Living in Roswell
Roswell is an incorporated city in north Fulton County. The Chattahoochee River forms its southern edge, with Sandy Springs on the far bank, Alpharetta and Milton to the north, Johns Creek to the east, and Mountain Park and unincorporated Cobb and Cherokee counties to the west. The Georgia General Assembly granted the town its charter on February 16, 1854. Roswell was part of Cobb County until 1932.
The city runs more than most of its neighbors. A mayor and six council members, each elected citywide to a numbered post, set policy. Roswell has its own police and fire departments, zoning code, Historic Preservation Commission, garbage fleet and, for part of the city, its own water utility. Fulton County handles assessments, sewer, water for most of the city and the county tax, and Fulton County Schools runs the schools.
The Roswell name covers more ground than the city. By the Census Bureau's address geocoder, Lakeshore Drive in 30075 sits in the City of Mountain Park, and Mimosa Elementary, with a Roswell address, sits in Alpharetta. Holcomb Bridge Middle School, with an Alpharetta 30022 address, is inside Roswell. Check the city line before you compare taxes or services. Miriam Ofoegbu, a REALTOR with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, is based at the firm's Gwinnett office at 3095 Satellite Blvd in Duluth and works across Metro Atlanta, including Roswell.
Homes and property types in Roswell
The oldest houses are in the historic district around the town square. Bulloch Hall dates to 1839, Barrington Hall was completed in 1842 for Barrington King, and the Archibald Smith house dates to 1845. All three are now city house museums. Nearby, the mill village holds small single-family houses and the Old Bricks, row housing first built for Roswell Mills workers. The Roswell Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1974 and covers about 120 acres.
Most of the city is newer. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan reports that more than half of Roswell's housing units were built between 1970 and 1989, after GA 400 opened the area to commuters. Single-family detached homes are the largest share, with a smaller supply of townhomes and apartment or condo buildings. Large master-planned communities from that era, such as Martin's Landing on the river, mix detached homes, townhomes and apartments around shared lakes, pools and courts.
New building is concentrated on the commercial corridors. The 2045 Comprehensive Growth Plan protects established single-family neighborhoods and steers growth to five activity centers: Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, East Roswell and the Holcomb Bridge Road and GA 400 area. Recent projects include Southern Post at the north end of Canton Street, Roswell Junction on Atlanta Street, and East Village, townhomes and apartments finished in 2025 on Holcomb Bridge Road.
Age and location set the inspection list. A house from the 1970s or 1980s may still have its original roof, windows, HVAC, water heater and plumbing. Ask about sewer: the city's plan says most of its Estate Residential area, the large-lot part of Roswell, has no sewer, so many of those homes use septic. Lots near the Chattahoochee, Big Creek or Willeo Creek may sit in a FEMA flood zone or the state river corridor.
Roswell areas and communities
Roswell's comprehensive plans divide the city into residential character areas and commercial activity centers. The list below uses names from those plans and from the communities' own sources. Confirm the city line and school zone for the exact address before comparing homes across them.
- Historic District and Canton Street
- The National Register district around the town square, Mimosa Boulevard and Canton Street. Historic homes on Mimosa, shops and restaurants on Canton, and city historic review for exterior changes.
- Mill Village
- Around the Roswell Mill on Vickery Creek. The 2019 Historic District Master Plan describes small single-family houses and the Old Bricks townhouses beside the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
- Groveway
- The area bounded by Norcross Street, Atlanta Street and Oxbo Road, south of downtown, where the city adopted a hybrid form-based code. Groveway Community Park is on Frank Lewis Drive.
- Midtown
- Centered on Holcomb Bridge Road and Highway 9, with large shopping centers on three corners, including the 41-acre Roswell Town Center the city has targeted for redevelopment, and The Catherine apartments.
- East Roswell
- Holcomb Bridge Road from Eves Road to Barnwell Road, with East Roswell Park, older apartment complexes and the East Village townhomes. Many addresses here carry an Alpharetta 30022 mailing address.
- Martin's Landing
- A 1,030-acre community on the Chattahoochee with almost 2,000 homes and apartments, built around the 53-acre Martin Lake. Its foundation is at 9205 Martin Road, with pools, courts and a River Lodge.
