North Druid Hills

North Druid Hills is the unincorporated DeKalb County community north of Druid Hills and east of Brookhaven that doesn't have the name recognition of its neighbors but offers something many of them can't: space, affordability, and location that puts Emory, Buckhead, and the CDC all within a 10-minute drive.

The area is centered roughly around the Toco Hills Shopping Center (the long-running strip mall with the beloved Toco Hills Kroger, a Publix, and a collection of international restaurants) and extends north toward I-85 and east toward the Clairmont Road corridor. It's not a walkable urban neighborhood. It's a car-dependent community of mid-century ranches, split-levels, and scattered apartment complexes, with pockets of new construction and teardown-rebuilds reflecting rising property values.

What North Druid Hills lacks in Instagram appeal, it compensates for in practicality. The housing stock is solid mid-century, with generous lots, mature trees, and floor plans that offer more square footage per dollar than almost any intown-adjacent neighborhood. The Toco Hill community, in particular, has a strong residential identity with long-tenured homeowners and a neighborhood feel that's more suburban than urban.

The rental market is anchored by proximity to Emory University and the CDC, both of which generate steady demand. The area also benefits from its position near the Buford Highway corridor, one of metro Atlanta's most recognized dining and commercial destinations, and housing stock that offers more square footage per dollar than most intown-adjacent neighborhoods.