Buford was incorporated in 1872 as a railroad town and became known as "The Leather City" for its saddle and leather-goods manufacturing, led by the Bona Allen Company, until that industry declined after 1981. Today it's better known for the Mall of Georgia — the largest mall in the state and the 36th-largest in the country, with over 200 stores — and its proximity to Lake Lanier.
What It's Known For
Beyond the mall, Buford sits at the gateway to Lake Lanier and Lake Lanier Islands, and the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center gives the city a genuine green-space anchor alongside the retail corridor. CNN Money ranked Buford #3 nationally in 2008 for "best places to live and start a business."
Cost of Living & Commute
Buford straddles the Gwinnett/Hall county line, with the majority of the city in Gwinnett and a smaller portion extending north into Hall County — worth knowing since it affects which county's tax digest and services apply to a specific address. It's on the longer end of the county's 30–45 minute commute window to downtown Atlanta, off I-985/I-85.
Schools
Buford runs its own independent public school system — Buford City Schools — separate from both Gwinnett County Public Schools and Hall County Schools, with three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. This is unusual in Gwinnett, where most cities share the county-wide GCPS system, so it's worth confirming which district actually serves a specific Buford address before assuming either county system applies.
See Homes For Sale in Buford
931 homes are active right now in Buford on the Gwinnett-wide MLS feed. The link below opens a live, pre-filtered search — no need to re-enter the city or sort through the whole county.