Economic Development and Urban Policy
Data Snapshot
In 1970, the Atlanta MSA, as defined by the federal government, consisted of five counties (Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett), spanned 1,731 square miles and had a population of 1,387,865. By 2015, the Atlanta MSA consisted of 29 counties, encompassed 8,376 square miles and had a population of 5,710,795.
Over the 45-year period, the current 29-county Atlanta MSA saw a major transformation.
The chart at the right shows the change in education for the population over the age of 25 in the metro-Atlanta area.
The percentage of the population that was nonwhite nearly doubled, increasing from 22.2 percent to 44.2 percent of the total population. The percentage of the adult population with less than a high school diploma decreased from 52.6 percent to 11.8 percent, while the percentage with a college degree or more increased from 12.0 percent to 35.8 percent.
Percentage of Educational Attainment
of Population Age 25+
- Less than high school
- Bachelor degree or higher
Notable Research
Local Tax Incentives: Examples from Metropolitan Counties
This report highlights common local government tax expenditures, looking at both scope and use through case studies of four metropolitan U.S. counties: Ramsey County, Minn.; Cook County, Ill.; Maricopa County, Ariz.; and Fulton County, Ga. The research highlights how these tax expenditures impact the tax revenue of other local governments and emphasizes the benefits of local tax expenditure reporting. Authors: Laura Wheeler and Per Johnson
This study provides a brief but detailed analysis of the shrinking middle class in every U.S. state between 2000 and 2013. It includes a descriptive table summarizing the change in share of low-income and high-income households for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as specifics about Georgia’s middle class. Authors: Chandrayee Chatterjee, Lakshmi Pandey and David Sjoquist