Metro Atlanta city guide / Paulding County
Dallas, Georgia: an old courthouse town at the edge of the metro
Dallas has been the Paulding County seat since 1852, and its brick-paved downtown, historic courthouse and Civil War battlefields still give it the feel of a small Georgia town. Around it, Paulding has grown into one of the places families go when they want a newer house and a bigger yard for the money. The tradeoff is distance: there is no interstate in the county, so the drive is the first thing to understand before you fall for a house here.
Come as you are. Come on home.
Downtown
A courthouse town with brick streets.
Dallas was laid out in 1852 on 40 acres and named for George M. Dallas, vice president under James K. Polk. A major renovation in the early 2000s brought back the brick roadways and gave downtown its current look.
The historic courthouse. The Historic Paulding County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places and anchors the square.
Main Street. Brick roadways, a central courtyard, a gazebo and fountains, with Civil War Trailhead Park along Main Street.
What is coming. The Dallas Downtown Development Authority is working with TRG Residential on a planned mixed use project with a four story apartment building, shops and public space. It is still in planning.
The drive
No interstate, so test the commute first.
Paulding County is one of the few metro counties without an interstate. Most trips start on a state highway, and that shapes daily life more than anything else here.
Toward Atlanta
US 278 runs southeast through Hiram and Powder Springs toward the city. Most people pick up I-20 or I-285 from there.
Toward Marietta
The Dallas Highway runs east into Marietta and toward I-75.
Toward Douglasville
The road south through Hiram reaches Douglasville and I-20.
Try the drive
With no interstate in the county, routes matter. Drive from the house to work both ways at real commute times.
Prices
Flat prices, faster sales.
Closed sales in the City of Dallas over the three months ending August 2026, from Redfin.
Prices are steady and homes are selling about three weeks faster than a year ago. That is a firmer market than most of the west side right now, so well priced homes in good condition may not sit long.
Much of what sells around Dallas is newer construction in subdivisions outside city limits, which can look different from homes near downtown. Sales from the same neighborhood and builder era are the better comparison.
Gold and battlefields
A county shaped by a gold rush and a war.
Paulding’s history shows up in its land lines and its parks.
The gold lots
After gold was found in north Georgia in 1828, the area was divided into 40 acre gold lots in 1832. Little gold turned up, and most settlers farmed instead.
The Battle of Dallas
Fought near downtown in May 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign, the same week as the battles at New Hope Church and Pickett’s Mill.
Pickett’s Mill
Earthworks and trenches are preserved at the Pickett’s Mill Historic Battlefield Site and at New Hope Church, both a short drive from town.
The Silver Comet
The trail runs right past town.
The Silver Comet Trail follows the old Seaboard Air Line rail line through Paulding County on its way from Smyrna to the Alabama state line.
The Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle. A restored railroad trestle high over the creek, one of the most photographed stretches of the whole trail.
Room to ride. Paved and mostly flat, with long quiet stretches through the woods.
Downriver. Powder Springs, about 11 miles southeast, sits on the same trail. Read the Powder Springs guide →
Schools
Paulding County schools, and room to grow.
Dallas is served by the Paulding County School District, which runs five high schools.
Check the address
Assignments follow the address, and many Dallas mailing addresses sit outside city limits. Use the district’s locator for the exact home and school year.
College close by
Georgia Highlands College, Chattahoochee Technical College and a Kennesaw State University site all have a presence in the area.
Taxes
A modest city rate, if you are inside it.
Homes inside Dallas city limits pay a city rate on top of Paulding County and school taxes. Many Dallas mailing addresses are outside the city and pay only the county and school rates.
Inside Dallas city limits, add the city’s rate to Paulding County and school taxes. Many Dallas addresses are outside the city. Recalculate at your price without the seller’s exemptions.
Nearby
Worth comparing with Dallas.
The places Dallas buyers most often weigh it against.
Powder Springs, around $357,000. About 11 miles southeast on the Silver Comet, with Cobb County schools. Read the Powder Springs guide →
Marietta. East on the Dallas Highway, the Cobb County seat. Read the Marietta guide →
Douglasville, around $305,000. South through Hiram, the Douglas County seat on I-20. Read the Douglasville guide →
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For sellers
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Dallas homes are selling faster than last year. With new construction nearby, a resale home is always being compared with a builder’s.
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Against nearby resales and new builds, matched on age, size, lot and condition, including any builder incentives in play.
Common questions
Dallas FAQ
What people ask about Dallas, Georgia.
Dallas is the county seat of Paulding County, northwest of Atlanta on the western edge of the metro, about 11 miles northwest of Powder Springs.
The median sale price in the City of Dallas was about $302,000 over the three months ending August 2026, up 0.3 percent from a year earlier, according to Redfin. Homes spent a median of 55 days on the market, down from 75.
No. Paulding County has no interstate, so most commutes start on state highways such as US 278 toward Powder Springs and Atlanta or the Dallas Highway toward Marietta.
Dallas is served by the Paulding County School District, which operates five high schools. School assignments follow the address, so check the district’s locator for a specific home.
The City of Dallas rate is 6.5 mills for 2026, which applies only to homes inside city limits. Paulding County proposed keeping its 4.3 mill operations rate, plus a 0.8 mill bond levy and a 2.1 mill fire tax, and the school board set 17.8 mills for 2026.
The Silver Comet Trail runs through Paulding County near Dallas, including the restored Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle.
The Battle of Dallas was fought near downtown in 1864, and earthworks are preserved nearby at New Hope Church and the Pickett’s Mill Historic Battlefield Site.
More house and more yard, as long as the drive works.
Dallas offers more house and more yard than most of the metro. If the drive fits your life, tell me your budget and I will help you find the right street.