- Horseshoe Bend
- Homes around Horseshoe Bend Country Club at 2100 Steeplechase Lane, named for a bend in the Chattahoochee. The grounds were the original setting of the Atlanta Steeplechase.
- Holcomb Bridge Road and GA 400
- The city's main interchange, including the Kimberly-Clark campus at 1400 Holcomb Bridge Road, which the 2045 plan calls its most significant redevelopment site.
Schools and district lines
The City of Roswell does not run schools. Fulton County Schools serves the whole city, and most Roswell addresses feed one of two high schools. Roswell High's zone includes Hembree Springs, Mimosa, Mountain Park, Roswell North, Sweet Apple and Vickery Mill elementary schools and Crabapple and Elkins Pointe middle schools. Centennial High is fed by Holcomb Bridge and Haynes Bridge middle schools and, through them, Esther Jackson, Hillside, River Eves, Northwood and Barnwell elementary schools, among others.
Zones split in ways a city map will not show. Vickery Mill Elementary feeds three middle schools, Mimosa Elementary feeds two, and Elkins Pointe's page lists Milton High as well as Roswell High. School and city lines also differ: Mimosa Elementary sits inside Alpharetta, while Holcomb Bridge Middle, with an Alpharetta address, sits inside Roswell. Enter any address in the district's Find Your School tool.
- Roswell High School (9-12)
- At 11595 King Road. The school traces its start to 1838, and its current King Road campus, its third, opened in the fall of 1990.
- Centennial High School (9-12)
- At 9310 Scott Road in east Roswell, near Holcomb Bridge Road. It opened in 1997 and is fed by Holcomb Bridge and Haynes Bridge middle schools.
- Crabapple Middle School (6-8)
- At 10900 Woodstock Road. It opened in 1983 and feeds Roswell High. Roswell North Elementary is one of its feeder schools.
- Elkins Pointe Middle School (6-8)
- At 11290 Elkins Road. Its page lists Vickery Mill, Hembree Springs, Mimosa and Sweet Apple elementary schools as feeders, and Milton High and Roswell High.
- Holcomb Bridge Middle School (6-8)
- At 2700 Holcomb Bridge Road with an Alpharetta address, inside Roswell by the Census geocoder. Fed by Esther Jackson, Hillside, River Eves and Vickery Mill; feeds Centennial.
- Haynes Bridge Middle School (6-8)
- At 10665 Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta. It opened in 1983, is fed by Barnwell, Mimosa, Northwood and Hillside elementary schools, and feeds Centennial.
- Vickery Mill Elementary School (PreK-5)
- At 1201 Alpharetta Street. It opened in August 2016, one of several schools built with Fulton's education sales tax, and feeds Holcomb Bridge, Elkins Pointe and Crabapple.
- Mimosa Elementary School (PreK-5)
- At 1550 Warsaw Road, inside Alpharetta by the Census geocoder. Opened in 1968 on a former horse pasture and named for Mimosa Boulevard.
What it costs to own here beyond the price
Georgia taxes homes on assessed value, which is 40 of every 100 dollars of fair market value, and the Fulton County Board of Assessors sets that value. Three governments levy taxes on a home inside Roswell: Fulton County, Fulton County Schools and the City of Roswell, each with its own millage rate set every year. The city does not assess property. If you disagree with a value, you appeal to the county assessors, and the city updates its bill when the appeal settles.
Inside the city there is a separate City of Roswell tax bill, paid to the City of Roswell, alongside the Fulton County bill. A new owner should tell the city's tax office about the change of ownership and also notify the Fulton County Tax Commissioner. Missing a city bill does not excuse the payment, so tell your lender about both bills if you escrow taxes. Many subdivisions add HOA dues, and river and creek lots may need flood insurance.
The homestead exemption lowers the taxable value of a home you own and live in as of January 1. In Fulton County you apply with the Board of Assessors, online at fultonassessor.org or in person, by April 1 to count for that year. Roswell's floating homestead exemption, which limits how fast the city's taxable value can rise, follows automatically. City senior and disabled veteran exemptions are filed with the city between January 1 and June 1.
Water depends on the street. The Roswell Water Utility treats water from Big Creek for part of the city, and Fulton County serves most of Roswell. Sewer is Fulton County everywhere, and septic serves many large-lot homes. Electricity comes from Georgia Power or Cobb EMC, depending on the address. Roswell is in Atlanta Gas Light's territory, where you buy gas from a marketer certified by the Georgia Public Service Commission. City crews collect garbage, Waste Pro collects recycling and yard waste, and the monthly city sanitation bill carries the stormwater fee.
