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The Old South merges with the new in Atlanta, Georgia, the city that gave the world CNN and Martin Luther King. Many people are relocating to Atlanta and its surrounding metro area, finding a revitalized city.
Georgia's capital and largest city, Atlanta is a major financial and cultural center. Inhabited by over 470,000 residents by U.S. Census estimated in 2005, the city is part of a much larger metro area. Over 8,000 square miles and 100-plus municipalities make up the Greater Atlanta area with over 5.1 million people by estimates in 2005. It is the ninth-largest metro area in the U.S. and the fastest growing. The city of Atlanta does not grow as fast, ranking as 35th largest in the nation. The city has been unable to annex nearby communities because of the way urban areas have sprawled. The median age of city residents in 2005 was 34.7 years. The African American community made up nearly three-fifths of the population in the recent census, 33.8% were White non-Hispanic, and another 4.7% were Hispanic. The average household size was 2.3 people. Married couple families made up 22% of city households.
More than twice the national average was the percentage of Atlanta residents living in poverty. Nearly 50% of related children under 18 lived below the poverty line. Unemployment was also well above the national rate, reaching 14% in early 2005. Common occupations for Atlanta workers were in the management, professional, and related fields at 46% of the workforce. A mix of history, tourism, job growth, and business opportunities all add to Atlanta’s prosperity. Two dozen Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the metro area, beginning with the Coca-Cola Company. The community is also home to BellSouth, Delta Airlines, Home Depot, UPS and Georgia-Pacific. The city’s largest employers were Delta Airlines, BellSouth, the U.S. Postal Service and Wal-Mart. Atlanta was ranked number one by Inc. magazine in 2004 on its list of the "Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America". Many foreign-based businesses have been relocating to Atlanta where over 1,300 operations are found in the metro region. With a high Per Capita income of $33,590 in 2005, Atlanta workers were well ahead of the national average of $25,035. However, family and household incomes lagged. The median income of Atlanta households was $39,752, compared with the national average of $46,242. Median family income was $42,010, with a U.S. figure of $55,832.
The 1996 Centennial Olympic Games had a big impact on Atlanta’s development. More than $2 billion was spent on new construction, sporting arenas, entertainment venues, and beautification. Another $100 million was spent on hotel renovations and expansions. The $57 million Centennial Olympic Park now serves as the centerpiece of downtown Atlanta. Following the Olympics, the city was left with several other multimillion-dollar sporting venues, including Turner Field, home to the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta has some reasonably priced housing and a cost of living that is slightly below the national average. The ACCRA Cost of Living Index near the end of 2004 was 98.2, compared with the U.S. average of 100. The median home was valued at $218,500, about $50,000 ahead of the national average. Since 1990, nearly 20% of city housing has been constructed. The average property tax bill for home owners with mortgages in 2005 was $2,538. Those same owners had monthly housing costs that averaged $1,614. Renters were paying $770 a month for housing. Of those, 54% said they spent 30% or more of their income on housing.
Crime in Atlanta has been extremely high with serious offenses like murders. However, data collected by the FBI has shown an improvement. There were 15 fewer murders per 100,000 residents in the three years since 2002. The overall crime index was still high at 847.8 in 2005, but over 400 points better than five years earlier when it was 1257.9. The U.S. Crime Index is 325.2. Atlanta has some educated people, with 42.4% of those 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Among individuals 16 to 19 years of age, 10% were dropouts. At the center of downtown, Atlanta features Georgia State University. Attended by 28,000 students annually, the university boasts more than 250 fields of study and fifty-two accredited degree programs. An urban research institute, there are plans the for a $1 billion dollar campus expansion. Metro Atlanta is home to many post-secondary institutions, with some of the most prestigious in the U.S.
Atlanta's elevation and proximity near the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean tempers summer heat. Mountains to the north help provide mild winters. The average temperature for January is 40.5 degrees, while July is 79. The city’s average annual precipitation is near 51 inches. Tornado activity is also fairly frequent, slightly above the state average and 81% higher than the rest of the country. The global headquarters of CNN are located in Atlanta. The news and entertainment center owned by billionaire Ted Turner is synonymous with the city. Atlanta is home to four pro sports franchises with the baseball’s Braves, the NFL Falcons, the NBA Hawks and NHL Thrashers. Other sporting venues popular to the city include college football’s annual Peach Bow. Atlanta Motor Speedway is a hotspot for NASCAR racing events, and the BellSouth Classic is an annual PGA tournament.
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