Toco Hills
DeKalb County's most convenient intown pocket: 1950s and 60s ranches, townhomes, and condos wrapped around the Toco Hills Shopping Center, minutes from Emory and the CDC.
Toco Hills is DeKalb's most convenient intown pocket, a 1950s and 60s neighborhood of brick ranches and condos wrapped around the Toco Hills Shopping Center. It suits Emory and CDC staff who want a five to ten minute commute with easy access to Midtown. Briar Vista Elementary and Druid Hills High serve the area.
Toco Hills in 60 seconds.
Toco Hills is DeKalb County's most convenient intown pocket, with 1950s and 60s ranches, townhomes, and condos wrapped around the Toco Hills Shopping Center. Emory and the CDC are five to ten minutes away, and Midtown is a 15 to 20 minute drive. It suits buyers who work in the medical corridor and want everyday errands without leaving the neighborhood.
Convenient, established
$585,000
Midtown is a 15 to 20 minute drive; Emory and the CDC run 5 to 10 minutes
Emory, CDC, and Children's workers who want a five to ten minute commute.
Briar Vista Elementary School
Buyers who want walkable nightlife or a MARTA rail commute; there's no rail in the neighborhood.
Toco Hills at a glance.
$300K – $1.5M
Brick ranches and mid-century homes with condos
5 to 10 minutes to Emory, 15 to 20 to Midtown
Briar Vista Elementary, Druid Hills High
Toco Hills Shopping Center, Spiller Park Coffee
A commute to Emory and the CDC you cannot argue with
What's happening in the Toco Hills market.
Housing Styles
Toco Hills was built out mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, so you will find well-kept brick ranches and mid-century homes on tree-lined lots, with townhomes and condos mixed in for lower entry points. Newer infill and full-size rebuilds are becoming more common, and they sell at a premium over the original stock. The range is genuinely wide: a two-bedroom condo in the low $300s, a solid mid-century ranch in the $500s to $700s, and a large new build well above $1.5 million.
Market Trends
Recent median sale prices in Toco Hills have run in the high $500,000s to the mid $600,000s, with active listings spanning from roughly $300,000 condos to single-family homes and new construction well past $1.5 million. Demand stays steady because the location is hard to beat: Emory and the CDC are a five to ten minute drive, Midtown is roughly 15 to 20 minutes, and everyday errands happen without leaving the neighborhood. Homes priced against recent comparables move at a normal pace; overpriced listings sit, because buyers in this pocket know the market well.
Key Highlights
Toco Hills, Atlanta
Toco Hills sits in unincorporated DeKalb County, just off North Druid Hills Road and LaVista Road, with Atlanta postal addresses across the 30033, 30329, and 30324 ZIP codes. It borders Druid Hills and sits minutes from Emory University and the CDC, which makes it one of the handiest locations in intown Atlanta. The neighborhood grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, so the housing is a mix of brick ranches, mid-century homes, townhomes, and condos, plus a steady stream of newer infill. The Toco Hills Shopping Center, an open-air community center that opened in 1956, anchors daily life with two full grocery stores, a stack of local restaurants, and more character than most shopping strips in the metro.
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What to explore in Toco Hills.
Food & Drink
- Silla del Toro Spanish tapas, Salaryman Japanese-Korean, and Bobo Izakaya inside the shopping center
- PaoPao Ramen Factory & BoBa, Duck Donuts, and Taziki's for easy meals
- Spiller Park Coffee for the morning stop and a strong kosher and ethnic restaurant mix
Shopping & Errands
- Kroger and Publix anchor the center, with Office Depot, Ulta Beauty, and The Cook's Warehouse in the mix
- Tall Tales Book Shop for a real neighborhood bookstore
- The adjacent Toco Hills Promenade adds another layer of shops and restaurants
Nearby
- Minutes to Emory University, the CDC, and Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Druid Hills and its Olmsted-designed streets are right next door
- Midtown and Buckhead are a 15 to 20 minute drive
Raising a family in Toco Hills.
Briar Vista Elementary School
DeKalb County Schools, the neighborhood elementary for much of Toco Hills
Fernbank Elementary School
DeKalb County Schools, serves portions of the outer cluster
Druid Hills Middle School
DeKalb County, IB World School serving grades 6 through 8
Druid Hills High School
DeKalb County, well-regarded with a strong community reputation
Getting around from Toco Hills, and what day-to-day life costs.
