Ideal, Georgia

Incorporated on Jan. 1, 1907, Ideal was originally named Joetown, but when two railroad executives stopped in the town, one proclaimed it an "ideal" place for a railroad station, and the other declared he'd just named it.

As of 2014, Ideal's population is 522 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 11.30 percent. The median home cost in Ideal is $58,900. Home appreciation the last year has been 0.90 percent. Compared to the rest of the country, Ideal's cost of living is 21.40 percent Lower than the U.S. average.

Ideal is 45 miles southwest of Macon and 96 miles south Atlanta.