Most Atlanta residents are satisfied with the city, survey finds
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Despite what some young adults say, more than two-thirds of Atlanta residents are feeling satisfied about where they live, a new survey finds.
Why it matters: "Satisfaction" is broad, but works as a general vibe check on how people are feeling about job opportunities, housing costs, safety and other issues that affect their cities.
The latest: 70% of Atlanta residents say they are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the city, according to a Gensler survey of about 13,500 residents across 27 major U.S cities conducted between July and November 2024.
- San Antonio tops the list, with just over 78% of residents saying they are content with the Alamo City.
- San Diego (about 76%), Raleigh, North Carolina, (76%) and Minneapolis (75%) follow.
- Folks in Baltimore (50%), Philadelphia (59%) and Portland, Oregon (60%) report relatively low city satisfaction rates.
How it works: The findings are part of a broader report from the design and architecture firm's research wing, City Pulse 2025: The Magnetic City, an annual dive into how urban residents feel about a host of issues.
Between the lines: Some of the cities with relatively low satisfaction rates also have relatively high rates of young adults who say they're planning to move out, Gensler found.
- Half of young adults surveyed last year in Atlanta said they were "likely" or "very likely" to leave the city.
Friction point: "The biggest vulnerabilities for U.S. cities are cost of living and safety," Sofia Song, global leader of cities research at Gensler's Research Institute, tells Axios.
- People are "choosing cities that are more affordable and safer, and where they feel like they can actually age in place," Song adds.
- Despite a drop in homicides, Atlanta did experience a double-digit rise (19.4%) in violent crime during the first nine months of 2025, driven by upticks in robberies and assaults, Axios' Russell Contreras reports.
What we're watching: Atlanta is struggling with an affordable housing crisis, and many residents are worried about housing costs.
- If nothing changes in that space, it could negatively affect future satisfaction rates.