College-educated Americans are moving to Atlanta
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Atlanta continues to attract college-educated Americans away from their home counties, according to the latest census data.
Why it matters: White-collar workers tend to go where they think the jobs are, and cities compete to attract well-paid professionals — and the tax revenue they can bring.
By the numbers: Among Americans ages 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or more who moved to a new county in 2023, 2.9% relocated to Atlanta, based on figures from the 2023 one-year American Community Survey.
- That's the fourth-highest percentage among the country's 100 most populous metro areas, with New York (6.1%), Washington D.C. (3.5%) and Dallas (3.2%) topping the list.
- Other hotspots: Los Angeles (2.4%), Chicago (2.4%), Denver (2.4%), Boston (2.2%) and San Francisco (2.1%).
The bottom line: Atlanta has long been known as a place where people come to pursue careers or reinvent themselves, so it's not surprising the city ranks high on the list.
Go deeper: Where Georgians are moving out of state