Buying your first home in Roswell
First-home options in Roswell include townhomes and condominiums near downtown, Midtown and East Roswell, and houses in the 1970s and 1980s subdivisions that make up much of the city. On an older house, plan for a full inspection and ask whether it is on Fulton County sewer or septic. Inside the city you will pay a City of Roswell tax bill on top of the Fulton County bill, so give your lender both.
Several assistance programs can apply here. Each has income, price and credit rules that change, so get current terms from the agency and a participating lender. Gwinnett County's HomeStretch program does not apply in Roswell, which is in Fulton County. Expect a homebuyer education requirement with most of these programs. Miriam Ofoegbu runs free online homebuyer webinars that walk through these steps in order.
- Georgia Dream (Georgia DCA)
- A 30-year fixed-rate loan with down payment help through participating lenders, for first-time buyers, defined as anyone who has not owned a primary residence in the past three years.
- Georgia Dream PEN (Georgia DCA)
- A Georgia Dream option for public protectors, educators, health care workers and active military, with a higher level of down payment assistance than the standard option.
- Peach Plus (Georgia DCA)
- An FHA-based Georgia Dream loan launched in 2024 that is open to first-time and repeat buyers, with down payment assistance through participating lenders.
- Peach Advantage and Peach Select (Georgia DCA)
- Peach Advantage is a conventional Georgia Dream loan open to first-time and repeat buyers. Peach Select serves veterans and active-duty service members.
- Fulton Homeownership Program (Fulton County)
- A deferred, zero-interest second mortgage for eligible first-time buyers on homes in Fulton County outside the City of Atlanta. An older county flyer excluded Roswell, so confirm eligibility for the address.
Hospitals and healthcare near Roswell
Roswell has its own hospital. Wellstar North Fulton Hospital on Hospital Boulevard runs a Level II trauma center, a designation Wellstar says it has held since 1987. Larger campuses sit south in Sandy Springs and east in Johns Creek. Distances are approximate road miles from Roswell City Hall. Miriam is a registered nurse with a background in healthcare leadership, and she can point a buyer to the hospitals closest to an address.
- Wellstar North Fulton Hospital (Roswell)
- At 3000 Hospital Boulevard, inside the city limits. A Level II trauma center with a 24-hour emergency department, about 4 miles from City Hall.
- Northside Hospital Atlanta (Sandy Springs)
- At 1000 Johnson Ferry Road, across the river in Sandy Springs, with 24-hour emergency services, about 10 miles from City Hall.
- Emory Johns Creek Hospital (Johns Creek)
- At 6325 Hospital Parkway in Johns Creek, also in Fulton County, about 14 miles from City Hall to the east.
- Northside Hospital Forsyth (Cumming)
- At 1200 Northside Forsyth Drive in Cumming, Forsyth County, with an emergency department, about 20 miles from City Hall up GA 400.
Parks, trails and things to do
Roswell's outdoor life runs along the water. At Vickery Creek Old Mill Park on Mill Street, a covered pedestrian bridge crosses the creek to the trails of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area's Vickery Creek unit, past the 1850s mill ruins and an overlook of the old mill dam and waterfall. The city suspended water access at the waterfall in August 2024. Along the river, the Roswell Riverwalk links Don White Memorial, Riverside and Azalea parks.
Riverside Park, with its canoe launch and outdoor stage, is closed for a bond-funded renovation, and the city expects it to reopen in summer 2027. Downtown, the city's three historic house museums, Bulloch Hall, Barrington Hall and Smith Plantation, sit within walking distance of the town square. On the third Thursday evening from April through October, Alive in Roswell closes Canton Street to cars between Highway 9 and Norcross Street for a free street festival.
- Vickery Creek Old Mill Park
- At 95 Mill Street, free to enter and park, with a covered bridge to National Park Service trails, the 1850s mill ruins and an overlook of the Vickery Creek dam.
- Roswell Riverwalk
- A mostly paved path along the Chattahoochee, funded by a 2000 city bond, running through Don White Memorial, Riverside and Azalea parks.
