In honor of Veteran’s Day, let’s take a look at Atlanta’s veteran population. How many veterans are there in Metro Atlanta? What periods did they serve? And how does our population compare to other top metros?
We can address these questions with data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). According to the 2024 ACS 1-year estimates, the 29-county Atlanta MSA was home to just over 300,000 veterans. Figure 1 shows the percentage of veterans by era of service: September, 2001 is the dividing line between Gulf War periods 1 and 2. [1]
Figure 1: Atlanta Veterans by Era of Service
As this graph shows, the largest group of Atlanta veterans served during the first Gulf War period, followed closely by the second Gulf War period, each comprising nearly one-third of Atlanta’s veteran population.[2] Vietnam veterans are the third largest group, making up about one quarter of veterans. Rather few Korean War and WWII veterans are left in Atlanta.[3] And about one fifth of Atlanta’s veterans served in peacetime only (periods between WWII and the Korean War, between the Korean War and Vietnam, and between Vietnam and the Gulf War period).
How does the Atlanta MSA compare to other top metros? Figure 2 compares veterans as a percentage of the civilian population 18 years and over for the 20 most populous MSAs in the country, again utilizing 2024 ACS 1-year estimates.
Figure 2: Veterans as a Percentage of the Civilian Population 18 Years and Over for the Top 20 Metros
As we can see, Tampa (home to CENTCOM) has the highest percentage veteran population, followed by San Diego (home to the Pacific Fleet and a naval base second only in size to Norfolk), and Washington, DC (Pentagon). Though not anchored by a single massive installation like Tampa or San Diego, Atlanta has Dobbins Air Reserve Base and a network of former Army posts such as Fort MacPherson, helping explain its rank of #5 with a 6.1% veteran population. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York bring up the rear, each with less than 3% veterans among their populations.
Atlanta’s veteran population reflects both the region’s deep ties to national service and its role as a hub for those who have completed their duty. On Veteran’s Day, these numbers remind us that behind every statistic is a story of service– and Atlanta is proud to be home to so many of them.
Notes:
[1] The bars in this graph sum to over 100% because some veterans served during more than one war.
[2] Recall that we are looking only at veterans, i.e., people who have completed their service. Gulf War 2 would be the largest group if active personnel were included in these figures.
[3] Keep in mind that a soldier who turned 18 on V-E day would be 98 years old today.