In a blog post last week, we took a look at the Caribbean-born population as a whole, and what parts of the Atlanta region they call home. But as we saw recently with the Asian-American population, lumping this varied group into a single category ignores the rich cultural tapestry of distinct communities woven together throughout our region. So, let’s take a closer look, again using the most recent American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
We will focus on the five largest groups of Caribbean-born Atlantans, i.e., the specific Caribbean countries that have been the birthplace for at least 5,000 people who’ve migrated to the Atlanta region. The dot density maps that follow all use one dot to represent five people; the dots are randomly scattered in the Census tract of residence.
Jamaica
With over 41,000 residents, the Jamaican-born population represents both the largest and most geographically dispersed Caribbean population in the Atlanta region.
Map 1: Atlanta Residents Born in Jamaica
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Table B05006
Map 1 above illustrates that Atlanta’s Jamaican-born residents are most heavily concentrated in DeKalb County outside the Perimeter and south of I-85, but occupy a band starting in Fayetteville running northeast through Clayton and DeKalb Counties through to central Gwinnett County. Jamaican-born Atlantans also have sizable communities in and around the cities of McDonough in Henry County and Conyers in Rockdale County.
Haiti
Haitian-born Atlantans (at about 14,500) comprise the second largest Caribbean group. Again, one dot represents five people, with the dots randomly scattered in the Census tract of residence.
Map 2: Atlanta Residents Born in Haiti
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Table B05006
As seen above in Map 2, Haitian-born Atlantans’ settlements mirror some patterns of Jamaican-born residents. Concentrations are found particularly in southern Gwinnett near Snellville, around Conyers in Rockdale County, and in the vicinity of McDonough in Henry County. In contrast to the Jamaican-born population, however, the Haitian-born population is fairly sparse in DeKalb County but relatively large in Cobb County–especially in the Kennesaw and Powder Springs areas. There are also clusters of Haitian-born Atlantans in unincorporated Douglas County, in Johns Creek city within Fulton County, and in unincorporated Clayton near the city of Lovejoy.
Dominican Republic
Atlanta residents born in the Dominican Republic make up the Atlanta Region’s third largest Caribbean group– with a population just over 9,000.
Map 3: Atlanta Residents Born in the Dominican Republic
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Table B05006
As was the case with the preceding two groups, the Dominican-born population is most concentrated in Gwinnett County. However, their communities are found closer to the I-85 corridor than are the others, with a particular concentration in Norcross. The Dominican-born population in Clayton County is clustered in the Morrow area; communities in Cobb are concentrated north of Marietta and in the unincorporated area between Marietta and Powder Springs. There are also small but concentrated enclaves in Roswell city (northern Fulton County) and in the City of Atlanta’s NPU-A.
Cuba
Cuban-born Atlantans, numbering a bit fewer than 9,000, are the fourth largest Caribbean-born group.
Map 4: Atlanta Residents Born in Cuba
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Table B05006
Though Atlantans who immigrated from Cuba are also heavily concentrated in Gwinnett County (see Map 4 above), the community is more focused in central Gwinnett– particularly around Lawrenceville and the unincorporated area between Lawrenceville and Lilburn. There is also a sizeable population of Cubans in Clayton County, primarily in the Jonesboro area. Cobb’s Cuban-born population is primarily found in the eastern portion of the city of Mableton and the unincorporated county east of Smyrna. In Henry County, the Cuban-born population is primarily west of McDonough rather than inside the city proper.
Trinidad and Tobago
Finally, the nearly 8,000 Atlantans who originally hail from Trinidad and Tobago round out our top five Caribbean-born groups.
Map 5: Atlanta Residents Born in Trinidad and Tobago
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Table B05006
Like many other Caribbean-born populations we have examined, Atlantans born in Trinidad and Tobago are settled most heavily in Gwinnett County (see Map 5 above). Relative to the other groups, however, they settled with heaviest concentration in the unincorporated area near the southern tip of Gwinnett. Other significant clusters lie along I-20 in unincorporated DeKalb, I-75 in City of Atlanta, and I-85 in the city of Brookhaven, as well as in the southern part of the city of Mableton in Cobb County, and in Clayton County around Morrow city.
Guyana
As noted in the previous blog post in this series, the Census Bureau utilizes a geography-based definition of Caribbean that excludes countries located in Central and South America such as Belize and Guyana with strong historical and cultural ties to the Caribbean. To this point, we have followed that definition because other Census data– such as the naturalization figures reported in the previous post– are tabulated using those defined regions.
But we don’t have to follow that definition blindly, and with an estimated population of 8,057, Atlanta’s Guyanese-born population also meets the population threshold set above.
Map 6: Atlanta Residents Born in Guyana
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Table B05006
As this map shows, Guyanese-born Atlantans have settled in Gwinnett County near Lawrenceville and Snellville; eastern Rockdale County; unincorporated Henry County north of McDonough and east of Hampton; Clayton County east of Jonesboro; City of South Fulton; and NPU B in the City of Atlanta. But DeKalb County is home to the largest number of Guyanese-born Atlantans, with communities in Chamblee, Stone Mountain, Lithonia, and Stonecrest. The City of Stonecrest of particular note, as a single Census tract in that municipality accounts for over five percent of our region’s Guyanese-born population.
Atlanta’s Caribbean-born residents bring a wealth of cultural vibrancy, economic contributions, and community spirit to the metro area. Their settlement patterns highlight not only their growth but also speak to the ways in which they shape and enrich neighborhoods across different counties.
Notes:
Download the tract-level data utilized for these maps here: Caribbean x Tract