- Roswell Area Park
- At 10495 Woodstock Road, with a pool, pond, ball fields, a tennis center, the Physical Activity Center, the Visual Arts Center and the Bill Johnson Community Activity Building.
- East Roswell Park
- At 9000 Fouts Road, with a disc golf course, dog park, sprayground, tennis center, recreation center and an art center at 9100 Fouts Road.
- Big Creek Park
- At 1600 Old Alabama Road, with creek access, a pond and mountain bike trails the city maintains with the Roswell Alpharetta Mountain Biking Organization.
- Bulloch Hall
- At 180 Bulloch Drive, a Greek Revival house from 1839 and a city house museum. Mittie Bulloch married Theodore Roosevelt Sr. there on December 22, 1853.
- Smith Plantation
- At 935 Alpharetta Street, the 1845 home of Archibald Smith, with outbuildings including slave quarters. The city bought it in 1986 and opened it as a museum in 1991.
- Chattahoochee Nature Center
- A private nonprofit on 127 acres at 9135 Willeo Road beside the river, with woodland trails, a river boardwalk, gardens and a wildlife clinic.
Getting around and getting to Atlanta
GA 400 runs north and south through east Roswell. Exit 7 is Holcomb Bridge Road, SR 140, the city's main interchange, and exit 8 is Mansell Road at the north edge. Atlanta Street and Alpharetta Highway, SR 9, run through downtown and cross the Chattahoochee into Sandy Springs. SR 92 follows Woodstock Road and Crossville Road, and SR 120 heads west as Marietta Highway. Downtown Atlanta is about 21 road miles from Roswell City Hall, and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is about 31.
MARTA Route 85 runs between North Springs Station on the Red Line and the Mansell Park and Ride, by way of Atlanta Street, Alpharetta Highway, East Crossville Road and Mansell Road, stopping near the town square, City Hall and the Roswell library. MARTA changed the route on April 18, 2026, so check its current schedule. North Springs Station is about 8 miles from City Hall.
GA 400 is under construction. GDOT began heavy work on the GA 400 Express Lanes in 2026, including the stretch from Riverside Road to Holcomb Bridge Road, and expects work to continue into 2031. The city's 2045 plan expects express bus service with a station at the Holcomb Bridge Road interchange, and Roswell is building the Big Creek Parkway as a new east-west crossing of GA 400.
Buying and selling in Roswell
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 Roswell, and Miriam can go through each one with you, in English or Igbo.
Before you buy
- Check the exact address on the City of Roswell map or the Census geocoder, because a Roswell address can sit in Alpharetta or Mountain Park, and an Alpharetta 30022 address can sit inside Roswell.
- Enter the address in the Fulton County Schools Find Your School tool and keep the result, since Roswell is split between the Roswell High and Centennial High zones and some middle schools feed two high schools.
- Ask who supplies the water, the Roswell Water Utility or Fulton County, and whether the house is on Fulton County sewer or septic, especially on large lots in the city's Estate Residential areas.
- Pull the FEMA flood map for any lot near the Chattahoochee, Big Creek or Willeo Creek, and ask the seller about past water in a basement or crawl space.
- Plan for a City of Roswell tax bill on top of the Fulton County bill, and tell your lender about both if your taxes will be escrowed.
- Read the historic district rules before buying in or near the town square, Canton Street or Mimosa Boulevard, since exterior changes there need a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.
- Ask the city about river corridor limits before buying a lot near the Chattahoochee that you plan to expand, because land disturbance there gets Atlanta Regional Commission review on top of city review.
Before you sell
- Gather City of Roswell permits and final inspections for additions, decks, pools and finished basements, so buyers can match the work to the city's records.
- State in the listing whether the home is inside Roswell's city limits, since a Roswell address can sit in another city and buyers compare city taxes, sanitation and police service.
- Check the Fulton County Schools Find Your School tool before naming schools in the listing, and tell buyers to confirm the assignment for themselves.
- Have your septic records ready if the home is not on sewer, including the system permit and pumping receipts, so the buyer's inspector can review them.
- Collect any certificates of appropriateness for exterior work if the home is in the historic district, and get written HOA approval for exterior changes elsewhere.
- Disclose known flooding or water intrusion, and pull the FEMA flood zone for lots near the river or a creek so buyers and lenders see it early.
