Regional leaders should not scoff at the dip in net migration. It’s an invitation to keep solving critical issues, such as housing and transportation, in a thriving city.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The Midtown Atlanta skyline is shown as automobiles travel along the Downtown Connector. Longtime residents and people on working-class salaries cannot keep up with the cost of living in the Big Peach. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Reports of Atlanta’s demise are greatly exaggerated.
A Wall Street Journal article from July 20 titled “Atlanta’s growth streak has come to an end” portends the fall of the Big Peach.
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eurt eht eht s’taht taht naht stnediser .troper tniop tuo eno fo devom devom erom tsuj ,ni ni atad tub aera s’tI atnaltA 823,1
eurt latot eht eht taht taht emas .stnediser stnediser noiger noitalupop doirep fo fo fo .noillim ortem si lanoitanretni xulfni werg gnirud yb shtrib esuaceb dna osla ehT s’tI atnaltA 431,57 4.6 ytnuoc-92
snoiger noiger deknar noitalupop natiloportem ni ,htworg hthgie dna gnoma retfa ,kroY ,notgnihsaW .S.U ehT xineohP ,odnalrO weN ,imaiM ,notsuoH .adirolF ,sallaD ,.C.D 783
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Cost of housing is a problem for many Big Peach residents
The Metro Atlanta Chamber has documented Atlanta’s success in a number of national rankings — naming it the No. 1 city to start a career, the city with the highest share of Black businesses and the best city for young professionals. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
:sraey siht seirots detroper tnecer nonemonehp no suoremun ni ni sah ehT CJA
- Homebuyers need an average household income of $120,000 to afford a house in an area where the median income is $90,000
- Institutional investors own 30% of single-family housing inventory in Atlanta
- Atlanta had the second highest rate of gentrification in the nation from 1980 to 2020, calling into question whether the historically majority African American city is still the “Black mecca”
- The astronomically growing number of data centers impacts available land, power supply and water resources
— ssalc-gnikrow tuohtiw htiw pu euqinu ot eht taht seiralas stnediser melborp elpoep llap eno no no fo ton gnivil peek sti .ytilanoitnetni htworg erutuf tsoc stsac tonnac tub snoitaripsa dna dna noitca a a emitgnoL ,atnaltA
,yhw ot eht hcus rellams gnikees stnediser tuo remrof ,seitinummoc sa ,elcitra era dna gnidrocca s’tahT ;eessenneT .eessenneT ,ellivxonK lanruoJ ,ellivstnuH ,agoonattahC ;amabalA
erew esoht ereht naht naht .ylevitcepser .ylevitcepser ,stnediser :snoiger erom noitargim desaercni ni ni rewef dedeecxe .shtaed shtaed yb shtrib shtrib dna dna dna ,ellivxonK nI ,ellivstnuH ,revewoH citsemoD agoonattahC 166,9 ,876,4 873 083,01 ,228,1 000,1
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latot eht naht yllaitnatsbus .noos wohs noiger noitalupop fo ton erom ortem ,regral sti si si .gniworg enod shtaed ,esruoc tub shtrib emityna fO toN s’atnaltA 619,62
Atlanta’s dominance in many business lists continues
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Runners cross the finish line during the 56th AJC Peachtree Road Race on Friday, July 4, 2025, in Atlanta. About 52,000 runners participated in the event. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
eht sseccus ,sgniknar fo rebmun lanoitan :gnidulcni ni sah detnemucod s’ytic a ehT orteM rebmahC atnaltA
- No. 1 in best city to start a career, highest share of Black businesses, best city for young professionals
- No. 2 in greatest increase in Black-owned businesses
- No. 3 in best city for entrepreneurs, headquarters and small businesses
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— — srotisiv ot ot ot siht eht eht eht eht eht taht egats cimonoceoicos gniwohs dluohs dluohs enon-ot-dnoces ffocs ,dias thgir stnediser stnediser noitcuder tup etavirp-cilbup ylbissop elpoep spihsrentrap snoitpo fo fo srebmun ton wen ten ten deen noitargim noitargim ortem pihsredael sredael ni ni gnisuoh evah labolg erutuf rof rof gnidnif erugif ecneirepxe gnirusne ecnahne enilced .ytic retnec sdnuorgkcab ta .aera aera dna lla gnicnavda ssorca elbissecca a a a ehT ,ATRAM llA 823,1
krow ot dluohs tser .ytirepsorp no tsum slerual sti sti ti drah erusne seunitnoc ytic dna oN atnaltA
eht eht sevres noinipo no fo si mih rotide .moc.cja@sazalp.divad ta dna ehT sazalP noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ liamE lairotidE divaD .draoB atnaltA CJA
David Plazas joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May 2025 after a 25-year award-winning career as a reporter, editor and opinion editor for The News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida, and most recently, The Tennessean in Nashville, Tennessee, as an opinion writer and editor, video podcast host, newsletter writer and sought-after moderator.
