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 (2024) marked the 11th edition of MAS. The mixed-mode (i.e. phone and online) effort this year surveyed almost 4,100 residents across the 11 counties and the City of Atlanta. Questions addressed new focus areas of electric vehicles, climate change, and automation–and sought added data on opinions about housing affordability.

Check out written highlights below, access summary slides in PDF here, or scroll down this page and click through the slideshare. THEN “go deeper” at ARC’s Metro Atlanta Speaks webpage! And if you already are familiar with the gist of all of this, and want to explore the data yourself, please visit the Metro Atlanta Speaks Dashboard .

Key Findings for 2024:

  • “The Economy” is the biggest problem: 32 percent say so this year, compared to 24% in 2023. A large majority say that jobs are hard to find, and unexpected expenses remain a major challenge.
  • Mixed on Financial Situation: A new question this year asked how people felt about their financial situation compared to a year ago. 39% said they felt about the same, 31% said they were worse off, and 28% said they were better off.
  • Housing affordability remains a challenge for many: Nearly two of three respondents (64%) said they could not afford to move to another house or apartment in their current neighborhood, about the same as last year.
  • Transportation takes a “back seat” to other regional issues: Prior to the pandemic, transportation consistently ranked as the region’s top challenge. This year, transportation came in fourth, with 11% of respondents choosing it as the region’s biggest problem. That’s the same as last year’s survey.
  • Strong support for public transit: More than nine in ten of respondents said improved public transit was “very important” (64%) or “somewhat important” (27%) to the region’s future. That’s about the same as last year’s survey.
  • Majority are concerned about climate change: More than half of respondents (53%) said climate change is a “major global threat” in the next 10 years. That compares to 59% a year ago, the first year ARC asked this question.
  • Emergency health care access challenges: In a new question this year, nearly one in four respondents said they “strongly disagreed” or “agreed” that an ambulance would arrive in a timely fashion in case of a medical emergency.
  • Concerns over AI: In another new question, 42% of respondents said they felt that artificial intelligence would have a “mostly negative” effect on society, while 30% said it would be “more balanced” and 22% said “mostly positive.”
  • Finally, and encouragingly, those saying that living conditions in the region will be better in the next 3-4 years has ticked up a bit compared to last year–and as we have traditionally found–there is more optimism among Black and Latino respondents than white respondents.