My family and I moved to Atlanta in 2007. We first lived in the Roswell and Alpharetta areas for a year and later moved to East Atlanta. We left the city for a while and came back to the northwest Atlanta suburbs. So, we know Atlanta extremely well.
Here are the eight things we wish we knew before we moved to Atlanta:
#1 Atlanta geography
When you live in Atlanta, you’re either inside the perimeter (ITP) or outside the perimeter (OTP). This perimeter refers to the circumference around Atlanta, which is Interstate 285. ITP is the inner city, with more urbanism. And then, the outside is mostly the suburbs and outlying countryside. These two parts of Atlanta have very different pros and cons. So, it’s important to know what they have to offer.
#2 ITP vs OTP
Before moving to Atlanta, you'll have to make a big decision. Do you want to be ITP or OTP? Inside the perimeter, we have great public transportation and big-ticket entertainment venues like the Mercedes Benz Stadium, the tabernacle in Atlanta, and the Fox Theater.
There’s also great walkability and bikeability to shops, restaurants, and entertainment spaces. Atlanta is fondly known as the Green City because we have a ton of trees, parks, greenways, biking paths, and walking paths. We also have the biggest international airport in the entire southeast quadrant of the United States.
The downside of living inside the perimeter is the heavy traffic. We also have a higher crime rate, and the cost of living per square foot is higher.
If you have a family or want to have one, OTP living is your best option. There are more spacious homes and lots. You also get a better-graded school system according to niche.com. Even better, you can still get a small town feel close to the big city.
The traffic in these areas is less congested. We have other options like the Peach Pass in metro Atlanta, so you can zip in and out of the city very easily. You’re also close to the north Georgia mountains and the beginning of the Appalachian Trail, with lots of outdoor recreation activities like mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing, and camping in towns like Blue Ridge.
As scenic and family-friendly as it is, living outside the perimeter calls for a vehicle. There’s almost no public transportation and you can’t really walk or bike to school. But we are starting to see lots of paths and parks in some of the OTP local cities. Even if you own a vehicle, you are further from the city, meaning it’s a long commute to work, shops, restaurants, and the entertainment scene.
#3 The cost of living
The median price point in the greater state of Georgia is $367,000, and it’s $389,000 inside the perimeter of Atlanta, GA. The national average is $392,000.
A home in Atlanta can go anywhere from 40% below up to 11% above the national average. So, we certainly have multi-million-dollar properties both inside and outside the perimeter. Which home you decide to purchase will depend on how luxurious or conservative you want to be.
The median price point for taxes in the state of Georgia is $2,027, which is $800 less than the national average. And the average tax rate in Georgia is 0.81%.
Gas prices are a sore subject across the board. But in the state of Georgia, we ended 2022 at $2.73 per gallon. The national average was $3.16 a gallon. That goes to show that we have a big commuter area, and gas is a lot cheaper.
#4 The weather
This amazing city is called “Hotlanta” for a reason. We have very hot and muggy summers in the greater area of Atlanta, GA. The winters are short, wet, and cold. And the temperatures range from 35 °F to 89 °F, rarely getting below 22 °F or above 95 °F.
But don’t cancel your flight to “Hotlanta” just yet. Atlanta is absolutely blissful in the spring and fall months. In the fall, you get beautiful leaves changing colors near the north Georgia mountains. It’s the perfect time to take a drive or a hike, depending on your mood.
In spring, everything turns green – it is gorgeous and blooming. This is probably my favorite time of the year here.
#5 Population
Atlanta is a BIG city. We’re the 37th largest city in the US, and we are growing by 1.4% every year, with roughly 4,196 people per square mile. That's pretty dense, but it's not that bad.
There are 10.9 million people in the state of Georgia. We're the 18th largest by density. And in Fulton County alone, we have up to one million people. The Greater Atlanta metro area is home to 6.14 million people.
#6 The Atlanta job market
Atlanta is home to 16 Fortune 500 companies, which is the highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country. Some of the big cats on the block include Home Depot, UPS, Randstad, and Delta Airlines.
The unemployment rate was 3.1% at the end of 2022, and the annual average was 7.1%. And that’s getting better. More people are working in and around Atlanta. In fact, Atlanta is ranked 15th in terms of the job market by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
#7 Public transportation
We have a little thing called Marta in the Atlanta area. Marta is made up of a rail system and a bus line system, all inside the perimeter. There's only one North spring station and one in the Atlanta airport. So, you can go without a car in the Atlanta metro.
#8 Outdoor recreation
Being at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail, Atlanta is a hub for outdoor recreation. We've got awesome mountain bike paths, trail systems, waterways, and fun activities you can do in the lake. So, the outdoor community in Atlanta is thriving. And because we have such a great climate here in the south, we can do that all year round.
