Have you ever wondered what metro Atlanta residents think about pertinent societal issues and their living experience here? Well we have too. That is why we went straight to the source — the people — through one of the largest regional surveys of its kind in the Southeastern United States.
Metro Atlanta Speaks (MAS) is a perception and attitude survey of a statistical sample of Atlanta region residents. MAS is (and has been for the decade-plus) the largest survey of its type in the state, and very likely beyond to the Southeast Region. In all but one of the survey years, the Atlanta Regional Commission has partnered with the Kennesaw State’s A.L. Burruss Institute of Public Service. This past August (2025) marked the 12th edition of MAS. The mixed-mode (i.e. phone and online) effort this year surveyed just over 4,100 residents across the 11 counties of our region and the City of Atlanta.
Questions this year addressed new focus areas of housing affordability and artificial intelligence(AI). Responses are analyzed not only at the regional level but also by county(and the City of Atlanta) and various demographic groups — including income, education, and age.
Let’s look at some top level highlights. These highlights are mostly from the regional summary level, but stay tuned for later blog posts where we will dig into some of these topics in more detail. You can also check out the type of analysis possible on the MAS survey results from previous MAS blog posts on our 33n blog. If you just cannot wait due to sheer excitement or want to explore the results yourself by cross tabulation, you can explore the data at our newly improved dashboard at https://mas2025dashboard.streamlit.app/ (the dashboard is made for desktop viewing, but has a mobile mode you can manually activate if needed) or get the numbers from the table and report resources at https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/research-and-data/metro-atlanta-speaks-survey-report/. Without further ado, here are the MAS 2025 highlights!
Housing Affordability
Housing Affordability is the biggest problem facing metro Atlanta with 28% of respondents citing housing affordability and 13% citing economic concerns. Notably, this was the first year housing affordability was included as a response option for the biggest problem question, and it instantly rose to the leading concern.
Why did affordable housing top the concerns list? Well it’s clear to see. According to the US Census ACS 5-Year Survey in 2023, 1 in 3 households in Metro Atlanta (Metropolitan Statistical Area) are cost burdened by housing. A household is considered cost burdened if that household spends more than 30% of their income on housing costs like rent or mortgage.
The struggle does not stop there. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62% agree or strongly agree) could not afford to move to another house or apartment in their neighborhood where they currently live — a sign that housing affordability is deteriorating even for existing residents.
Low-wage workers are particularly affected. Only 15% of respondents believe that low-wage employees at local businesses can find affordable housing without difficulty. In other words, fewer than two in ten metro Atlantans think that these crucial workers — such as cashiers, delivery drivers, janitors, and landscapers — can live affordably in the communities they serve.
On AI
Artificial intelligence(AI) has been all the hype in the news, and the world is taking serious note of its potential effects on our society [1]. In 2025, Metro Atlantans believe it will play a significant role as well. A large use case for AI is how it could improve our businesses, and Metro Atlanta is optimistic about that!
61% of respondents believe that AI will increase business productivity. On AI’s overall effect on our lives, nearly half of Metro Atlantans (49%) believe that AI will make life easier.
While Metro Atlantans are optimistic on AI’s effect on business productivity, they do not think that AI will be helpful for their job prospects as much as the businesses they work for. 73% believe that AI will decrease the number of available jobs.
To achieve the remarkable results AI has shown glimpses of, mounds of data must be computed in data centers around the world. This utilizes precious resources like water, energy, and special raw materials [2]. Atlantans are not blind to these costs. 59% of Metro Atlantans think AI will increase energy consumption.
The Atlanta Traffic Problem
Traffic stood out as the second-highest concern in the region, cited by 24% of respondents. Traffic and Affordable Housing clearly stood out among the rest of the concerns for the metro region by a whopping 11% margin each.
Many hope that alternative means of transportation beyond automobiles are a viable solution for our region’s transportation problems. Expanding public transit has historically been and is viewed as the best long-term solution to traffic problems in Metro Atlanta with 39% of respondents believing so. Though, a notable 34% of the respondent population stand by improving roads and highways over such alternatives.
Beyond congestion, access remains an issue in Metro Atlanta. A consistent one fourth of respondents, back to 2019, have said that they often lack transportation options to get where they need to go.
Negative Outlook
Overall, the survey revealed a growing sense of pessimism among residents about the region’s future. Nearly half of respondents (46%) believe that living conditions in metro Atlanta will worsen over the next three to four years — a sharp 13-point rise in negative sentiment and an equal decline in positive outlook compared to last year. Neutral opinions held steady at 32%, suggesting that those once hopeful are now shifting toward concern. The desire to leave the metro region has also grown, with 34% of respondents indicating they would move away from Metro Atlanta if given the chance, up from just 24% in 2024.
Employment prospects are a particular area of worry: more than half (53%) say it is currently a bad time to find a well-paying job, marking a 12-point increase from the previous year, while optimism about job opportunities dropped by 14 points. The 2025 results paint a picture of a region increasingly concerned about its trajectory for life as a resident.
Looking Ahead
As metro Atlanta continues to evolve, the Metro Atlanta Speaks Survey remains an invaluable tool for understanding residents’ priorities, challenges, and hopes for the region. The 2025 results remind us that innovation and growth bring opportunity to our region, but they also demand renewed attention to affordability and quality of life.
To dig into who exactly thinks what in our region, you can explore the data at our newly improved dashboard at https://mas2025dashboard.streamlit.app/ (the dashboard is made for desktop viewing, but has a mobile mode you can manually activate if needed) or through the table and report resources at https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/research-and-data/metro-atlanta-speaks-survey-report/ . Look out for our next posts on Metro Atlanta Speaks!
Screenshot of the MAS 2025 Dashboard
Notes