The Atlanta metro area: Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lumpkin, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton counties · Population 6,256,377 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Atlanta area
Household size in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.74 | 2.70 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.81 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.79 | 2.73 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in the Atlanta area average 2.79 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.74, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5 | 36.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.5 | 36.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.5 | 38.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.2 | 38.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of the Atlanta area is 38.2 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The figure for Georgia is much the same. The median age has climbed from 35.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 13.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 13.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in the Atlanta area than nationally: 12.7%, against 11.6%. Georgia comes in at about the same level. The single-parent share has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Atlanta area
Renters in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.1% | 32.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.5% | 35.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.7% | 36.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.9% | 34.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in the Atlanta area is about as common as it is nationally: 33.9% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 31.1% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.8 points, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in the Atlanta area: 8.0% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 3.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1985 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1989 | 1987 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in the Atlanta area is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1993, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1988 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,050 | $910 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,116 | $977 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,293 | $1,112 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,799 | $1,520 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$749 | +$609 | +$606 |
Rent in the Atlanta area runs $1,799 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $749 a month from 2006–10, a 71% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 32.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the north and lowest in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Atlanta area
Bachelor's degrees in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5% | 28.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 35.2% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.2% | 31.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.0% | 35.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in the Atlanta area (42.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.5 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.2% | 84.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.0% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.4% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.9% | 89.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in the Atlanta area is a bit above the national rate: 90.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.6 points, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Atlanta area
| Period | Atlanta area | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 10.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in the Atlanta area is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Atlanta area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta area (all) | 2.79 | 38.2 | 12.7% | 33.9% | 8.0% | 1993 | $1,799 | 42.0% | 90.9% | 5.2% |
| Marietta | 2.73 | 39.7 | 10.6% | 29.2% | 6.1% | 1984 | $2,012 | 52.9% | 92.5% | 4.2% |
| Lawrenceville | 3.22 | 34.9 | 13.7% | 35.1% | 5.6% | 1996 | $2,033 | 33.3% | 85.1% | 4.5% |
| Cumming | 3.01 | 40.1 | 8.0% | 15.0% | 4.4% | 2004 | $2,227 | 55.7% | 94.3% | 3.5% |
| Norcross | 2.61 | 35.9 | 14.5% | 57.1% | 7.4% | 1988 | $1,854 | 31.8% | 77.7% | 3.0% |
| Acworth | 2.93 | 39.7 | 8.2% | 21.9% | 5.8% | 1998 | $2,054 | 41.7% | 93.3% | 3.9% |
| Woodstock | 2.67 | 41.1 | 10.6% | 23.4% | 5.3% | 1998 | $1,962 | 48.2% | 95.4% | 3.2% |
| Douglasville | 2.98 | 38.6 | 17.1% | 27.6% | 8.8% | 1996 | $1,704 | 29.7% | 91.9% | 5.9% |
| Stone Mountain | 3.11 | 38.5 | 15.0% | 35.9% | 11.5% | 1983 | $1,667 | 32.8% | 89.3% | 7.9% |
| Sandy Springs | 2.02 | 37.8 | 8.2% | 49.8% | 9.1% | 1998 | $2,151 | 72.7% | 97.6% | 8.6% |
| Decatur | 2.71 | 40.7 | 14.1% | 37.5% | 16.5% | 1982 | $1,720 | 46.8% | 93.1% | 6.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Detroit area · Riverside area · San Francisco area · Phoenix area · Boston area · Miami area · Philadelphia area · Washington area · Houston area · Dallas area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Atlanta area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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