Metro Atlanta sees population gain from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles

There's a decent chance your new neighbors down the hall or up the street moved to metro Atlanta from New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles, according to LinkedIn research of net migration among its members.

Why it matters: Workers moving in and out of metro Atlanta is a key ingredient when it comes to making the region an economic powerhouse, political battle ground and rich cultural center.

• ⚽ You could also argue that in-migration has helped create a fervent fan-base for a certain professional soccer team.

Details: Credit the region's mix of companies and sectors, friend and family networks, weather and relatively low cost of living.

• Metro Atlanta's cost of living earlier in 2021 was a tad bit higher than the national average, but utility costs are low, according to data released earlier this year.

That tracks: Georgia had the fifth largest number of new residents from out-of-state in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with many coming from New York, Florida, and California.

• A 2016 ARC analysis of American Community Survey data from 2010 to 2014 found that more than 50% of residents in parts of Fulton, Cobb, Cherokee, and Fayette counties were born in another state.

Yes, but: Metro Atlanta being the transient place it is, we also said farewell to some neighbors.

• The biggest magnets for workers leaving Atlanta were Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Tampa Bay, according to LinkedIn's study.

Big picture: 2021 was a record year for slow population growth in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Georgia's population grew by just under 1 percent from July 2020 to July 2021.

Thomas' parents' thought bubble (my parents moved here from New York City in 1975): "Sure as hell didn't come for the weather," says my mom Anne, who never got used to Atlanta's humid summers.

• Long story short: My dad got offered a spot in Emory's residency program and then a job at Emory Clinic. "It was a great job," she says. "We'd just had your older brother. The schools were good. I'd made good friends who also had kids, and we helped each other. It was a nice cocoon."