The maps below visually confirm what many already know to be the case:  racial demography in the Atlanta Metro region has shifted considerably since 2000.  In particular, the City of Atlanta, which began to experience considerable turnover in property ownership along with an upsurge in investment in historically black neighborhoods, saw these trends accelerate following the Great Recession.  In addition, predominantly white and higher income households, previously apt to live in the suburbs, have exhibited a growing preference for dense urban living.  The combination of these changes have corresponded to a decline in the very high shares of African Americans living in central parts of the city (and metro region) at the same time as their shares in previously less diverse areas – particularly suburban counties to the south, west, and east – have increased.  Northern neighborhoods and counties, outside of the city, have also experienced this demographic shift, albeit to a smaller degree.

Data Sources: US Census Bureau, Decennial Census (2000) & American Community Survey, 5-year estimates (2012-16)

Maps created using Neighborhood Nexus’s Mapping Tool