Getting to downtown from Toco Hills is typically Midtown is a 15 to 20 minute drive; Emory and the CDC run 5 to 10 minutes, and the routes below are the ones that matter for Atlanta's other job centers, including the airport and Perimeter. At rush hour, plan for the higher end of every range.
Midtown is a 15 to 20 minute drive; Emory and the CDC run 5 to 10 minutes
No MARTA rail in the neighborhood; Emory's Toco Hill shuttle links the shopping center to campus, and MARTA bus routes serve nearby stops
I-85, the Downtown Connector, and GA 400 are all a short drive; LaVista Road and North Druid Hills Road carry local traffic
Day-to-day costs in Toco Hills like groceries, utilities, and gas track close to what you'd pay across Metro Atlanta, so housing is usually the line item that decides the monthly numbers. In Toco Hills that typically means the $300K – $1.5M range. If that works for your budget, the rest of the picture usually falls in line with the metro average; if it doesn't, it's worth a conversation about which parts of the area give you more for the money.
Local favorites in Toco Hills.
When people ask me where to eat, grab coffee, or shop in Toco Hills, these are the places I point them to.
The neighborhood coffee stop inside the shopping center; I point buyers here before morning showings in the area.
Spanish tapas and sangria in the shopping center; the room fills up early on weekend evenings.
A Japanese-Korean diner with a scratch kitchen; regulars swear by the smash burgers at lunch.
Ramen and bubble tea that keep families coming back on weeknights.
A brewery taproom pouring Wild Heaven beer alongside Fox Bros. barbecue, right in the shopping center.
An independent bookstore that has anchored the center since 1979; the staff picks are always worth a look.
Why buyers choose Toco Hills.
If you work at Emory, the CDC, or Children's, a five to ten minute commute is hard to argue with.
The shopping center makes daily life easy: groceries, coffee, lunch, dinner, and errands without leaving the neighborhood.
The 1950s and 60s ranches have solid bones, and the mix of condos, townhomes, and new builds gives you entry points at several price levels.
You sit right on the Druid Hills border, so you get intown access with a DeKalb County school district.
Explore more of the area.
Ready to explore Toco Hills?
Whether you're buying, selling, or just getting a feel for the neighborhood, I'm available. I know Toco Hills inside and out, and I'll give you honest, straight answers.
Common questions about Toco Hills.
The questions I hear most from buyers and sellers looking at Toco Hills, answered straight.
Where exactly is Toco Hills in Atlanta?
Toco Hills sits in unincorporated DeKalb County, just off North Druid Hills Road and LaVista Road, about three miles east of Midtown. It carries Atlanta postal addresses across the 30033, 30329, and 30324 ZIP codes, and it borders Druid Hills with Emory University and the CDC essentially next door.
What schools serve Toco Hills?
Toco Hills is in the DeKalb County School District, not Atlanta Public Schools. Most of the neighborhood feeds Briar Vista Elementary to Druid Hills Middle, an IB World School, and on to Druid Hills High. Some homes near the outer edge of the cluster zone to Fernbank Elementary instead, so I always verify the exact assignment for a specific address before anyone makes an offer.
What kind of homes will I find in Toco Hills?
The neighborhood was built out mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, so you see brick ranches and mid-century homes on tree-lined streets, plus townhomes, condos, and a growing number of larger new builds. Entry points start around $300,000 for a condo, ranches commonly land in the $500,000 to $700,000 range, and new construction can run well past $1.5 million.
What is the Toco Hills Shopping Center like?
It is an open-air community center at North Druid Hills Road and LaVista Road that opened back in 1956, anchored by Kroger and Publix. Beyond groceries it has Office Depot, Ulta Beauty, The Cook's Warehouse, Tall Tales Book Shop, Spiller Park Coffee, and restaurants like Silla del Toro, Salaryman, Bobo Izakaya, and PaoPao Ramen. It is the commercial heart of the neighborhood, and the adjacent Toco Hills Promenade adds even more.
Is Toco Hills walkable?
The shopping center is genuinely walkable from nearby blocks, with a Walk Score around 60 right at LaVista Road, and many residents do walk to Kroger, Publix, or dinner. For commutes you will still drive: Emory and the CDC are five to ten minutes, and Midtown is roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
Who is Toco Hills a good fit for?
It suits Emory, CDC, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta professionals who want a short work commute; investors who like the steady demand for condos and townhomes; and buyers who want intown access with a DeKalb County school district. If you like the character of a mid-century ranch with modern updates, this is one of the best pockets in intown Atlanta for exactly that.
Still have a question about Toco Hills?
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