Atlanta Is Growing. Who Gets to Stay?

When Atlanta was once just a transportation hub, few could probably imagine what the city that rose from the ashes would later become. A snapshot of the “city in a forest” paints a picture splattered with a vibrant energy that’s hardly contained, from boundless economic opportunity and growth to a thriving culture that sets the pace for the rest of the country. 

The consistent jest is that, “Atlanta is full.” But with that growth comes a stark reality: many of the city’s residents can’t afford to live here. They’re either being pushed out or priced out, with many residents in a constant tug-of-war of balancing income inequality with rising mortgage and rent prices, coupled with high eviction rates and high-priced units. It’s a crisis that threatens the future of the city’s legacy, including its neighborhoods, employees, children, and the people that have made the city what it is today.

Introducing Rooted: Housing Affordability in Atlanta

How did we get here? That’s what The Atlanta Voice hopes to answer. We are embarking on a year-long series titled “Rooted” to better understand the roots and impact of the housing crisis in Atlanta in four different phases. 

Phase one will dive into the question of how we got here. Phase two will look at who is being left out and why. Phase three will examine what’s working and what isn’t, and phase four will provide readers with the tools to build power and take action. 

Survey Says

The Atlanta Voice conducted a preliminary survey with Atlanta residents with tenure ranging from a few months to 37 years across a range of zip codes (concentrations in 30308, 30310, 30305, 30213, 30318), to understand how they’re being affected by the housing crisis in Atlanta. 

Of 39 respondents, 56% own their home and 33% rent, with 11% in temporary or other housing. 36% of all respondents experienced a property tax increase in the past three years, followed by difficulty paying utilities (26%) and forced moves (21%). Renters bear a great burden, with 84% of them spending 30% or more of their income on housing, compared to just 27% of homeowners. An additional 24% feel at risk of losing their current housing within the next year. 56% never applied for housing assistance. Of the 17 who did apply, only 8 (47%) received help — leaving 9 applicants unsupported.

There’s a bevy of data that lays the land of where Atlanta stands when it comes to housing affordability. According to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the median household income as of April 2026 was $96,820, with the median home price coming up to $412,415. That shows that the metro area is below the affordability threshold, with most households making 38% of the share of median income. According to a 2023-2024 Eviction Lab report, study shows that Atlanta has an annual eviction filing rate of 25%, with Black renters being disproportionately affected.

The Atlanta Regional Commission also forecasts the 21-county Atlanta region will potentially add 1.8 million people by 2050, bringing the region’s total population to 7.9 million, and potentially putting more pressure on the affordability crisis in the city.

We Want to Hear From You

Examining housing affordability in Atlanta and the metro area isn’t a contained issue. It affects millions of people, and we need your help to tell this story and highlight both the challenges and the solutions. If you want to be part of this coverage and share your experience with housing in Atlanta, email reporter Laura Nwogu at Lnwogu@theatlantavoice.com

Your story could help shape future coverage, elevate community voices, and contribute to a broader conversation about the future of housing in Atlanta.

The post Atlanta Is Growing. Who Gets to Stay? appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.