How do I know the Gainesville, GA area is a good place to invest?

[Lindsay West]

Hello BP! I am brand new to real estate investing and to Bigger Pockets, so I've been focusing on reading and educating myself. I have read a lot on how to analyze a property, but very little on how to analyze an area. I am in northeast Georgia and have focused on the town of Gainesville. I like it because I think the local economy is pretty stable. Gainesville is the poultry capital of the world (yes, world). There is a huge chicken processing industry here. Along with that, there is a university, a big hospital and the local government. However, the schools are not great. Despite that, I think it could be a good area to invest. Is my instinct right here, and is there any statistical data I should be looking at to judge an potential investment area?

[Joel Owens]

Unemployment rate, job growth, schools, crime, traffic counts and patterns, median home income levels, percent of renters to owners, future land use map versus the current, slated road improvement projects, economic mix of employers.

Example if 5,000 jobs in the town but 70% are held by one employer then that employer can go out of business or reduce workforce which will negatively impact the town. Conversely if the employee mix was spread out more equally with businesses and one had a reduction on workforce or went out it would tend to be a downward small blip versus a large one.