and US 23, and Exit 8, in Hall County, meets SR 347: Friendship Road to the east and Lanier Islands Parkway to the west. I-85 Exit 115 at SR 20 serves the Mall of Georgia side of town. Buford Highway (SR 13) runs southwest toward Sugar Hill and Suwanee. Downtown Atlanta is about 37 miles from City Hall by road.
Ride Gwinnett's local Route 50 runs between Buford and Sugarloaf Mills in Lawrenceville, Monday through Saturday; Ride Gwinnett has no Sunday service. Xpress Route 412, the state commuter bus, runs weekdays from the Buford Park-and-Ride on Buford Drive and the Sugarloaf Mills Park-and-Ride to Midtown Atlanta. The nearest MARTA rail station is Doraville, the end of the Gold Line, about 25 miles by road. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about 48 miles away, and Gwinnett County Airport (Briscoe Field) in Lawrenceville is about 12 miles.
Buying and selling in Buford
Miriam Ofoegbu, MBA, RN, is a REALTOR® with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, working from the firm's Gwinnett office on Satellite Boulevard in Duluth. She is also a registered nurse with a background in healthcare leadership. These are the things to check in Buford, and Miriam can go through each one with you, in English or Igbo.
Before you buy
- Check whether the address is inside the City of Buford, in Mulberry, in Sugar Hill, or in unincorporated Gwinnett or Hall, using the city's GIS map, Mulberry's address lookup and the county parcel record.
- Confirm the school district for the exact address with Buford City Schools and the GCPS school locator, and get the answer in writing before you rely on it.
- Ask which providers serve the house for gas, water, sewer and electricity, and call City of Buford Customer Service at 678-889-4600 to confirm any city service.
- Pull the county tax record to see whether the parcel is in Gwinnett or Hall, which decides where you file homestead and whether HomeStretch can apply.
- Request septic permits and pumping records, or proof of a sewer connection, and order a septic inspection for any house that is not on sewer.
- Check the FEMA flood map for any lot near Ivy Creek, Suwanee Creek, Richland Creek, Big Creek or the lake, and price flood insurance during your due diligence period.
- Read the homeowners association covenants and architectural rules for the subdivision, including rental limits, fence and deck approvals, and amenity fees.
- Ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates Lake Lanier, what shoreline and dock rules apply before you buy a lot near the water.
Before you sell
- Gather permits for decks, additions and finished basements: the City of Buford Inspection Department inside the city, the City of Mulberry in Mulberry, and Gwinnett or Hall County elsewhere.
- Put the correct school district on the listing, Buford City Schools or the specific GCPS cluster, and confirm it with the district before the home goes on the market.
- Note in your disclosures which utilities serve the house, including any city gas, water, sewer or electric, since buyers from elsewhere in Gwinnett will ask.
- Find the septic permit and pumping records if the house is on septic; in Gwinnett, septic contractors work under Gwinnett County Health Department permits.
- Request the HOA resale letter early and check that past exterior changes, such as fences, decks and paint colors, received architectural approval.
- Tell buyers that the city's Value Offset Exemption resets after a sale, so their city tax bill will start from a new assessed value.
